He knew the path to be long
The road to be dark.
She is made as a helper
and not meant to make
her trip alone.
Alone where she can only hear her own thoughts.
Alone because her Lord's home is still a distance off.
Alone but still walking, knowing he is there at the end.
Her cloths are worn through trial
and face darkened by tribulation
but her eyes are bright with a light
held for her beloved.
Shall he send an angel to sing her along,
to lift her head when it falls
hold her hand when the perils are too high
Shall he speak in the still of silence?
Will there be another one along the way,
to stay the road with her
Oh perhaps for awhile?
Lord keep her eyes bright
Send forth your light
Fill the sky with sight
Let there be no more night
How long oh Lord!
Beloved, whisper your words in her ear,
call to her from your Mountain.
Remind her what she if fighting for,
Give her a scent of home.
Call to her
"Rise up, My love, My beautiful one, and come away.
SoFor lo, the winter is past, the rain is over; it goes to itself.
the flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
the fig tree puts forth her green figs,
Arise, My love, My beautiful one, and come away."
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Faith in Love
Studying about the word love the other day I notice how intertwined faith and love are. Many times in the scriptures they are mentioned together, as if dependant upon each other.(Eph. 6:23) Pondering on this I wondered, why must faith and love be demonstrated together? My answer came in 1John chapter 4 and 5. These chapters show the essence of love. What is it? How do we recieve it? And then of course, how do we display it? Really without fruits love is dead. Just as faith. How so?
The source of love is God, for he IS love.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love. 1Jo 4:7,8
In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins. 1Jo 4:9,10
No man has ever seen God. So how are we as humans suppose to know love? The Father gave us Jesus, He is the demonstration of God's love for us. The manisfestation of love that is undeserved. The essence of love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 1Jo 4:11-13
God loved us first, he sent his son to show us that love. And Jesus exibited the ultimate love. The sacrifice of himself. What more does a human have to show self sacrificing love? Except to offer everything they have, their life.
By having faith in God's love for us, faith in our Lord Jesus, we are able to have his spirit dwell within us. This spirit perfects our love, makes it pure and beautiful. His spirit within us brings forth fruitage, fruitages of the spirit. They are Love, Joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness and self- control. What is interesting about these fruitages of God's spirit is that none can be displayed without love. That is why it is referred to as the greatest fruitage. Truely though, we cannot recieve this spirit without displaying faith in Jesus. For how can we produce true love without understanding what it is?
Love is described in 1Coritians Chapter 13
And if I am having [the gift of] prophecy and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I am having all faith so as to be removing mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. 1Co 13:2
Faith and love must exist together.
And if I dole out all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I am burned, but am not having love, I am not at all benefited.1Co 13:3
Displays of self sacrifice without love as the reason is usless. For it is not a true reflection of our Lord without it being unselfish.
Love waits patiently; it acts kindly. Love does not envy [or, is not jealous]; love does not boast; it does not become haughty. It does not behave disgracefully; it does not seek its own [things]; it is not provoked [or, irritated]; it does not keep a record of evil. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but it rejoices with the truth. It puts up with all [things], believes all, hopes [or, confidently expects] all, endures all. Love never fails. But if [there be] prophecies, they will become useless; if tongues, they will cease by themselves; if knowledge, it will become useless. 1Co 13:4-8
Love believes all things. It has faith. To be able to show true love we must keep it unselfish, just as our Fathers' was, just as Jesus demonstrated his to be. We cannot show love on the basis that it must be returned. That we must see the results of our love to be able to give it to others. Jesus tried to teach us this in many illustrations. For example:
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax-collectors do so? Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Mat 5:43-48
Perfect love. If we want to be perfect we MUST show love. By doing this we show we are his children. We reflect the qualities of Jesus, therefore having the father within us, and exibiting his love through ourselves. Our faith in God's love is now alive, because we provide that love to others.
Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as He is, so also we are in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also. 1John 4:15-21
We have boldness on the day of Judgement because we have Faith in God's love, we have faith in Jesus. Perfect love is without fear. Fear is a lack of faith, and shows a weakening of love. Sometimes I feel people hold back their love, out of fear they may be hurt, or that it will not be returned. This is not perfect love. Perfect love is not dependant on it being returned, on seeing, because perfect love is based on the unseen, Faith. It must be given without condition. If we have love returned, it is a gift from God.
Faith in love, is based on what we cannot see, but know to exist. God is love. We cannot see him, but have faith in his son, whom he gave to us to show us his love. Through our faith in Jesus we also are able to have that love within us, and give it to others just as our Lord poured it out for us.
