"A Very Special Aroma!"

 "Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:" (S.O.S. 4:14)

  Remember that smell of your favorite cookies cooking, how it just overpowered your senses as you walked into the house? Well, that's not this! This is not something that is here today and then does not show up again tomorrow; this is something permanent and everlasting! There are two different meanings to the word, aroma; one is the affect of something that smells, the other is the affect of some thing or action which is just overwhelming and hard to describe. The smell of success, the aroma of officaldom; the sweet sweet fragrance of victory! 

  Before I became a Christian, life was mostly about what I could accomplish and paying the price for the wrongs I might have done. They say, "You can't have grace without the law," which in comparison, you cannot accomplish victory without death of something; something must be overcome, defeated, or made to be removed, if there is any point to victory: it is simply impossible for there to be victory out of nothing! Regardless of the fight, whether it is physical or spiritual, there is no victory without completion, once and for all. Some may choose to disagree, like a military leader, or anyone that lives for war. Hurt them just enough to bring them into submission, letting them return again, to fight another day. 

  This type of victory is permanent and unchanging! Matthew Henry puts it in and list of aromas, to give a specific type and action to each: 1) They are planted, and do not grow of themselves; 2) They are precious and of high value; 3) They pleasant, and of a sweet smell to God and man; 4) They profitable and of great use; 5) They are permanent! 

  If there is one thing that we must try to understand, a new creation means that the old has been removed! I know it is hard, it seems impossible to make sense of, and it never seems to be kept under control; but if there is one thing we need to come to terms with, it is that Jesus Christ won! We are not able to win this fight; if we were, He would not have has to do it for us! We get to be victorious in Christ, and in Christ alone; that is the very special aroma, that is won and done! Victory is ours in Him; Can't you smell that smell...

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:20-23) NLT 

"A Very Special Reason"

 "Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard," (S.O.S. 4:13)

  Not so long ago, things were simple, life was less complicated, and time seemed a little less speedy; if that makes any sense to anyone at all! I can only expect that the Lord is at the gate, waiting and watching for that moment, when the Father says that word, "Go!" If there was a way to simplify things, it is by letting God's Word guide and strengthen our lives. To make His truths certain in our hearts, and to train our minds to stop doubting every single thing that might seem uncertain and unexpected. The enemy is going to use every single thing that he has; but everything he has is not enough to take down the church; but it is enough to deceive those that are not paying attention. 

  What is it that we are looking at? and why is this such a very special reason? Matthew Henry puts a little light on this, by saying, "Here is great plenty of fruits and great variety, nothing wanting which might either beautify or enrich this garden, might make it either delightful or serviceable to its great Lord. Every thing here is the best of the kind." We know that this place is in heaven, but, it is manifested in you and I here, right now, and in everything that is done towards the Kingdom of God. As crazy as that might sound, it is simply the way that it works! There is no other meaning for the treasure that we store up in heaven, then to produce these plants that are in God's glorious garden! 

  All of us are special in our own unique and different ways; but every single one of us have something very special in common: We all have the same Lord! This is a very special place for a very special reason, because this was what He purchased and planted with His death and resurrection. It was His death that planted the seeds; but it was His resurrection that caused these spectacular plants to grow. Each and every single one, has been grown and is grown to perfection; there is not a single thing that is lacking, and there is not a single plant, in this garden, that needs to be pruned or manicured. 

  Besides that, in light of all that we see and know about ourselves and others around us, we are all somehow uniquely perfect in our own strange kind of ways. Sure, we might have faults; we see them well, we deal with them constantly, and we pray over and over for forgiveness; but He sees us, not for what we are currently dealing with, not for the failures, and not in our sins; He sees these beautiful fruits of His labor, created by what He dealt with, and by which, all is already forever forgiven! 

  This is not the work of you and I; we could never ever do anything to create this kind of paradise! To put that in the proper perspective, Matthew Henry says, "The Old-Testament church was a garden enclosed by the partition wall of the ceremonial law. The Bible was then a spring shut up and a fountain sealed; it was confined to one nation; but now the wall of separation is removed, the gospel preached to every nation, and in Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew." "The products of this garden. It is as the garden of Eden, where the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, Gen. 2:9." 

  Yes, this is His-Story well written and filled with all sorts of adventure! But no matter what seems like it is out of order or is seemingly unexpected, nothing is outside of God's knowledge or knowing. He knows the beginning to the end! Nothing gets by Him, and nothing is going to take Him by surprise...

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:5-6) 

"A Very Special Place" -To

 "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." (S.O.S. 4:12)

  As the world turns, is the image that came into my mind; not that old Soap, but the actual planet that is spinning round and round, like a merry-go-round. I really don't think we realize how fast this ball is actually moving, but that might be because it is traveling at the same time in a very strange pattern around the Sun. Almost as if it were a giant, gigantic, oversize molecule resembling an Atom, with the Sun as the nucleus; the center of all that sustains this very complex little solar system.

  Anywho; I hope to see everyone that I have ever had the chance to meet, in heaven. That is what this merry-go-round journey is all about! We seriously have no idea the amount of people we connect to; none whatsoever! Some that we meet are so limited in contact, we hardly ever get a chance to show them the real side of who we are; and I am talking about the fleshly side, the side that is a little dark and does not reflect the Son! I know, it is pretty crude and seems a little bit judgmental; but if we are not shinning the Light of Jesus Christ, we are usually not the saint, but the sinner; thus, the reason for the metaphor above.

  The Lord seriously works in some very mysterious ways; the likes of which we will only fully realize once we are all united together as one in heaven. As the Gardener that He is, God has made something that is well fortified and free from contamination; free from insects and weeds, or any other thing that can tear down or destroy the fruits of His labor. In the midst of the beautiful garden, there is a spring, a fountain; none other than the Living Water! 

  Say what you will, but when you share the Word, it does not stop there; it is alive, a life all to Itself! The Word goes forth and does whatsoever God has intended for it to do; where it ends up, is right back to where it came from, the mouth of God! I think we forget that little fact, because we are so use to reading the Word, speaking the Word, and hearing the Word, we sometimes forget how much power that the Word yields: the Sword of the Spirit, cutting into the human heart, and turning hearts of stone, into hearts of flesh! 

  Peter shows us what this place looks like and how important that it is, as he gives us a glimpse of a fortified vault: "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:4-5) To be frank, we are in Christ Jesus; there is no stronger place to be...

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) 

"A Very Special Place"

 "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." (S.O.S. 4:12)

  Maybe you were expecting a little more on sanctification; as I had originally planned, but the Lord would have it otherwise. Besides, the main meaning of the word is to be set apart; with that basic principle there are numerous ways and means for that to happen, which are ongoing and on so many different levels, most of which, we do not even fully understand. But, I will say this: that smoky and ash covered cartoon character I mentioned, would be splashed with Holy Water from on-high, and made white as snow! Sorry, if there is an little uneasiness in your heart over that, because the cursing that I believe James was actually speaking of was more than just swear words; it is judging and speaking out against God's anointed: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." (Acts 10:15)

  With that, I am going to say something that might not set well with some, (as if that might be something new and different!): I fully expect to see Ananias and Sapphira his wife in heaven. There is the real definition of what being slain in the Spirit looks like; as they were taken as an example that lying has consequences. Just because their flesh was destroyed, does not mean that they were not saved; as a matter of fact, their death was used far more importantly than the offering that they lied about giving. Whether you agree with it or not, just because someone that has been saved, might sin, does not take away their freely given salvation. If that were the case, none of us would be going to heaven! (Galatians 3:22 and 1 Timothy 1:20; check into commentary on these two Scriptures!)  

