The Time of Fulfillment: Part One

Early morning, two days before Christmas, I rose and went into my prayer room, opened my Narrated Bible and began to read the account of Jesus’ birth. It’s a tradition of sorts that began when I was a child and remains with me to this day. Reading the biblical account helps to put all things related to this time of the year in proper perspective.

This time as I read the familiar passage from Luke’s account, one verse seemed to lift from the page and from that verse one word seemed to flash like a neon sign in the midnight sky.

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Luke 1:45 NASB

I could sense the Holy Spirit telling me this is a word for His faithful (those filled with faith) ones for the coming year: There will be a fulfillment of the things I have told you!”

Fulfillment -- accomplishment, completion, achievement, attainment, carrying out, carrying through, consummation, contentedness, contentment, crowning, discharge, effecting, end, gratification, implementation, perfection, realization, you got it

There will be a fulfillment of those things I have told you because you have and continue to believe!

Tears splashed like mini raindrops on the pages of my bible as I thought about all the promises, all the prophetic words, all the dreams and desires that I have hidden in the coffers of my heart. Many of those promises have yet to come to realization; many buried like hidden treasures. This is the time of fulfillment!

I thought about the various let downs and disappointments, the promises broken and the hopes dashed. All the “not-quite’s”; all the “almosts”; even the “fat chances.” All the challenges in their many forms and the fight to hold to just an inkling of hope – like Abraham “who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping” (Romans 4:18 The Bible in Basic English).

I looked at the path my life had taken with all the seeming detours that might suggest that I just needed to let go of some of those hopes and dreams with quiet acquiescence, face reality, and surrender to what is.

The Holy Spirit reminded me of the number of times we read these words in Scripture:

“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord. . .” Matt 1:22

“But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written. . .” John 15:25

All this was done! All what?

All the events of my life. All the circumstances surrounding my life! All this has happened that God’s word concerning me might be fulfilled. None of it is wasted or inconsequential! None of it!

All this!All the successes and all the disappointments. All the clear paths and all the obstacles. All the open doors and all the closed doors, even those slammed in my face. All the yeses that should have been no’s and all the no’s I thought should have been yeses. All the moments of acceptance and all the times of rejection. All the times I’ve been understood and all the times I have been grossly misunderstood. All the moments of truth mingled with the lies intended to halt me in my track. All the wonderful choices and all the bad decisions. All the positioning; all the displacements.

All this! All the victories, all the triumphs; all the losses, all the failures. All relationships.

All this!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who live God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NASB

All this was done and all things are working in symphony to achieve God’s will for our lives!

It was so with Jesus; it is so with us!

All things are preparing us to receive the promise! All things are working to align those who are a part of that fulfillment because neither the promise nor its fulfillment are simply about you or me. There are a host of others that God desires to use, desires to benefit in some way from what He has promised us.

As we look back over the year and reflect on the things that happened, rejoice in knowing that all this happened that the word to you might be fulfilled, and now is the Time of Fulfillment!

One last point, notice the indefinite article that is used. It says a fulfillment; not the fulfillment. I find that interesting. A fulfillment suggests one of many. That gives me an even greater expectation. I may see a fulfillment, an unfolding of what God has purposed for me in this season, but it is not the end. There is more to come!

For anyone who has placed some hopes, dreams and desires on the shelf or even buried them and moved on, God wants you to know now is the time of Fulfillment!

Everything has been working for good and the manifestation of “all this” is at hand!

Believe it and rejoice!!

Live Wisely; Live Well

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10b The Message

Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!
Psalm 90:12 The Message

It was a quiet Sunday evening. The big brown “chair” in my living room embraced me like two loving arms and cradled me as I sat relaxing in front of the television when the phone rang. I was elated as I checked the caller ID to see that the call was from my friend in Cleveland. We had not spoken with each other in a few weeks and I eagerly answered the phone.

The voice on the other end was not my friend’s. Immediately I knew – “My father passed away yesterday morning. . .” My heart sank and tears began to well up in my eyes. My dear friend of nearly twelve years was gone.

“He always spoke of you; of how much you encouraged and inspired him. Your friendship meant a lot to him. You inspired him to fight.”

I was stunned. Yes, I knew he was sick. He had been battling a rare form of cancer for well over two years now. The last time I had talked with him, he sounded better than he had sounded in a while. He was home. He was in a place of peace and filled with hope and faith that made my heart swell. I prayed often with him and for him; we both expected to see God do the miraculous.