The source of love is God, for he IS love.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love. 1Jo 4:7,8
In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins. 1Jo 4:9,10
No man has ever seen God. So how are we as humans suppose to know love? The Father gave us Jesus, He is the demonstration of God's love for us. The manisfestation of love that is undeserved. The essence of love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 1Jo 4:11-13
God loved us first, he sent his son to show us that love. And Jesus exibited the ultimate love. The sacrifice of himself. What more does a human have to show self sacrificing love? Except to offer everything they have, their life.
By having faith in God's love for us, faith in our Lord Jesus, we are able to have his spirit dwell within us. This spirit perfects our love, makes it pure and beautiful. His spirit within us brings forth fruitage, fruitages of the spirit. They are Love, Joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness and self- control. What is interesting about these fruitages of God's spirit is that none can be displayed without love. That is why it is referred to as the greatest fruitage. Truely though, we cannot recieve this spirit without displaying faith in Jesus. For how can we produce true love without understanding what it is?
Love is described in 1Coritians Chapter 13
And if I am having [the gift of] prophecy and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I am having all faith so as to be removing mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. 1Co 13:2
Faith and love must exist together.
And if I dole out all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I am burned, but am not having love, I am not at all benefited.1Co 13:3
Displays of self sacrifice without love as the reason is usless. For it is not a true reflection of our Lord without it being unselfish.
Love waits patiently; it acts kindly. Love does not envy [or, is not jealous]; love does not boast; it does not become haughty. It does not behave disgracefully; it does not seek its own [things]; it is not provoked [or, irritated]; it does not keep a record of evil. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but it rejoices with the truth. It puts up with all [things], believes all, hopes [or, confidently expects] all, endures all. Love never fails. But if [there be] prophecies, they will become useless; if tongues, they will cease by themselves; if knowledge, it will become useless. 1Co 13:4-8
Love believes all things. It has faith. To be able to show true love we must keep it unselfish, just as our Fathers' was, just as Jesus demonstrated his to be. We cannot show love on the basis that it must be returned. That we must see the results of our love to be able to give it to others. Jesus tried to teach us this in many illustrations. For example:
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax-collectors do so? Therefore be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Mat 5:43-48
Perfect love. If we want to be perfect we MUST show love. By doing this we show we are his children. We reflect the qualities of Jesus, therefore having the father within us, and exibiting his love through ourselves. Our faith in God's love is now alive, because we provide that love to others.
Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as He is, so also we are in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also. 1John 4:15-21
We have boldness on the day of Judgement because we have Faith in God's love, we have faith in Jesus. Perfect love is without fear. Fear is a lack of faith, and shows a weakening of love. Sometimes I feel people hold back their love, out of fear they may be hurt, or that it will not be returned. This is not perfect love. Perfect love is not dependant on it being returned, on seeing, because perfect love is based on the unseen, Faith. It must be given without condition. If we have love returned, it is a gift from God.
Faith in love, is based on what we cannot see, but know to exist. God is love. We cannot see him, but have faith in his son, whom he gave to us to show us his love. Through our faith in Jesus we also are able to have that love within us, and give it to others just as our Lord poured it out for us.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Harvesting one at a time
"But seeing the crowds, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were tired and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send out laborers into His harvest." Matt 9:36-38
I was reading about how fields were harvested in Bible times the other day, and realized how thorough the fields were reaped. First the harvest was accomplished by means of a hand sickle. A meticulous means of insuring that scarcely a stalk of grain is missed. The reaper cuts the grain and gently lays it down and moves forward. Then others would gather and bind the handful into larger bundles. Behind them were the gleaners,usually women. It was their job to pick up any stems or heads of the precious grain that may have eluded the workers before them who needed to work rapidly to complete the harvest. In this way, not a head of grain would be missed. It reminds me of the following scripture. "The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Joh 10:3
Chirst said he will not loose even one of his sheep. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. "Those that You have given Me I have kept, and none of them is lost",.. Joh 17:12 As workers in his field we can understand how important it is to be a gleaner. How so? Because as we see in John 10:3, Jesus calls his sheep by name. Or we could look at it as, one at a time. Though there are those who would be given the "gift of evangelism" experiencing events similar to the book of Acts. I feel we are given a more individual Gospel. If Jesus allows, for us to help harvest one soul at a time. Taking care in our Lords harvest, to not miss even one.
Many people feel that their work in the Lord, has to be done on a large scale. Reaching as many lives as possible, affecting large groups at once. They base the sucess of their work by numbers, and sadly some even by financial gain. Is this how Jesus feels? "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one?" Mat 18:12
How happy would my Lord be, if even I found just one, head of grain that was missed, one sheep that was lost. For the angels rejoice at just one sinner that repents. Yes one, just one, and we can bring joy to Jesus heart.