 If you really want to know, sanctification is more about preservation than it is about making us holy; we were made holy the moment we received Christ into our heart; until the moment we die, Jesus needs to keep washing our feet and representing our case to the Father! We step in it all the time, whether we realize it or not! But for-goodness-sake, we have this, A very special place! Besides, another way to be looking at what it means when God has sanctified someone, is "the state of proper functioning." "To sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer." (BibleStudyTools.com) 

  Be that as it may! We are saved, not for being glorified here on this earth: We are glorified in heaven; and we are, in someway or another, already there! Our salvation is secure and is way out of reach; you cannot take it back, even if you might think it is yours to take! It was bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, and you cannot climb up there and try to buy it back! Now, let's rinse and repeat, again...

"For I an not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes -the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." (Romans 1:16-17) NLT

"SANCTIFICATION"

"Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon." (S.O.S. 4:11)

  Before I go any further, it is important to point out a couple of very special things happening today: the first of which is the prayer meeting that is taking place at 12:00ET in Washington D.C. that is being led by Franklin Graham; this is a very important moment in our nation, as there are lines being drawn between that which is good and that which is bad. Even the most dedicated Christian can be somehow deceived if they are not balanced in their spiritual life: the Word and the Spirit must both be what governs their life: both must be present, and the Word of God is the Foundation! If anything that is moving spiritually within a believer's life and it does not line-up with the Word of God, then whatever that might be, no matter how good it might appear, it is not the Holy Spirit that is making it happen or behind it; the Holy Spirit will always work in unison with and edify God's Word. And, as mentioned yesterday, the Word is none other than Jesus Christ! 

  Secondly, today is also the day that President Trump will be declaring his choice for the highest Court in the land; which will take place at 5:00ET. Whether you are pro-life or not, if you are a Christian you must be aware of something that is vitally important to God: He hates the killing of babies! This is not just an issue of a women's rights; this is altogether spiritual, and it is demonic; there are forces at work within the industry that have given over to the complete side of darkness, and to the control of the power of the devil. You can see it in the uncontrollable fantasticism of act and practice of abortion; whereas, it is not only a right, but it has become fantastic, and to some, a glorified offering to the god of this world.

  Okay, thank you for listening. Now, about this last verse in this part of the speakers admiration of his wonderful spouse: having seen that which went before, having looked at some of the perks of walking in the Spirit, we are completing this very interesting area with the mouth and the smell of the garments. What the heck! (No pun intended!) I had the chance to hear Pastor Mike speak about something yesterday, which had to do with cursing coming out of the mouth of a believer. This is more real and more prevalent than I think most of us realize. To be perfectly honest, sometimes I cannot believe that I can say some of the things that I say; when someone touches the right button, my head and butt become one, and bypass my heart! 

  James is pretty frank about this, use of the tongue thing; calling it for what it truly is, saying: "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brothren, these things ought not so to be." (James 3:9-10) If you had a little problem understanding that, let me give you the NLT interpretation: "Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" 

  I have this image of something you might see in a cartoon, as the character walks into the room all dressed in white, speaking blessings; all of the sudden, they turn, blowup, and shout out some profanity; walking out of the room, their white garments all covered in ash, with smoke still rising up around them. Seriously, this is a real thing! Hebrews 13:15 says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Proverbs 16:24 says, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and heath to the bones." 

  Whether you can believe this or not, words do matter! Watch your mouth...

"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do." (Romans 7:14-15)     

"Earthquake Love!" -3

 "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointment than all spices!" (S.O.S. 4:10)

  And then!!! If this were to be the last post, it would be well with my soul, because I believe this is the reason for all of it, every last one! Matthew Henry gives these two references regarding the "wine" and the "ointment," saying: "How much better is thy love than wine, then all the wine that was poured out to the Lord in the drink-offerings!" "The ointments, the odours wherewith she is perfumed, the gifts and graces of the Spirit, her good works, which are an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God, Philippians 4:18." And then, summing these two together: "Love and obedience to God are more pleasing to Christ than sacrifice or incense." 

  As to those two references the other day: Jesus Christ was, is, and forever will be God! He was God in the beginning; He was God here on earth in the flesh; and He is God, that will be all that everything will be judged by, through, and for! Simply put; He is the Word of God! If God has a face, there He is! If God has a way to communicate who He is, there He is! If God speaks, then, then there He is! Though Him, by Him, and for Him, was everything made that was made! (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 2.)

  The mud-balls that Jesus made to heal the blind eyes of a man that was born blind, were signifying the moment in which He originally made man from the dust of the ground; right after He said: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Amazingly, He not only made the light, He is the Light! He not only works the work, but He is the Work! Without Him, the Light, there is no Work! 

  Yes, I know what you might be asking: What's the humor in that? Anywho, the man with the legend of demons, he too was possessed by that herd of demons to give glory to God, that the works of God would be manifested in him, but also, in the pigs that were the subjects of the demons! They asked Him to not to torture them until it was their time, seeing a herd of pigs, they asked that, "If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine." So, Jesus was pleased to grant them their wish! "Go," He said, and there they went; most likely not very pleased by the mode and character of the vessels they choose go by! 

  Everything that we must suffer through, go through, or walk in, it is all for Him to use for His glory! As long as it is here, right here and now, it is all going to be used for His purposes and to fulfill what He wants to do; even our stupid mistakes and our highly rebellious sins, everything is subject to what He wills to be done, and everything is an opportunity for Him, to work out for the good. No matter how much destruction, or how unlikely it might appear; everything is going to be somehow used to fulfill what is going to be in the end...

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27)  

"Earthquake Love!" -2

 "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!" (S.O.S. 4:10)

  If I made light of this, I did not mean for it to come across the way it might have; because this is really not a laughing matter; but, in the same way, it is something to take comfort in, and if you can find it well with your soul, then go ahead and feel okay to give it a little chuckle! To be perfectly honest, I really do not understand the whole picture; and to be frank, I do not think anyone else does either. We are all just part of His-Story; a small little part of the painting; which is His beautiful masterpiece, painted upon a most glorious canvas; a canvas that only allows us to see what we see, and sometimes we can maybe, just maybe, we get a little glimpse of the Master's brush! 

  This is what we are looking at today, as with any other supposedly normal day, we see the horizontal movement; at best, we can sense the direction, maybe we can detect the magnitude; and if we the least bit tuned in, we can even understand the why and the therefore. The bottom line, is that we do not need to know the answer to every question; we just need to know the One that has all the answers and trust Him on everything that He lets us know. 