“He was a good man and a good friend. I will miss him and I will definitely be praying for you and the rest of your family,” I managed to say. I hung up the phone and cried. I rest in the fact that my friend knew Jesus Christ. I had watched him over the years grow in his relationship with God. We often spoke of that process of growing in grace and coming to know the Lord in a more intimate way. We prayed together and encouraged one another to press into that place in God where nothing else matters. I believe that in his sickness he found that place. I heard in him a deeper faith and deeper intimacy with the Lord in the months that followed his diagnosis.

I rest in the fact that he is not in pain. I am reminded of the words I heard years ago: “Death is the final healing.”

But I am saddened. I am saddened at the loss of my good friend. Though he lived nearly five hours away and we didn’t see each other often, we talked frequently. He made me laugh. He made me think. He challenged me. He inspired me. And while we had the testing times that all friendships face, we emerged from them knowing that this was a friendship forged by God in love.

I am saddened by the awareness that there are many things we will not experience together. I’ll never taste the award-winning white chili he bragged on; he’ll never taste the dressing I boasted of. We’ll never play that game of air hockey. I’ll never see him dance – one of those things he so loved to do. He won’t hear me sing again. He’ll never travel with me to the missions field as we had once talked about.

Winston’s death has stirred something deep in me that I can’t shake and that pray I never shake. It is a defining moment of sorts. The older I get the more keenly aware I am of the tenuousness and preciousness of life. And while we must always continue to believe and expect the miraculous, while we continue to stand in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we really don’t know the number of our days. There are things we cannot, should not, must not put off until tomorrow. Winston’s life and death serve to remind me – to remind us all – to live fearlessly, to take deep breaths inhaling and then exhaling love, laughter, joy, grace.

No dreams put on hold! No words left unsaid! No love withheld!

What a magnificent gift God has given us in Christ Jesus – Abundant Life!! There is no rewind button! There are no do-overs! This is it! And it is grand and filled with wonder and promise. Despite the challenges, the mountains, the tests, it is so worth the living! I am determined to lay down each night knowing I unwrapped the gift of life for that day and explored all the wonderful possibilities, tasted the beauty of it, made a difference, and honored God simply by living wise and living well and having no regrets!

What if you had no more excuses?

Living in the Now!

Drawn By Love

"Draw me after you and let us run together!

The king has brought me into his chambers."

     Song of Solomon 1:4 NASB

         “Draw me!!” cries the Shulamite maiden. “Draw me after you!” There is a deep yearning within her spirit that desires more. She can no longer be content with what she has experienced of him up to this point. The desire to be drawn closer still springs from a place deep within her that recognizes there are depths of love that have yet to be reached; there is a place in his heart that she has yet to touch; there are places in her that have yet to be fully touched by him. And she cries, “Draw me!”

         The truth is the Lord is always drawing us; always calling us unto Himself; always wooing us to come closer to be with Him, to hear what He desires to speak, to hear His song of love.  We so often dismiss the drawing;  we put it off until a more convenient time.  His desire is toward us.  He wants to be with us.  He yearns for us. He continually draws; we don't always run. 

      Draw me, Lord! This has become the cry of my heart. I have seen Your love; I have tasted of Your goodness. I desire now that You, Lord, draw me after You. There are so many things, so many others that call to me, seeking to draw me  – not necessarily evil or sinful things, but not necessarily the “needful” thing either. So many other things vie for my attention in the course of a day, but my cry is 'Lord, draw me after You.' I turn aside, I turn away from all the others. I will run after You and You alone. You, Lord, are not only the One I need but You are the One my heart truly desires. Draw me after You and I will come. I will run with haste; with all that I am I will come.

       Draw me! Your word has declared that no man comes to the Father except the Spirit draws him. Your Spirit has drawn my spirit to You and I have experienced Your saving grace.  Now draw all that I am –my  soul, my heart, my thoughts that are so often scattered and turned toward things other than You. Draw my passions and desires that too often lust after the things that only give temporal satisfaction. Draw my affections, my ambitions and all that makes me who I am.  Draw my body and its appetites. Draw me unto You.