"By this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." (1Jo 3:16)
I was reading about how fields were harvested in Bible times the other day, and realized how thorough the fields were reaped. First the harvest was accomplished by means of a hand sickle. A meticulous means of insuring that scarcely a stalk of grain is missed. The reaper cuts the grain and gently lays it down and moves forward. Then others would gather and bind the handful into larger bundles. Behind them were the gleaners,usually women. It was their job to pick up any stems or heads of the precious grain that may have eluded the workers before them who needed to work rapidly to complete the harvest. In this way, not a head of grain would be missed. It reminds me of the following scripture. "The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Joh 10:3
Chirst said he will not loose even one of his sheep. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. "Those that You have given Me I have kept, and none of them is lost",.. Joh 17:12 As workers in his field we can understand how important it is to be a gleaner. How so? Because as we see in John 10:3, Jesus calls his sheep by name. Or we could look at it as, one at a time. Though there are those who would be given the "gift of evangelism" experiencing events similar to the book of Acts. I feel we are given a more individual Gospel. If Jesus allows, for us to help harvest one soul at a time. Taking care in our Lords harvest, to not miss even one.
Many people feel that their work in the Lord, has to be done on a large scale. Reaching as many lives as possible, affecting large groups at once. They base the sucess of their work by numbers, and sadly some even by financial gain. Is this how Jesus feels? "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one?" Mat 18:12
How happy would my Lord be, if even I found just one, head of grain that was missed, one sheep that was lost. For the angels rejoice at just one sinner that repents. Yes one, just one, and we can bring joy to Jesus heart.
"By this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." (1Jo 3:16)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Beloved
You are pleasant, oh my Lord
Your shade is my delight
and your fruit sweet to my taste
I sit in the shadow of your wings
against your strong chest I lean
listening contently to your song
Sing to me beloved
call my heart home
with your voice
Whisper to me your love
For the time of singing has come
and the song of my dove is here
The rain has ended
and my garden is ripe
The day will break
and my heart leap
for upon the mountain
he will stand
I will grasp his words to my heart
and become a mountain of myrrh
drip honeycomb from my lips
wrapped in his garments of spice
Your wine goes down smoothly, oh beloved
blowing wind through my garden.
"Let me hear your song, my dove, I am held captive by your eyes."
"I am my beloved's
and my beloved is mine"
"Make haste my love, my Lord, make haste."
Your shade is my delight
and your fruit sweet to my taste
I sit in the shadow of your wings
against your strong chest I lean
listening contently to your song
Sing to me beloved
call my heart home
with your voice
Whisper to me your love
For the time of singing has come
and the song of my dove is here
The rain has ended
and my garden is ripe
The day will break
and my heart leap
for upon the mountain
he will stand
I will grasp his words to my heart
and become a mountain of myrrh
drip honeycomb from my lips
wrapped in his garments of spice
Your wine goes down smoothly, oh beloved
blowing wind through my garden.
"Let me hear your song, my dove, I am held captive by your eyes."
"I am my beloved's
and my beloved is mine"
"Make haste my love, my Lord, make haste."
Monday, September 10, 2007
Her Lord's Hand
Her beloved says:
"Take my hand
step into heaven's light.
Sword in my hand
we will walk together
cutting through the darkness"
"recall the truth that I have spoken
There is no fear in love.
Our perfect love casts fear outside"
His light reflects off her sword
as she steps into the gloom.
In the left hand she raises her weapon
and in the right she grasps her Beloved's.
His hands smell of myrrh and cedar pines
and his head is covered with fresh dew
His eyes are of doves by water
bathed in white light
His presense gives her courage
His love gives her power
His sword, strength
His words spoken in truth
guide her along the path.
His authority at her touch
she slashes her sword
at his request
breaking the chains
of the disgusting things
healing the wounds of vultures.
Can you hear his voice
daughter of Zion?
The call of the dove?
He is in front of you
and beside you
all the way home.
"Fear not the darkness my sister, my spouse
you are a child of light
and your soul belongs to me.
You will never be alone beloved,
for your heart is in me
and mine in you."
"Take my hand
step into heaven's light.
Sword in my hand
we will walk together
cutting through the darkness"
"recall the truth that I have spoken
There is no fear in love.
Our perfect love casts fear outside"
His light reflects off her sword
as she steps into the gloom.
In the left hand she raises her weapon
and in the right she grasps her Beloved's.
His hands smell of myrrh and cedar pines
and his head is covered with fresh dew
His eyes are of doves by water
bathed in white light
His presense gives her courage
His love gives her power
His sword, strength
His words spoken in truth
guide her along the path.
His authority at her touch
she slashes her sword
at his request
breaking the chains
of the disgusting things
healing the wounds of vultures.
Can you hear his voice
daughter of Zion?
The call of the dove?
He is in front of you
and beside you
all the way home.
"Fear not the darkness my sister, my spouse
you are a child of light
and your soul belongs to me.