  Yesterday I had the chance to catch a, "Wretched Minute," which just a little minute long message from Todd's radio show. In this little message he shared about the question many people might ask or get asked about any particular verse from the Bible, which is: 'What does that verse mean to you?' Going on to say, quite frankly: "It doesn't matter what it means to you; it matters what it meant to the Author!" 

  This is a pretty good time to ask Him, "Lord, what does this mean? How does it apply to me? And what do I do with that now?" Forgetting about that which is behind; we press forward! Like that Italy racer in the old racing movie: you tear down that rear-view mirror, saying, "Whatsa' behind me, is of no concern!" Because this is about what Christ Jesus does in you! And all though everything we do in Christ is for His kingdom, it happens here; in us, through us, and for His Glory...

"There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)  

"Earthquake Love!"

 "How fair is the love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! (S.O.S. 4:10)

  Okay, so I have got to come clean and say that I took this title from a song that was sung by The Arnold during the credits of 'Killing Gunther." That said, this is actually a real thing; because it turns out that a man with the last name, Love, actually discovered or worked out a mathematical model for a certain type of motion of Seismic Waves, which are the fastest surface waves, and they move the ground from side to side. "Confined to the surface of the crust, Love waves produce entirely horizontal motion." 

  I know, I am a nut; guilty as charged! Oddly enough, after thinking about this for I title, I was reminded how much God loves funny. Don't think for a moment that He does not have a sense of humor, because He does; I know He does, because He saved me! Seriously, I instantly thought of these two particular instances where Jesus did two pretty funny things; at least they had to have gotten a laugh, as they still do, time and time again. The first instance that popped into my mind was when Jesus healed the blind man by making mud from His spit and then rubbing the mud over his eyes. The funny part of this, might not have been the spit and the mud, but the question He was asked about how that man was born blind, and the answer Jesus gave them before He made the mud-ball. 

  The second little thought, was that of the man which had the legend of demons; as it turned out, those pigs that those demons fled into, plunged into the sea. There are several different layers of humor in that story, but for now, lets just say that the earth tried to prevent this encounter from happening! Which really makes me wonder about the thinking of some of our political minds, those that say mother earth is angry with the way we are treating the earth; explaining all of these fires and such on that kind of logic only makes me think that they really might be related to monkeys; the circus kind, no doubt! 

  Talk about humor, how about the fact that God spoke through a donkey; or better yet, the fact that the man who owned the donkey could only speak blessings over Israel after seeing the cross...

"Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:24-25)  

"Swept Away" -Too

 "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." (S.O.S. 4:9)

  Well today is another nutty day, as I could not help but think of the real meaning of this title, and what it was that caused me to use it. As many of you might know, I was raised in a home that had a multitude of different beliefs; mostly we were taught that there is a God, yet the god we were shown was not the God of the Bible. Every once in a while, I do believe that God had spoken to me; looking back, I can see how He introduced Himself to me in one form or another; usually in the words of other people, sometimes in dreams, and once in a while in trials and situations; some of which, I still to this day cannot explain how I made it through them.  

  This word, "ravished," is a very strange word, as it has a strange three-dimensional meaning; in the one light, it speaks of being hollow, enlightened, or made wise; in other light it speaks of being wounded, as if in a good way, much as one that might have a broken heart, but the heart was broken in a way that it became new and improved. Then there is this third light, whatever you can make of it, it speaks of the act of making cakes; not just any cakes, but the cakes that cause these things, such as make one fat with all these things! (Sounds a lot like Isaiah 55!) 

  There is a really good example of what this compares to, which might somehow explain the "one eye," and the "one link of thy neck," thing we are looking at; I know I have shared it before, but it has to do with making cakes. All the ingredients that go into making a wonderful cake, do not all taste very good on there own. As a matter of fact, you could say that some of those ingredients taste rather terrible if you were to eat them by themselves. 

  You see, God does not see us in the same light that we see ourselves; He sees us as we shall be and the way that He created us to be; just a the chief, a great chief, sees his greatest cake made with his world famous receipt; he crafts the cake that he sees in his mind, making it to perfection, and every single ingredient is measured with accuracy and skill. Every part of the process is specific and perfectly executed; the butter is added at just the right time and at the right temperature; there is care in folding and blending the batter; and the oven is set at just the right degree for baking a cake, for just the right rise, and at the perfect time. 

  Yes, this is the perfect meaning for this title, "Swept Away," as it involves what happens to anyone that might become completely involved in a wonderful story: His-Story...

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold not the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifested in them; for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:18-23)   

"Swept Away"

 "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." (S.O.S. 4:9)

  To be frank, it is and has been my understanding that the parable of the buried treasure and the pearl of great price, is not about you and me, as if we have found something that is so valuable we sell all to purchase it; but that it is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has given all that He had, even His life, to purchase something that "ravished" His heart, becoming the most important and valuable thing in His heart. Yes, doing the Father's will was of the utmost importance, but in the bigger picture, as the One that came down from heaven, He was the merchant that traveled somewhere; thankfully and wonderfully, He came to set the captive free! 

  That said, I have also concluded that this same principle is what must happen in us; that the buried treasure and the pearl of great price found, is none other than God's love; it is us realizing that He loves us so so much, He would give anything to save us from the power of sin and death. Something extraordinary is what needs to happen, as we come to the realization that God's love has no bounds; that His forgiveness comes with no other precept or obligation, other than the fact that we ask Him for it, and that we receive whole heartedly. Selling all that we have does not require us to give up all of worldly possessions; not like Jesus Christ gave up His rightful position in heaven to surrender His life on the cross; but it does require us to place no other god or idol between us and the God that loves us.

  I am not worthy of that claim, as much as I would love to make that my legacy, or that the message I reclaimed upon my death, was how much I was so faithful and dedicated to the Lord. Keeping idols from being built in my life was usually not the things I was focused upon, because it seemed that they needed to be torn down repeatedly; and at times, with great regret and misery. 

  Regardless, no matter how much we might mess up or fall, He is always right there with open arms! Seriously! With arms stretched out, He never stops loving us! There is nothing that is even close to the value of that; absolutely nothing can even come close to the love of God and how much He cares for us, His children! Yes, that is what we must realize, above all else; that He has chosen us to be His children; that He has adopted us, long before we were even a speck in our mother's eye, He already knew us...

"Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But is through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God and children of God." (Romans 8:12-14) NLT 

"The Journey" -From

 "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountain of the leopards." (S.O.S. 4:8)

  Just another little reminder, something of a place of origin; the number eight is a number that represents new beginnings, which is something that is needed in the life of every believer, each and every one of us! There is nothing that we can expect to be the same; because everything needs to be looked at, from a totally different perspective; what we once considered to be ours, it is now the Lord's, as it really always has been, we just did not know it, because everything is His! 

  About that offer, which is part of the invitation, but it carries more benefits and more security. It is very much like that illustration given by Pastor Ray, as he shares the vision of the difference between the guy who is given a parachute on a plane, with the attendant saying, Here put this on because it will make your flight more pleasant and comfortable; and the guy that is given the parachute with the attendant saying, This plane is going to crash, but here is a parachute to put on, so that you will be saved. The invitation was given to both to wear the parachute, but only one was given an offer that had the reason to not to take it off: pleasure and comfort was not obtained by the first; but having a chance to live, that was something worth wearing it, no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable it became. 