        Draw me to You – not to the things that You can give me but to You. Not merely to the promise of prosperity or of healing or of ministry or of needs met, not even the promise of heaven. I recognize that those are all a reality of life in You; if I have You and I have all that You are and all that You give. I don't want to be drawn to the "stuff;"  I want to be drawn to You.  Draw me to Your face; draw me to Your heart.  May I ever be life Moses who chose Your presence over Your promise; for what good is the promise without Your presence? Draw me after You.

        You  continue to draw me with bands of love (Hosea 11:4). You have drawn me with loving-kindness. Deep continually calls to deep. I respond. I run after you.

        I have in my lifetime pursued many things (and people) that I thought would bring me joy and satisfaction. And some did, but the joy was momentary; the satisfaction fleeting. I have found that only You can satisfy the deepest longings of my soul. True pleasure, true joy, true peace come from You. And it is not some temporary thing. You love with an everlasting love. Your love never wanes, never fades, never changes.

         I am still learning how to release some of those desires and allow Him to truly be my all! Still learning to truly walk in the reality that He is more than enough. I am ever in pursuit of Him – desiring to run after Him, to explore His love that has no limits, to know its length,its width, its depth, its height. My cry remains, "Draw me into the deeper places in You to know the love that surpasses knowledge."

        May we  ever run after Him!

The Fragrance of Love

". . .your name is ointment poured forth"   Song of Solomon 1:3b

         I remember some years ago coming home from an exhausting day of work. As I opened the door to my bedroom I was greeted –- or more accurately, accosted -- by a strong smell. The fragrance so permeated every molecule of the room, it literally overwhelmed me. I looked on the dresser and ,noticed that the bottle of extremely expensive perfume I had recently purchased was half emptied. My mother, who I was caring for at the time, had decided to use my cologne as air freshener. The scent lingered for days.

        That memory came to mind as I reread Song of Songs 1:3. Our young maiden compares the name of her beloved to perfume that has been poured out. Something about his very name had the same effect on her as that perfume my mother had “poured forth” in my room had had on me; it was powerful enough to truly overwhelm her.

        In the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks “What’s in a name?” She goes on to say that it really doesn’t matter what you call a thing; its very nature or essence remains the same. But the Bible tells us that a name is more than a word by which we call something or someone. Within the name lies the very essence of the person. Know the name; know the person; for the name reveals the person’s character, destiny and purpose.

        That is why as we read through scripture each time the LORD reveals His Name to the children of Israel,  He is saying to them (and to us) "This is My character; this is Who I AM! My Name is not just a title by which you may call Me; it reveals My essence,My power,  My heart!”  All that He is is wrapped up in His Name: Provider, Healer, Peace, Captain of the Host, Shepherd, Righteousness, Holy, Savior and so much more. And in all of these revelations rest the greatest revelation of all --- God is Love!

        All that Yahweh is, all He revealed Himself to be, is manifested in One person, One Name, the Name above all names,  Jesus. The greatest revelation of the Father's  love for us is found in Jesus!

        Your Name is perfume poured forth!!

        Many of the ingredients used in the making of perfumes in the Israel had to be imported, making the oils and perfumes very costly. (we read that the ol Mary used to anoint Jesus was worth a year's salary). These expensive oils were often kept in boxes or vials, and in order for the oil to be poured forth, the seal of the box or vial had to be broken. Breaking open the box to pour forth the oil  represents true and total commitment. It was all or nothing.

        The  Lord Jesus, the King of kings has broken  open the alabaster box of His life for me and for you. In love He willingly poured forth all that He is in order to bring us back to the Father’s heart; in order to bring us into relationship with Him.  I love Him so much  and I thank Him  for loving me with a self-sacrificing love. His  name, Jesus, is ointment poured forth, and it is a sweet-smelling savor in my nostrils.

        I believe the only response to such a love is for us to pour out our  lives to Him, recognizing that it is all or nothing. Today  let us break open the alabaster box of  our very lives. May our  lives be a sweet-smelling savor unto Him. Amen.

First Love

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;

your name is like perfume poured out.

No wonder the maidens love you!

Song  of Solomon 1:3 (NIV)

       Each time  I read the opening passage of the Song of Songs, I envision the Shulamite maiden sitting lost in thought, longing for her king. Perhaps she is daydreaming about him. You know how it was when you first fell in love. As I pore over these words, I am astounded as I sense the great delight the maiden experiences in the presence of the king. All of her senses are awakened to Love. Thoughts of him seem fill her mind. She seems so attuned to every thing about him; his very scent brings pleasure to her.