You will never be alone beloved,
for your heart is in me
and mine in you."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
I Sleep but my Heart is Awake
I sleep but my heart is awake
to the voice of my beloved
listen for his knock
as he calls
"Open for me!"
Virgin Daughter
your heart yearns for him
open your door
and spring forth your well
Do not fear the darkness
for he is your lamp
do not fear the pain
for he will lift you above it
For the watchmen of your city
will beat you instead of care for you
they will strip you of your veil
and wound you.
They despised the treasure given them
they spit upon his Love.
Hear her cry my Lord!
"If you find my beloved
Tell him I am lovesick.
Come for me!"
He will bring her from this wilderness
for she leans upon his chest
a seal set upon her heart
upon her arm
For love is as strong as death
She can no longer be harmed
for he awoke her beneath the apple tree
where her mother brought her forth
She dwells in his garden
and eats his fruit
Sing Oh Daughter of Zion
Sing him your song
call to him to come
"Make Haste my beloved
for upon your wings I wait
Come take me home
Where together we will stand."
to the voice of my beloved
listen for his knock
as he calls
"Open for me!"
Virgin Daughter
your heart yearns for him
open your door
and spring forth your well
Do not fear the darkness
for he is your lamp
do not fear the pain
for he will lift you above it
For the watchmen of your city
will beat you instead of care for you
they will strip you of your veil
and wound you.
They despised the treasure given them
they spit upon his Love.
Hear her cry my Lord!
"If you find my beloved
Tell him I am lovesick.
Come for me!"
He will bring her from this wilderness
for she leans upon his chest
a seal set upon her heart
upon her arm
For love is as strong as death
She can no longer be harmed
for he awoke her beneath the apple tree
where her mother brought her forth
She dwells in his garden
and eats his fruit
Sing Oh Daughter of Zion
Sing him your song
call to him to come
"Make Haste my beloved
for upon your wings I wait
Come take me home
Where together we will stand."
Monday, September 3, 2007
Matt. 21:44
Mat 21:44 And he who falls on this Stone shall be broken, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Meditating on this scripture the other day, I found myself seeing this verse in a whole new light. I just love it when that happens. When you have been reading an account over and over your whole life and then just like the scales being lifted off our eyes so we can see, the Spirit teaches us even more about our Lord.
The first part of the verse.. "He who falls on this Stone shall be broken, is in contrast to "Whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."
We want to fall upon the stone and be broken. For it shows our willingness to be comformed into Jesus. Our fleshly hearts are broken, and we are recreated into a reflection of the stone we have fallen upon.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Our spirit must confess Jesus. By falling upon that stone, we subject ourselves to him, "Here I am send me".. and also echo the words of our Lord. "Not my will, but yours."
Pro 3:12 for whom Jehovah loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, He calling us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, He will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
We we fall upon Jesus, we are broken and made pliable, soft and workable, so that we can by trial be make perfect.
But notice what happens to those who do not fall upon the stone. The stone falls on them, and they are crushed and pulverised. Having the stone fall upon us, is a judgment.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Do we show a lack of subjection, or appreciation. If we do not build ourselves up upon the cornerstone, conforming to his foundation, than we will be rejected and fall into judgment for lack of faith.
Heb 10:30 For we know Him who has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge His people."
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Mat 21:42 Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this One has become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
Do we reject the stone, and want to build upon our own fleshly foundation? Or do we throw ourselves on the chief cornerstone to become part of his wall.
Meditating on this scripture the other day, I found myself seeing this verse in a whole new light. I just love it when that happens. When you have been reading an account over and over your whole life and then just like the scales being lifted off our eyes so we can see, the Spirit teaches us even more about our Lord.
The first part of the verse.. "He who falls on this Stone shall be broken, is in contrast to "Whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."
We want to fall upon the stone and be broken. For it shows our willingness to be comformed into Jesus. Our fleshly hearts are broken, and we are recreated into a reflection of the stone we have fallen upon.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Our spirit must confess Jesus. By falling upon that stone, we subject ourselves to him, "Here I am send me".. and also echo the words of our Lord. "Not my will, but yours."
Pro 3:12 for whom Jehovah loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, He calling us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, He will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
We we fall upon Jesus, we are broken and made pliable, soft and workable, so that we can by trial be make perfect.
But notice what happens to those who do not fall upon the stone. The stone falls on them, and they are crushed and pulverised. Having the stone fall upon us, is a judgment.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Do we show a lack of subjection, or appreciation. If we do not build ourselves up upon the cornerstone, conforming to his foundation, than we will be rejected and fall into judgment for lack of faith.
Heb 10:30 For we know Him who has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge His people."
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Mat 21:42 Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this One has become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
Do we reject the stone, and want to build upon our own fleshly foundation? Or do we throw ourselves on the chief cornerstone to become part of his wall.
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