  Matthew Henry uses a couple of very important insights to help see this point, saying, "and so this is Christ's call to his spouse to come off from the world, all of its products, all its pleasures, to sit loose to all the delights of sense. All those most do so that would come with Christ; they must take their affections off from all present things; yea, though they be placed at the upper end of the world, on the top of Amana and the top of Shemir, though they enjoy the highest satisfactions the creature can propose to give, yet they must come away from them all, and live above the tops of the highest hills on earth, that they have their conversation in heaven." 

  It is really not a question of comfort or pleasure; it is a matter of life! Eternal life is offered, that goes above and beyond all of the things that this present earth has to offer. And even though these hills might look tempting, as he continues, saying, "there are many dangerous temptations to those who would take up their residence in them; and therefore come with me from them; let us not set our hearts upon the things of this world, and then they can do us no hurt. Come with me from the temples of idolaters, and the societies of wicked people (so some understand it); come out from among them, and be you separate." 

  As it was with the children of Israel in the wilderness, they missed the comforts afforded them in Egypt; even though they were under bondage there, the pleasures seemed more important than the freedom...

"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit." (Romans 7:5-6) NLT

"The Journey" -To

 "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." (S.O.S. 4:8)

  Then there is this, this command in the form of an invitation and an offer; something of a road-sign, but more of a one-way sign, that points directly to heaven. It does not take too much pain and disappointment to make us cry out for help, but it sometimes will take something tragic to make us change our direction of sight; to move from looking for the physical and material help, to the help that matters most: our love for God! 

  First of all, this is an invitation of a lifetime; but the point of which, the life is somewhere else. That is probably the biggest mistake that we make, thinking that heaven is just something of the hereafter, and that it is something we look forward to, after we die; in the meantime, we live and enjoy what this life here has to offer; counting all of these wonderful blessing that God allows us to enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I do not believe that we should all just forget about material things and live in caves; God allows us these things to have, but these things should not take possession of us! 

  Secondly, and most importantly, we must make it our priority to follow Jesus; something that may or may not require that we give up some stuff. I know, it might not seem all that much of a big deal, if you don't have much to begin with; but even having nothing at all, does not mean that things do not own you. Paul had this thing that he shared, where he mentioned his weakness to sin, saying, "I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "You must not covet." (Romans 7:7b) 

  This is more about where your heart is and how you look at the world; whether or not your treasure is here, or if your treasure is where it belongs, in heaven! I only wish that I could say I have mastered this in my own life; it is seriously not something that is won and done. You can try so hard to make it your goal, make it your passion, the rule for your life; and just as easy as pie, you can find yourself counting and measuring your worth, as if it is all that matters. Even happens to the best, most dedicated men of God, so don't let it ruin the view you might have of your own salvation! 

  Here is a little clue about what makes this count, no pun intended. You can try try try as hard as you might, but you are never going to make yourself love God more; only God can change the human heart! An apple tree does not need to try to make apples, they grow apples naturally because it is a apple tree! If we want to really love God more, then we need to get lost in His love! Rich or poor, healthy of sick, young or old; none of that really matters in the love of God, because His love is endless, His love is stronger, and His love cannot be measured...

"Now, dear brother and sisters - you who are familiar with the law - don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God." (Romans 7:1-4) NLT 

  

"The Journey"

 "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." (S.O.S. 4:8)

  A little bit of information or reminder to anyone that needs it: God delivered His people out of Egypt with great power and might; the mighty Red Sea destroying their enemy, and they were taken out of captivity; just like that, they were taken out of Egypt: but then it took 40 years to get Egypt out of  His people! We are loved in such a wonderful way; God makes it His responsibility to get us through to the other side, whether we realize that or not, He does whatever it takes to ensure that we make it.

  As I was thinking about this post this morning, I was reminded about the long list of people I know that have gone before me, my son being at the top of that list. There are some things we cannot figure out, as it is not actually our responsibility to ensure anyone gets right with God before they die; nor is it our call as to whether or not they qualified, in the end, for the salvation they once accepted. But, if we believe that He does everything that He says He does; and we believe that His word is totally true; then there is a big huge and amazing difference between what this physical life holds, and that which eternal life opens up to.

  A really good example of what I am trying to say, is how Paul explains in several different areas, that someone can be delivered from this life of bondage, and into new life; but they might actually die in the process of getting the life of bondage out of them. That is a little glimmer of hope to those that may have seemed as though they might not have finished well; as it is God's way of taking them out, not so much because of their actions, but more for the sake of those that are watching them go. He means what He says, regardless of what others might say; it is God's word that counts most, because His word is final and true to the very end.

  Anywho: How do you want to travel? You can go comfortable and well blessed; or you can be taken though rough times and feeling like you have been trampled upon. The journey is totally up to you, as to how you will experience the ride. On the one hand, you can know that you are well cared for and all things are beneficial to you and yours'; or on the other hand, you keep doubting and complaining about how uncomfortable you are and how unfairly you are treated. It is all up to you and your feelings; but love is not about feelings, it is about a commitment to, and assurance from, the One that loves you...

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)" (Romans 8:5-9) NLT  

"JUSTIFICATION"

 "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." (S.O.S. 4:7)

  As with that which was spoken before, only God has the right to say, "I will," it is naturally His and His alone! God says, "Let there be light," and there is light, at His command, no questions asked and without any hesitation, the light appears out of the darkness; God spoke, and there was Light! Something here is a little bit different, in that there is another word that is added to the Bridegroom's description of his spouse, as this time he uses the word, "all," as if to say that she is perfect, or all good! 

  If there were any other thing that God has the only authority to do, that would be that; because only God can say, "There is no spot in thee!" Look up the word, justification, and see what you get: "the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God." And that is just from a secular dictionary; if you want to get really into the meaning, it can involve all sorts of serious acts of purification and things that are no longer looked upon or seen in a certain light; kind of like that meaning for the most wicked king Judah ever had, "causing to forget." Because what this word actually means, as far as God is concerned, it means: Just As If I Never Sinned! 

  This is something really outside of our capability, to forget when someone might sin against us; although we might forgive someone, mostly because we are told that we must, we do not forget that it ever took place or how much it might have hurt; especially when they might do it again! This is totally and completely something that is only God's and God's alone; He can make it happen in Him, and He will make it one day happen in every one of us. There are at least twenty or more references in the Bible where God clearly says, "I will remember their sins no more." 

  As previously stated, only God has the right to say, "I Will," because He alone is God! And as He clearly explained it to Peter, "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." (Acts 10:15) NLT

  In other words, God's Word makes it so, one way or another...