       While meditating on this verse, I had to ask myself: Is it so with me and the Lover of my soul? Am I  so in love withmy Lord that He consumes every part of my life,  my very  being? Have I kept that same passion I had in the beginning? Is my love for Him still fervent, fresh and new? Have I remained so sensitive to Him that I sense His presence by His fragrance?

       Remember how it was when you first fell in love with Jesus? I do. All I wanted to do was spend time alone with Him, time in His Word, time in worship, time in prayer. Hours would pass and seem like only minutes. I was overwhelmed by His love, His voice, His beauty, His presence. Every part of me – spirit, soul and body -- was awakened to Love. It engulfed all that I was and all that I did, and always called me back to that secret place – alone with Him.

      There is something about budding love. The newness of it brings newness to everything. All of life becomes animated. We are in love and that love consumes us! But if we are not careful, over time the freshness may wane. We may not be as excited by the presence of the one we love. We may even begin to take that presence for granted.

      The cry of my heart is that my love for Jesus never loses that freshness, that it never wanes, that I never take Love for granted. May I ever be sensitive to His presence, to His sweet fragrance. May I ever be alive to Love Himself with all that I am. May every day with Him be filled with excitement and anticipation – not just of the things He will do for me but at the very thought of Him and the knowledge that He is ever present with me.

     May it be so with all of us!

Intoxicating

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — For your love is more delightful than wine. Song of Solomon 1:2 NIV

"My Beloved Bride, there are so many things in this world that can bring you pleasure; that can bring you joy. Many things that draw you with their intoxicating appeal. They called you before you came to Me and they call you still. Once you sought the 'stuff' of the world, its wine, its pleasures. And you know that in all your pleasure-seeking, often the emptiness you sought to fill still remained. And you sought the more, thinking more would satisfy.

You say, "But Lord, that was then; that was yesterday. This is now and all I seek is You.'" And I ask, Are you sure?

Don't equate the pleasures of the world with sin; for, all pleasure is not sin. And with that in mind, I ask what now do you seek to bring you pleasure, to bring you joy? Where do you find that which intoxicates you, that makes you weak and brings you to your knees? Those times when you feel unloved, lonely, disconnected, hurt, empty, unfulfilled, disappointed, do you still seek satisfaction in places or people, events or experiences? Do you still seek the 'wine of the world'?

People drink wine for its intoxicating properties -- it relaxes, it frees, it warms. It helps them escape. My Love relaxes, it frees, it warms. It helps you escape darkness, death and fear. It gives light! It gives meaning and purpose. It unites! It gives joy and laughter. It gives life!

You have tasted of My love! You have tasted of My grace! You have tasted of My mercy, My compassion, My faithfulness. You have tasted of My Presence. You have tasted and you have seen; I Am good! My love, My caresses, My unconditional, never-failing, longsuffering, everlasting, strong and mighty love for you is far better than anything else you can ever seek. Sometimes you seem to forget that. And sometimes you really do, whether you realize it or not, turn to find it somewhere else. No thing, no person, no title, no amount of money, no vacation spot, no ministry, no applause from the masses is better than My love for you. And nothing will ever give you the deepest, lasting satisfaction. You know that! I know you do!

The next time you feel a sense of emptiness, loneliness, need, turn to Me. Drink of Me. Drink of My love. Take your fill of Me and be completely satisfied by My intoxicating love for you. I love you!”

An "In-Your-Face" Love

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine. 

Song of Solomon 1:2

I must have been in high school the first time I attempted to read through the Song of Solomon. I remember thinking, “This is in the Bible!” I admit I found it a bit disconcerting to find such sensual language and imagery in the Holy canon. Somehow I knew that God still had something to say to me through this book, but I just couldn’t sift through it at that time. I decided to focus on the gospels.  Since then, of course, I have read through the book numerous times and found myself weeping at the imagery that so intimately discloses this love relationship that the Savior desires with me.

I don’t doubt that my first encounter with the Song was not unlike that of many others, and perhaps you too were challenged with words like the ones we find in verse two of the Song’s first chapter. . .

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth . . .