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) 

"RESOLUTION" -x3

 "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." (S.O.S. 4:6)

  Now I am more convinced that it was not just me, but that it is the work of the Holy Spirit; nut or not, if God can speak through the mouth of a jackass, He can speak through any one of His children. This is not the spouse, this is none other than God speaking; as He alone is the one who says what it is He will or will not do! We are not able to say with any sort of certainty what we will do or where we will go; let alone even begin to assume we know what will happen after we go to or do anything. As James reminds us, if we even try to pretend this is possible, it is sin, because only God has the the authority to say, "I will." (James 4:13-17)

  Besides, this is spoken with passion and purpose; whereas, as this was a song written before Jesus was crucified, the mountain of myrrh represents the pain and sadness of the climb; that which was to be the work to the cross! Yes, that is what I said, the work! You cannot begin to even imagine the work that went into getting that all to happen, as it happen, when it happen, and how every little detail fell into place. And yes, we can assume that God could just predict it because He knew it, but He still carried it all out, despite many different forms of opposition; He just gets things done! Like that song says, "Even when I don't think You're working, You are always working!" 

  The hill of frankincense represents the hill of gladness, that which happens to take place when Jesus dies on the cross, as the access to God is no longer blocked, and the inner and outer court was no more; the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom. As Moses went up to the mountain, there is no more a mountain, but just a simple hill; a place where God is present and accessible; just as Jesus would be sitting on a hill teaching the multitudes, so would our access be to fellowship with God. This is what was done on the cross; that "day 2" not so good thing was destroyed, once and for all; no more was God and man separated and kept apart by sin, because the power of sin was destroyed! 

  I can only guess what comes next. Please, Rinse and Repeat, again...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17) 

 

"RESOLUTION" -TO

 "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." (S.O.S. 4:6)

  As many of you know by know, I am more of a nut; it is just that, for it is what I have always been, and always will be. And as you also might know, I sometimes love to assign meanings to the number of the verses, especially verses six and seven. It is also highly known that I can sometimes be over the top, and sometimes will even step outside the lines; even on occasion, my spiritualation of the Test may go just a tad too far; too far for some to stick around and listen. But, truth be told, some days are not so nutty, and some days are altogether wonderful; I pray that this might be one of those days!

  Matthew Henry states something interesting about this verse, as he says: "Some make these to be the words of the spouse, either modestly ashamed of the praises giver her, and willing to get out of the hearing of them, or desirous to be constant to the holy hill, not doubting but there to find suitable and sufficient succour and relief in all her straits, and there to cast anchor, and wish for the day, which, at that time appointed, would break and the shadows flee away." It might be, but highly doubtful, as this is none other than the Bridegroom declaring that that time will surely come! 

  Jesus said, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:3) Jesus did not say, "if," as if doubting it would happen; not in the least: it was making the affirmative statement of what would take place when He left them, and why it was the best plan for them if He did. In other words, it was making them feel a little comfort in knowing that He needed to depart into heaven, even though they really might have wanted Him to stick around. 

  Besides that, He already knows the end from the beginning; so there is a sad and happy thing that is being expressed, as there is sadness in this moment, but oh, what gladness and rejoicing will be waiting in the end! In the meantime, there He waits, standing at the Father's side, making intersession for me and anyone else that needs Him to be a Lawyer, to give them defense! 

  Which reminds me, before I forget; this morning I woke up thinking about one of the most wicked kings in Judah, who was named, "Manasseh." His name sounds like he was quite a mess, as he also made quite a mess in the streets of the city; but, oddly enough, it actually means: Causing To Forget! Whether you can accept it or not, you can look forward to meeting this once evil man, as he too has had his sins washed away and they have been forgotten! BUYA...

"Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Romans 7:25) NLT

"RESOLUTION"

 "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." (S.O.S. 4:7)

  There are some days you just feel like a nut, and then there are the days that you don't! Be that what it may, the breast thing behind us, we move upward and onward to the mountain and hill. I could not help but think of something that God spoke to Peter, as Peter did what he so naturally did when he felt that God might have been mistaken, he said, "Not so, Lord!" We find this particular instance in Acts 10:14, as the Lord showed Peter a sheet descending from heaven, filled with all sorts of different meats, creeping things, and birds; and then the Lord said, "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat." 

  This was not the first time, but it might have been the last. To be clear, there are some things that might seem wrong or not right in our eyes, that are totally and completely good and wonderful in the eyes of God. That said, the main point of what I am saying has to do with God's answer to Peter and how that answer is so resolute: "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." (Acts 10:15) If it makes it any better to understand, the NLT says, "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." But, what of this, or something so grotesque as that? 

  Before we can begin to understand why God does or allows something, we might want to understand how temporary this life is, and how different things will become when life is on the other side of  this. Oddly enough, Peter's last chance you use those famous words, "Not So," were when they were going to crucify him as they did his Lord. This is sometimes a really crazy upside-down world; but still we must always, keep looking up...

"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)

"Side By Side" -Too

 "Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies." (S.O.S. 4:5)

  I am a little concerned about the church; not that there are not enough people or enough churches, but that for the most part, the churches are being silent and ignoring all that is being forced upon them. Never mind about this virus, something of a distraction to what is really going on; there are some very serious things that are being placed upon the children; things that most of those that are adults, have absolutely no clue how to control it, let alone the extend of the damage that is being done.

  I got that off my chest, and now it's time to get serious! Matthew Henry makes the case that these breasts are more than just ornaments; even though that is what they are: they are critical to the life of the believer, the growth and maturity of the church, and the way the church is seen by the world, sees itself, and is held up as something of critical importance by every single God fearing man and woman of God! This is more than just a hood ornament; yet, at the same time it most be, just that! If you could put your finger on this, without getting too flashy, it would be to relate that concept to the Mercedes-Benz ornament that they use upon there hoods; it is a symbol of  a world famous product, representing the oldest automotive works in the world, and as the ultimate symbol of luxury.

  To make this a little less complicated, we need to go to the Word for a little more clarification. To the point of importance; if you want to get really technical, the church is to be the place where the Word of God is taught and where Jesus Christ is made known; a place where there are people added, drawn in, and where lives are changed from dead and dying, to being alive and living. They are not meant to be social clubs or places where we punch our ticket for being on the side of God. John makes this point very clear, as he says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4) 

  That, if you will, is our hood ornament! There is nothing greater than that which we have been given; there is nothing more powerful than He who dwells within us, who is not only the most famous product, but is the Maker of everything that there is! The ultimate symbol of luxury is a serious understatement! He is the one that gives eternal life: you and I are those who declare this; we get to declare it; we are responsible to declare it: so it must be declared! 

  On a more personal note: Matthew Henry finishes with this: "Or the breasts of a believer are his love to Christ, which he is pleased with, as a tender husband is with the affections of his wife, who is therefore said said to be to him as the loving hind and the pleasant roe, because her breasts satisfy him at all times, Prov. 5:19. This includes also his edifying others and communicating grace to them, which adds much to a Christian's beauty." Word: Rinse and Repeat...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)   

"Side By Side"

 "Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies." (S.O.S. 4:5)

  Having been called to give a message before, or a teaching, as many might prefer, I know what it is like to prepare for such a challenge. The more you think you know, the harder it is to deliver something that ministers to you, the deliverer; but the greater you are spoken to, the more excited you are to share your message. I guess you can call that being inspired; which is something I look for in almost every single one of these little mornings I spend doing this, that God would speak into my heart and either remind me of something I need to know, or that He would reveal something to me that I do not know.