     Kisses are intimate expressions of affection. A kiss is a face-to-face encounter. The Hebrew word for kiss, “nashaq,” means to be joined mouth to mouth, to be attached. Only those close to you are deigned worthy to kiss you or have that kiss reciprocated. Our Shulamite maiden is longing for that close, intimate relationship with the king. She is asking for a face-to-face encounter.

     There comes a time in the life of the believer that we are no longer satisfied with what has become the “normal Christian life.” We know there is more; we sense the wooing of the Lord to draw closer to Him. We desire to move from a “heaven-when-I-die” salvation to the “love-of-lifetime” relationship. There is no other that can satisfy; we cannot be satisfied to know about Him. We want an “in-your-face” relationship. As we cry out, “Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth,” we are declaring that we want to know Him in the most intimate of ways. We are ready to move from the outer court in our relationship with Him to that place in the Holiest Place where it is just Him and no one else. We recognize that no one kisses from a distance, just as one cannot worship from a distance.

      But what are “the kisses of his mouth”? What does it mean to be kissed by the Lord?

     I am sure there are many interpretations of that phrase. Let me offer one to you. I discovered in my studies that rabbis consider a kiss from God to be a prophetic word. It is through His word -- both logos and rhema – that we come to know the Lord’s heart, His mind, His desire and His love for us. God is ever speaking to us, singing over us, revealing His heart and character to us. He desires to kiss us through every word written in scripture, through every word spoken through His prophets, through every word whispered to our spirits as we spend time with Him. He daily kisses us!  He wants to be in your face even more than you desire to be in His.

      Years ago as I was pondering this passage, the Lord asked me a question. He asked, “Who ya been kissin’?” (Yes, God speaks to me like that; He’s not a stickler for marketplace English). Then He spoke these words:

“My Beloved, I never cease to kiss you. I love you and desire to kiss you with the kisses of My word daily, hourly. If you feel un-kissed know it is because you have turned away.

Remember when you were a little girl and your mother would throw kisses at you? You’d pretend to catch it and land it square on your cheek. Then you would reciprocate, throwing a kiss in her direction. Sometimes she feigned dropping it. She’d pick it up, dust it off and plant on her cheek. Know, My Child, that I don’t want to throw kisses in your direction in the hope that you catch them. I want to smother you in kisses. Intimate, up close and personal. Not kisses on the hand; not kisses on the cheek, but from My mouth to yours; from My heart to yours. I long for that face-to-face encounter!

Turn your face toward My face. Stop talking, be still and receive from Me.

One reason why My beloved ones often seek a word from a prophet is because they have too often turned to kiss someone else and miss the kisses I have for them. Others are wooing them, seeking to kiss them as well, and they’ve not grown familiar enough with My touch and My voice to know the difference.

I ask you, Beloved, who have you been kissing lately? Do I truly have all your affections?

Turn your face towards Me and kiss Me with your worship. And then you shall receive the kisses of My mouth—the kisses of My word. They will bring life! They speak always of My love for you!"

The Song Supreme

The Song of Songs which is Solomon’s

Song of Solomon 1:1

      I remember my high school yearbook featuring some of my classmates on the “Senior Superlatives” page. Pictured there were those individuals who in their four years of high school had distinguished themselves in some way or another. The Cutest, the Smartest, the Most Athletic, The Most Talented, The Most Talkative, the Most likely to . . .

     These individuals were found to be simply the best.

        The phrase “the song of songs” expresses a superlative as do the phrases Holy of Holies, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. The superlative holds within this idea: in comparing all that fit into a given category, this one thing, this one person is heads above the rest. All else pales in comparison.

       The Holy Spirit in directing Solomon to open with these words is distinguishing this canticle from the other 1000+ songs written by or even written for the king. Of all the songs written this one is the ultimate song!. No other song compares. This is a Song Supreme!

    But why? What is it about the Song of Solomon that qualifies it as being unsurpassed?    I believe it is because of what it reveals to us about God’s love. There is something so deeply personal here. It goes beyond the love a Father has for His child. It goes beyond the love of friends. Here we see another aspect of the love that Paul describes as passing all knowledge. Hear the Father speak:

       "You ask, My Child, what makes this song, of all the songs that Solomon wrote, the supreme, the greatest, the song above all songs. I tell you it is because this song, more than all others, reveals the depth of My love for you, My beautiful Bride. It reveals My heart concerning the deeply personal relationship I seek with you. Not one solely of Father and child or Redeemer and redeemed. But one of a deep, intimate, abiding love. It speaks of intimate times when I take you, My Bride, into My chamber; it speaks of the secrets and mysteries spoken in those intimate moments alone.