  We must always be prepared for revelation; this is the point of Peter's statement about the sincere milk of the word; as we are never done growing in the Lord, no matter how long you have been a Christian, or even if you have been teaching the Bible for many decades; if we ever assume that we no longer have anything to learn, we will find ourselves shutting our hearts to what God might have to reveal in us. That is really never a place we want to be! 

  This is a little more complicated than just talking about two breasts; because this is more about two ways or two means of being enlightened or ministered to; whether you know it or not, any time you open up the Word of God to be taught, you are being taught from Two sources: God's Word and God's Holy Spirit. It is something special that we have as a believer, where the Holy Spirit that dwells within us speaks and affirms the message that the Word delivers within us. 

  It is considered by some, that these two breasts represent the Two Testaments, the Old and the New; side by side that they are two separate Books, but One in the same! Jesus said, speaking to those that were well studied in the Scriptures, (John 5,) that there were Two witnesses of Him and that gave Him authority and verified what He said was true. At one point in His message He said: "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." (John 5:36 NLT) 

  Before you can inherit eternal life, you must first pass from death to life; there is absolutely no other way to say that; but once you have been given it, you have both the satisfaction and the yearning all at the same time. On the one side you are living out the hope; while on the other, hope is not yet realized. If you will, this same principle applies to our reading and studying God's word: We are always presently with Him, but not yet in His presence...

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:14-17)

"Upward and Onward"

 "Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." (S.O.S. 4:4)

  This is a really good example of how God works, He knows exactly what to say and when to say it. As the story goes, according to Matthew Henry, the "neck' is generally applied to the grace of faith: "by which we are united to Christ, as the body is united to the head by the neck." I think it is important for us to keep our head up, as those who are saved by grace, it is our duty, our responsibility, and our honor, to not only represent the great King that we serve, but to also honor those who have gone before us, those that serve along side us, and those that are following behind us. 

  As far as this being some sort of a message to our justification in Christ, that is not even a question; this is by far our most powerful reason yet, that we are not only justified, but we are anchored onto Him and connected by this "neck!! So much so, that there is not any way for us to be disconnected; we are more than conquerors in Christ! What that actually means, is that, in all these things, whatever things that they be, whatever it takes to overcome and defeat whatever it is, we have in Christ all it takes and more, to conquer whatever comes against us! 

  More than that, we have this consolation: that no matter what, even death cannot defeat us! Like that silly knight that guarded the bridge in, "The Holy Grail," we can say it all the way to the very end, "Is that all you got, because I can still fight you!" Seriously, this takes us to the place where we can see the victory, because it is a victory that is all ready won; the armory spoken about is not were we find the weapons to be used in the battle, it is where the weapons are hung that display the hero's of the war already won.

  In other words, the strength to overcome is not based upon the present or the future, it is based upon the past and that which has already been done; we are simply walking in the victory that is paved before us, like a road of pure gold that we can walk down with a skip in our step and confidence in our hearts. This is what it means when Peter says: "And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." (1 Peter 1:5)NLT

  We must remember that God knows how everything is going to end, because He is writing the Story...

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31) NLT

"Speaking Rights"

 "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and the speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks." (S.O.S. 4:3) 

  I must admit, this was a bit much, (no pun intended,) it is the part of the story that makes the Story worth telling; whether you know it or not, we are part of His story! By the way, "occupy," actually speaks about us doing something with what we have been given; to put what He has given us to work! Not that we must actually become full time ministers or join a mission; but that we are His servants and actually look for opportunities to serve Him, in whatever is put before us.

  We are given His Spirit to speak out and to be ready to share what we have been given; it is not just that we are able to share, but that we are responsible for sharing what we know and the grace we have been given. Mercy is wonderful and is received with humility and thanksgiving; grace make us worthy to say and proclaim our right standing with God, not because we have earned it, but because He has given us the right and responsibility to proclaim it. 

  To put this in a little better light, it is the power of  the upright in spirit, the ability to speak the truth because, not only do you now the truth, but because the truth is within you, waiting to come out. In other words, we are born again as new babies in Christ, the old language we once had is new also; now we are to learn, practice, and speak about heaven and reconciliation to God! 

  But maybe I am just confused by the amount of smoke in the air, because it is really thick and I find myself breathing shallow short breathes. Or maybe, just maybe, we are really equipped to speak out! Besides that, the whole reason the feet of those that proclaim Good News are beautiful is not because their feet look good, it is that their feet made them step out and brought them where there; therefore: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) 

  Please pray today that God will give you the chance to share what you have been given, and see where that might take you...

"And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:9-11) NLT

"Earnestly Contend" -Double Down

"Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." (S.O.S. 4:2)

  Just a small little thing, I think not! You see, there is a very big reason why we must be bold and make our voice be heard; faith is something you cannot put on a shelf, as if it is a trophy or award for having done something: it must be put to use and tested, you either use it or loose it, because it is not faith unless it is put to work!
  Let's try and look at this from a totally different perspective; say, if you will, that this word, "teeth," for the sake of argument, actually meant works; works meaning the things that are done and born out of faith. Works all alone are nothing but filthy rags to God: it is as if you are taking something that is meant to be clean, rubbing it all over your filthy body, and then presenting it to God; as if it is some sort of sign of righteousness being presented to Him.
  This is not the kind of works that James is speaking about, when he says, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17) This is the whole point of what it means for those of us that believe to be justified: if we have no sin, those works which once were filthy rags, and made clean; our hands are clean, and so is our body! Being justified in Christ, we are no longer presenting our works as if they are for cleansing; these are works of faith in the God that we love!
  If you want to make it easier to understand, you could relate it to the parable of the "talents." We find this parable in Matthew 25:14-30, as Jesus is speaking about "Responsibility in God's Kingdom." In this parable, Jesus places Himself in the position of a man traveling into a far country. Before he goes, he calls his servants to him, and then he gives them, "his goods," to watch over while he is away. I am pretty sure you can see how important it was that they watched over everything he had earned, all that he had; because, everything that was his, he divided among them, and said: "Occupy till I come." (Luke 19:13)
  This is not a matter of keeping anything! You can only keep what you give away: It must be put to good use...

"For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news?"" (Romans 10:13-15) NLT

"Earnestly Contend"

"Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." (S.O.S. 4:2)

  Not to deviate from the subject, but there is something here that has grabbed my attention. As it were, there is something that "teeth" represents in the church, which are the ones who teach God's word, those that chew the word of God, who discern and divide it; making it digestible and easy to consume. Along with this, very understandable concept, there are two that make this happen, the teacher and the Teacher; the one who delivers the word, and He that causes the word to take root.
  The title above is taken from Jude 3, in which Jude exhorts those that are called, to "earnestly contend for the faith." In other words, we should not be passive when it comes to the truth, but be ready to give an answer; which does not mean we wait for a question to be asked, but that we are ready to give an answer when the faith we have might be challenged. It is not dependent upon the pastor of the church to do all of the heavy lifting; each and every one of us that have God's Spirit in us, have the Word of God dwelling in us, as well.
  You are completely furnished with all that you need, if you would simply allow Him to work in your life! I'm not saying that you will have teaching abilities or be a prophet; but the Holy Spirit within each and every believer is able to do so much more than we are able, if we just make ourselves available to be used. Part of that availability is to be ready! Ready means that you are "shorn" and just freshly up from "the washing."
  To put that in laymen's terms, it means that you are prayed up and can earnestly contend! Whether or not you have the skill, is not the question; but do you have the will? Which is the desire or choice to do something; more importantly, to allow God to do something in you, that you do not think you can do! I mean, let's get real; if you are going to earnestly contend for the faith, then you must exercise the faith that is within you.
  Pastor Rick spoke about some very serious "woe's" this last Sunday, comparing most every one of them in contrast to the Beatitudes: eight woe's, to eight beatitudes; the beatitude being what makes up a believer, the woe being that which makes up the deceiver. The key to that contrast is pride and humility; one is for self, the other for others! Oddly enough, but when you put others before yourself, you lift up the both, them and yourself. Talk about never being barren!
  I was thinking of the eyelids and earlids thing yesterday, as I realized that He did give us earlids; He gave us two hands, one for each ear...

"Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to there own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God." (Romans 10:1-4) NLT 

"The Beholder" -To

"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead." (S.O.S. 4:1)

  Now, if there is any part of this that we can except as true-to-life in us, I would contend that it start with those two simple words, "my love." The way that Charles Spurgeon explains it, the Lord gives back the praise that we give to Him: we say, Thou art lovely, He says, we are lovely too. In the light of what has been done, we have become a reflection of His beauty, as well as He is glorified by this reflection, right back to Him. I know that might seem a little hard for some to understand; but there is nothing that shows the inner beauty of a woman more, than the look she has towards her husband when she knows that he loves her more than anything else; that is what glorifies the husband most, that he is reverenced by his wife because of his love for her.
  Anywho, you think of it as you will; but this is why I say without a doubt: If she loved you dearly when she married you, and she has fallen out of love with you now; then you, husband, are at fault! Don't try to make excuses, because it will not work: the moment she became your possession, you let off trying to win her heart. Besides, if we are to be the spiritual head over our wife, then she is the spiritual body: Don't you love your body as yourself? Don't you treat your body as it is yours? When you body has pain, isn't it your pain? (Ephesians 5:25-30) This is a perfect example of what Christ sees in His bride, the church; as the church is a reflection of what He has made her; so too, what He has made her, reflects back on Him. 
  There is something else here that is a little interesting, as the picture of the flock of goats, those that appear from Mount Gilead, here is their meaning: "Most Palestinian goats have long wavy black hair. The movement of a large flock on distant hill makes it appear as it the whole hillside is alive." (Carr) It might not mean all that much to us now, but it is more and more meaningful to be part of a body!
  As for these, "doves' eyes within thy locks," we have to understand that we are to remain humble; it is not just because we are loved, even though we were sinners; but because we have been given eternal life! Yes, that life is now ours; right now, today! We have already passed from death to life; the life we now live, we are living in Christ!
  I heard a very interesting message yesterday morning, it was about the thief of the cross, and why Jesus told him: "Today you will be with me in paradise." Why did Jesus say today? was the question he asked; and the answer was simple and true: Because that was what that man needed to hear! You know what else I heard earlier this week? The Lord gave us eyelids, but He did not give us earlids...

"God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21) NLT 

"The Beholder"

"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead." (S.O.S. 4:1)

  Maybe you might be wondering who is beholding who, and if there is really any big difference, or if it really even matters? Maybe you were raised in a way that you were shown all of your flaws and not praised for anything you did right? After all, doing what are told was expected; not listening to what you were told to do, simply was not tolerated.
  This takes on more of a spiritual connection to love than it does the love between two people; but if it causing you to feel uneasy, you are free to look away and pretend it never happened! Seriously, isn't that what takes place within our hearts? Maybe that is what we expect, to be shown all that needs to be fixed or corrected, because being shown everything beautiful about us makes us very uneasy and unable to live up to the image we are shown.
  During the night, I had a very strange dream about yesterdays post; whether or not it makes it to the light of day, I really don't know quite yet, as I have not yet uncovered the connection. But this much I will reveal, that it involved those three separate sections or breaks in the Scripture, and the three levels of our salvation: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.
  No matter what you might think of your particular calling, and how unimportant or important you might be, you are not the main attraction of the story: The Beholder is HE! It is and always will be the reason, from, and by, and to, that the Story is written: Christ Jesus, the Risen King!
  This might be the most important part of our individual stories: in Whose' eyes we see ourselves, and if we believe He knows what He sees...

"Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, "You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court."" (Romans 3:1-4) NLT 

"Young Man"

 "You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are as white a sheep, recently shorn and freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin. Your lips are like scarlet ribbon; your mouth is inviting. Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil. Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, I will hurry to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.
 "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from mount Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, where the lions have their dens and leopards live among the hills. You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace. Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices. Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon.
 "You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain. Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates with rare spices -henna with nard, nard and saffron, fragrant calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, and every other lovely spice. You are a garden fountain, a well of fresh water streaming down from Lebanon's mountains." (S.O.S. 4:1-15 NLT)

  Well that was pretty interesting, to say the least; pomegranates and all, it is just about everything you might say to your bride as you begin your vows, in the presence of hundreds of guests, friends, and relatives. (?) As much as it takes me back, I am very curious to see where this actually takes me!   Whether or not you are Christian or of the Jewish faith, you must understand something that is true for either one: We are all sinners saved by Christ! If you have not made that your "breastplate" yet, you must; and you must wear it at all times, especially in times of testing and trials!
  How many times do I need to be reminded? It is almost a constant routine of mistaken identity or forgotten awareness of the truth! There are no weapons strong enough to conquer me or to take me down; but it is only me and my beliefs that will cause me to fall; which are the things that I allow to happen, all on my own.
  Matthew Henry ends his commentary on Chapter Three, saying: "Go forth and behold Christ's grace toward sinners, as his crown, his brightest glory." Rinse and Repeat, Again...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16 & 17) 

"CHAPTER FOUR"

THE SONG OF SONGS (Chapter Four)
"Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of my people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head." (Ezekiel 33:1-4)

  Just a little warning about tomorrow's post, the opening Scripture will be rather long, as the speaker will be saying 15 verses all at once; the next longest is only nine verses, so it is sure to be good. The Young Woman has introduced her lover, and now it is His time to speak.
  Not to change the subject, but this election has taken on some pretty interesting challenges, to say the least. If ever there was a test for lines to be drawn, what is good and bad, or righteousness and evil, then these lines are as visible as the main highways from the air. Not that I am taking sides, because I feel as though there is no choice in the matter: you are either standing on the side of God or you are not! If you have any doubt about which side that might be, then there is a scale to use for such a matter.
  Anywho, let me get back to this Subject declared in the opening Scripture! You must believe this, if you are going to understand anything about God's justice, you must believe that He is just! His aim is to save sinners, each and every one! The point of what this is saying, is that He gives us a warning; sometimes several warnings, just in case we might have been distracted during the first or second; but either way, He warns us before we get hit!
  This is something that I believe works on several different plains; whether we are speaking about a person, a country, or a nation. Regardless of what, the people are going to be responsible to take warning when they hear the trumpet sound; if they do not take warning, then they have no one to blame but themselves.
  As much as I would like to pretend this does not apply to myself, I would be a fool to think that I have my whole life in perfect order. I ever you hear me even come close to such a foolish statement, please blow a very loud trumpet in my ear! Please be very careful: this is not about us making our lives perfect, but it is about the perfection that He makes us to be! We will not and cannot make ourselves anything that we are not!
  My mother would always say, "A leopard cannot change its spots." But I know a Man that can surely take away every spot on and within me...