       I long for you even more than you long for Me. I want you to experience the real deal of Love. To experience the depths, the width, the height the length of love in Me and know that there is no other that will ever love you with the depth of Love I Am for you. Let My Love flow in and through and out of you, engulfing you, bathing you, soothing you. It is My pure and holy transcendent love I Am that completes you and satisfies you.

       As we walk through this relationship be immersed in that love, rest in it, live from it. Love will never fail you. Trust in it more than you trust anything else. There is no fear in Love. There is no fear in Me. There is no failure in Love, for there is no failure in Me. Know Me and Know Love. Then when the counterfeit comes you will not be fooled into accepting it.

      Come to know Me now, My Bride, as your Bridegroom. You know Me as Savior. You know Me as Father. You know Me as Redeemer, Deliverer, and Healer. Now come to know Me as Bridegroom and discover a dimension of My love like none you've ever fathomed. As you do, I promise, you will never be the same."

Journey through the Song of Songs

      I don’t remember exactly when the Lord gave the Song of Solomon to me (or maybe He gave me to the Song of Solomon. I can’t really be sure). I only know that by early 1990s, I had fallen so deeply in love with the Lord and  I desired to know Him in more intimate ways; I was so desperate for Him. There was a cry in my heart and a hunger in my soul that even now I cannot adequately articulate. I soon realized that this was the wooing of the Holy Spirit.

      One day, while browsing in one of my favorite bookstores, I was drawn to a book title: The Song of the Bride. It was really the caption that caught me. Under the author’s name read: “The book that sent her to prison.” It was a commentary on the Song of Solomon by a 16th century French woman who had dared to seek for God outside the tenets of the Catholic Church. She had found God, but she also found much persecution – persecution that led her to imprisonment in the  Bastille. Reading this book changed my perspective on the Christian life, and more specifically my perspective of this God who loves me with such fervency, with such passion. I began to see the ultimate goal of salvation as total union with God.

      That was almost twenty years ago, and the “Song” continues to draw me. As the Lord calls us into greater levels of consecration before Him, I feel Him also drawing me back to this magnificent Love Song, calling me to great adventure of the heart. He is calling me to journey once more through the Song of all songs! I invite you to join me on the journey.

      For the next few weeks, I will be reading through and “experiencing” the Song of Solomon, and just sharing with you what the Holy Spirit speaks to me. This is not an in-depth study of the book; this is not a verse-by-verse exegesis of the book (even though I will share some necessary information to help us understand some of the verses and the overall theme of the book). This is a journey deep into the loving heart of our Father.

      You may have been like I was and avoided the Song of Solomon for a variety of reasons. Let me suggests some things that may help you as we journey through the book together:

     • Read the book all the way through several times. There are only 8 chapters and you could read the entire book in one sitting.
     • Don’t allow yourself to get bogged down with the imagery; don’t try to understand every little detail. Allow the Holy Spirit to highlight passages that He desires to speak to you personally.
     • The book is an allegory. There is a very literal interpretation of the book (love within the context of marriage), but there is a meaning that transcends that of human love and illustrates the love that the Lord has for us personally. Keep that in mind as you read.
     • The Song is a group of songs or poems. Some scholars suggest it is a drama in verse with King Solomon and the Shulamite maiden as its main characters. Noting who is speaking will help you.
     • The Song shows the progression from immature love to mature love, and many scholars and commentators have divided the book in to sections that show that progression. I personally like Watchman Nee’s divisions:
          a. initial love
          b. faltering love
          c. growing love
          d. transforming love
          e. mature love
This progression can also be seen in 3 key verses:
           My beloved is mine and I am his. (2:16)
           I am my beloved’s and he is mine. (6:3)
           I am my beloved’s and his desire is toward me. (7:10)


As you remain open to the Holy Spirit, you will receive much from this book. Press in and glean what He has for you. I know your worship life will be transformed as a result.


Visit http://fromthefathersheart.blogspot.com each day for more on the Song of Solomon. Feel free to leave questions, comments or personal insights. I look forward to journeying with you.

Fear Not!