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy Scriptures,) concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among nations, for his name: among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ: to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:1-7) 

"The Real Game of Thrones" -2

"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." (S.O.S. 3:11)

  There are some things in this crazy life that make it all worth it; and then there are those things that are bigger than life, those things that are bigger because they matter more than life itself! As far as that previous verse, the part about, "being paved with love," don't think for a moment that it has been somehow overlooked, because there is nothing that can be further from the truth; if anything, it has been brought to life and was just made real; real enough to touch, and even walk upon the stones!
  Something that Pastor Bryan said yesterday made me think about this blog: Why do I do it? and is it try and gain some sort of stature, or is something I feel God leading me to do? Well, I thought about it; about as much as I care to; because at this point in the game, I don't think that it really matters why we do the things we do; but what matters most of all, is if what we do contributes somehow to what God wants to do. And as far as I can see, or not see, none of us have a clue!
  I guess what it is that I mean to say, is that the will of God and way He gets that will accomplished, is so far above our pay-grade, we will only know what and when, when He tells or shows us; other than that, we are just a spot on the canvas and really don't even know if our little spot counts for much or little. The best thing we can hope for, is that we are somehow found worthy; and the best way to be found worthy, is to try and remain humble! Best case for this, is that I get to experience some really sweet fellowship with God, almost every single day that I keep this thing going; so it really does not matter why I do it, if it keeps me in the game!
  Besides, it is a little like golf; if it wasn't for those specially good shots, as little as they might happen, then the game would be worthless and do nothing but frustrate my life; but man, let me tell you, when you hit the good shot, it is always worth it; and it keeps you coming back for more!
  Now, about that thing about, "being paved with love," which is something that Matthew Henry puts like this: "This is the work of Christ himself wherein the glory of his grace and love to sinners most eminently appears, and which makes him amiable and admirable in the eyes of believers. In this covenant love is conveyed to them, and they are carried in it to the perfection of love, and as it were, ride in triumph."
  Try as hard as you might, but this is something that you cannot make happen; it is something that you get to ride in, all the way to the end! Oddly enough, even if it might appear to be a crown of dishonor, it really depends who might be wearing it and why...

"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not any law to break. Still, everyone died -from the time of Adam to the time of Moses -even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:12-17) NLT

"The Real Game of Thrones"

"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." (S.O.S. 3:11)

  To be totally honest, I had no idea that was going to turn out the way that it did; but I know the One who did! You might not know this, but Solomon was not only a king and preacher like his father, he was also a prophet; a man that was totally in touch with the plan of God for the redemption of man, seeing the cross of Christ, and understanding the magnitude of the work that Christ would do upon that cross. But, even if he didn't, I know the One who did!
  To try and understand the complexity of this odd little verse, one simple example is found in the Book of Revelation in Chapter Five: being a description of a Book, a very special Book, one that no one was found worthy to open, except One, The LAMB of GOD! Many believe that this Book, or Scroll, was the Title Deed to earth; and that the deed to earth had been taken from man and handed to Satan after the fall of man. In other words, John wept because he knew what this represented, and that no man was found worthy to take the Title Deed back!
  But God! Oh, I just had a really good answer for my J.W. friends: any that might ask, "Why would God need to come down here and die on the cross?" Because He had to come as a Man to take back this Throne! Simply put, it was a man that lost it, and it had to be Man that took it back: The Son of Man was He; the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Root of David! Obviously there is quite a bit more to it; but one thing is for sure, it was His mother that was responsible for that Man to come into this world!
  Starting out, let's examine the very first words, "Go forth," which on the start or at first glance, may or may not cause us any change of attitude or persuasion; but it is what is required for anyone to be blessed by the fact of what is being said: Go forth! I will relate it to the favorite Chapter of mine in the Bible, Isaiah 55, which starts out saying, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
  Matthew Henry states it as such: "The call that is given to the daughters of Zion to acquaint themselves with the glories of king Solomon: Go forth, and behold him. The multitude of the spectators adds to the beauty of a splendid cavalcade. Christ, in his gospel, manifests himself. Let each of us add to the number of those that gave honour to him, by giving themselves the satisfaction of looking upon him."
  It is like the Huge Cloud of Witnesses that is spoken about in Hebrews 12:1; or as John the Baptist proclaimed when John and Andrew were drawn to start following Jesus: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) As they step out to follow Him, it is the same for each and every one of us, to Go Forth: Take that step, that step of faith...

"For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with you mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."" (Romans 10:10-13) NLT

"Young Woman"

"Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most glorious day." (S.O.S. 3:11 NLT)

  Reasons to pay attention: One, that you do not miss any opportunity to hear His voice, to follow His direction, and to avoid being taken advantage of for not paying attention. Two, that you do not miss out on this! What exactly are we looking at, and why is it so special?
  Standing back, dream or no dream, this is the perfect picture of something that is the beginning of every New Life in Christ: the day in which your eyes, your heart, and God's Spirit, united together as one! This might seem rather light for such a glorious day; but it is a perfect snapshot of the moment when it all came to Light!
  For me, it became something that I was not ready for; my defenses were down, I had somehow let go of my guard, and I was ready to listen to whatever it was God wanted to say. That might seem a little weird, but that is the best example I have to explain how it was that He got my attention. If you will, it would be a little bit like what this Young Woman might have experienced by getting a ride in Solomon's chariot: she was so impressed by the majesty and the splendor, that see was ready to see and hear anything that the King had show and tell her.
  That is how I remember it, as much as I recall that day. The first part of the invitation was the calling: as I laid down on my bunk, getting ready to relax after eating breakfast, there was the call. A faint voice of a man, most likely near the time he would be meeting his maker, begging me to come hear something that was prepared for me to hear. My only distraction was that of resting; the thought of going to church never had entered my head; this couldn't be church, there was no church on this compound; so my defenses were down and I was ready to listen.
  As I arrived to the cafeteria room, there was some music playing and I felt a little bit out of place; singing in a crowd was not something I felt ready to do, especially a crowd of fellow prisoners. Just another little part of this glorious presentation! One little thing at a time, it was all coming together; my curiosity had been awakened; He had my attention!
  And then the message: A simple message about the Creator of heaven and earth; about how this creation all points to the majesty and splendor of the KING of All Creation! And then it clicked! Just like that, I saw, I felt, and I knew: He was KING JESUS! I saw Him with the eyes of my heart: He was on the cross and He was wearing a crown of thorns...

"But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth). And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)." In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:6-9) NLT