"For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: "Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary…"
Isaiah 8:11-14a

“The underlying current in the world in which you live today is fear – and it is not only a fear that is permeating the “world” but it is grabbing hold of many in My Body as well. They may couch it in other terms, but the bottom line is far too many are beginning to operate from a place of fear rather than a place of faith. That breaks My heart; for, it is in times like these -- perilous and turbulent times -- that I desire to show Myself strong to My people and, thus, to the world.

Hear Me! This is not the time to allow the negative reports that you hear daily to become a part of your thought pattern and, therefore, the framework from which you base your behavior. Now and always you must govern your lives, your actions, your decisions on My word. You hear the words released by media, released by the “experts” and echoed and reechoed by those around you and many are allowing those words to drown out, to overshadow My word. Now is the time more than ever before to know what you know and live it out, walk it out no matter what is going on around you. No matter what the “experts” say. Now is the time more than ever before that My children must be fortified with My Word. It must be a part of you. It must become your necessary food. It must be that which guides you! Be aware of the facts, don’t ignore the facts, but don’t allow the facts to become stronger in you than My truth of My Word! The words I speak are truth; they are spirit and they are life!

Now is the time that I will show Myself strong to those who will stand on the reality and truth of My Word. I Am all that I Am. Allow Me to show Myself mighty in your life for all to see. It will become a testimony of My greatness, a testimony of My faithfulness, a testimony of My love and it will cause others to seek Me as they watch you let Me do what I do best -- simply be I Am!

I say to you as I said to Isaiah: Do not say what the people around you say and do not fear what those around you fear. Make Me your fear. Fear is nothing more than placing respect and reverence in something or someone. So whom shall you fear? In whom shall you place your reverence and respect in this time of shaking? Will you reverence the Dow Jones? Will you reverence the negative reports? Will you reverence the doctor’s reports? Will you reverence CNN? Will you reverence the government? Or will you reverence Me, the Sovereign Lord? Make Me your fear! For as you make Me your fear, I have promised to be as a sanctuary to you. A sanctuary is a place of safety and refuge. A sanctuary is a place of peace, protection and provision. What touches those outside the sanctuary cannot touch those within it. I will be as a sanctuary, if you truly place your faith in Me.

Yes, just as I promised in My word, I Am shaking all that can be shaken. I Am shaking heaven; I Am shaking earth. I Am shaking within and I Am shaking without. Those who are truly Mine, who have anchored themselves in Me and in My word are those who shall remain standing strong when the shaking is over.

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." (Haggai 2:6-9)

Know this: as the shaking continues many will come to you – My Church—for answers that the world systems and false religions have not been able to provide. They will come in droves, knocking at your doors in search of answers, in search of truth. You have the answer. You are the answer. You are the hope they need – Christ in you is truly the hope of glory for the world.
So I call you now to a place of prayer that presses in like never before. I call you now to a place of stillness at My feet where I will release strategies, wisdom and answers. I call you now to hear Me more clearly than ever; for, through you, My Body, I will release the answers needed. I call you now to be Joseph to the world’s pharaoh. And as you release those answers, as you put My strategies into action, as you walk out by faith that which I Am speaking, many shall be saved and the world will know that I Am with you. Many shall come into My kingdom as a result. Just fear not and trust Me.”

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:25-29

Word of the Lord

The following prophetic word was delivered at Heirs Covenant Church of Cincinnati by Apostle John W. Stevenson.  Be blessed!

“Seek Me with all your heart and you will find Me, says the Lord. For these are days in which I’m drawing and I’m calling you into new places. And there’s some unfamiliar ground that you will have to walk upon. But I will lead you and I will guide you, says the Lord. For I have purposed to bring you into a new place, a different place in Me. It will impact your surroundings and things will begin to look very different. Know that it is Me that is shifting and that is changing and that is rearranging.

For it’s in this hour and in this season that I Am calling My church to a new place. I have suffered long and waited patiently, and now I Am moving quickly, says the Lord. For there is much that weighs in the balance before the end of time and all that are Mine will be Mine, says the Lord.

And so I Am moving swiftly throughout the earth, and you will hear and you will see things and you will wonder, ‘What is this?’ and ‘Why is this?’ But know that I Am moving, and when I move the earth moves.

For I have purposed to establish My kingdom in the earth in the way that I have intended. Think it not strange the places where you will find yourself. Be willing to walk through the seasons of inconvenience for My sake and for My glory. Be willing to stand in face of opposition, knowing that I Am your shield and your buckler. I have you. No man can hurt you. You’re in My hands.

I Am shifting and those who hear Me know that I Am shifting, and they are shifting with Me. It is My desire that My body, My whole body, My church , My whole church, align itself with that which I Am doing in these days.

What has been common will be common no more. What has been familiar will be part of your distant past. I Am releasing My grace for you to step into the places where I Am calling you today, says the Lord. I Am setting you free from worries and cares. I Am setting you free from bondages and hindrances that you would no more be encumbered. But you must also lay aside every weight and sin; for, together you and I will accomplish great things, says the Lord.

I have purposed to pour out My glory in the earth like never before. My glory will break forth from vessels that have been tried and tested, and through great testing, have allowed Me to become so large in them that now it’s time to come forth and break forth.

You must trust Me, says the Lord. You must trust Me with everything –yes, even your life. I have not failed you and I will not fail you. My word is everlasting and everything that I have spoken will come to pass. Everything that I have written is true.

Remain faithful! Remain faithful! Do not allow yourself to become so wearied that you have little time for Me. Remain faithful! For as you set aside the time, I will renew your strength. I will refresh you. I will strengthen you. But you must remain faithful. My word is sure; My covenant is eternal. I hold up My end; I need you to do the same.

The world as you know it is moving into yet more perilous times. Men’s hearts will faint, but you who know Me will stand. And I will bless you and I will strengthen you and I will protect you. You will weather the things that seemingly would cause other men to fall. You will be the light and you will be the salt that I have said you would be in the earth.

It is time now for you to arise out of your slumber and out of your sleep. It’s time now for you to arise out of your complacency and your apathy. It’s time for you to arise out of the cares that you allow to overtake you and come to the place that I have established for you. For it is a high place in Me, says the Lord. It is a place where the enemy cannot get to. It is a place where My power is greater than you’ve ever known. It is a place where you will see all that I have in store. It is your place of peace. It is a place of surrender; it’s a place of rest.

Come with Me, says the Lord. For time is running out; the days are shorter than you think. The time you thought you once had has now been compressed. I’m doing a quick work. I’m doing a quick work. Allow Me to do a quick work in you so that all that I have set before you to do will be accomplished, and when you stand before Me, you will hear Me say, ‘Well done!”

Up Close and Personal

One of the most cherished memories that I have of my mother was actually the day before she went home to be with the Lord. I climbed in the hospital bed with her and began singing softly in her ear:

Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me…

She looked at me as I sang. Tired and weak as she was, I saw a glint in her eye, a look of recognition. She opened her mouth and in the most delicate and faint voice, she joined in "The Bible tells me so."

It was then that I understood Paul’s words in Romans 8:38,39 in a way I hadn’t before: “I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (The Message). One truth had remained constant throughout my mother’s 88 years of life – through the joys and disappointments, through the wins and losses, through both fear and faith, through the laughter and tears, through Alzheimer’s Disease, through stroke -- one truth had kept her and now was about to usher her into the eternal presence of the God. Though that thief, dementia, had robbed her of many memories, it had not been able to snatch from her one thing: the reality of the eternal, inflamed, unconditional love of God.

The Love of God goes beyond our human understanding. Many of us grapple with it, finding it almost too good to be true. Too often we look at ourselves through our human eyes and question why God would or even could love us as He does. Too often we don’t fully embrace His love. Even worse, we don't allow that Love to fully embrace us. But it is His love that is our life source.

God is love (1 John 3:8). Love is the very motivation of all He does. It was at the heart of the very first, “Let there be…” It is the very motivation behind creation. It was Love that breathed into man and made him a living soul. Love is the motivation behind redemption. Love is the story from Genesis to Revelation. It is Love that calls us back to original purpose. It is Love that leads us home.

And today it is Love that will keep you, provide for you, comfort you, protect you, guide you, hold you. Today Love will heal the hurts, speak wisdom, pour out great grace, uplift , shelter you under its shadow. In the darkest places, in the empty, desolate places, in the lonely places, in the good, in the bad Love is there today; for nothing shall separate you from His Love.

Open up and allow the Love of God to embrace you today as never before. Be consciously aware of His presence wherever you find yourself today. Let His Love be all that you need, fulfilling and satisfying every desire It's His heart's desire to demonstrate to you His love today -- up close and personal.