Now, finally, we are seeing the mature bride. The Shulamite is now mature, fruitful, a great delight to the beloved and a wonderful blessing to many. Chapter 7 goes into great detail about the now mature, beautiful Shulamite. We care to look into these details because they are attributes that Jesus, the Beloved, wants developed in us. He is looking for a bride that is ready for the marriage supper of the lamb. Before we go on to the chapter ponder this verse in Revelation.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (19:7)
In order to get ready we must first know what the Lamb wants in a bride. Chapter 7 gives us many insights. We will be utilizing The Passion Translation along with the New King James Version.
The chapter starts with this:
“How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!” (v.1a)
And now the TPT
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the sandaled feet of this one bringing such good news.” (v.1a)
The feet represent the bride bringing the good news of the gospel. Therefore, Jesus greatly desires that we, the bride, bring the good news of the gospel wherever we go. It is our great commission. We cannot help but think of Romans 10:15
“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.'”
Verses 2-3 are beautifully translated by TPT
“Out of your innermost being
is flowing the fullness of my Spirit—
never failing to satisfy.
Within your womb there is a birthing of harvest wheat;
they are the sons and daughters
nurtured by the purity you impart.
How gracious you have become!”
The NKJV talks about the “naval” and as we can see the TPT translates that as “innermost being.” The New Testament talks much about the inner man. The mature bride is not shallow but rather she has a deep spiritual life with her Beloved. In Psalm 42:7 we learn that “Deep calls unto deep.” The deep part of Jesus is continually calling to the deep of us. The Beloved will have a bride that has learned to dig deep wells in the Spirit.
In verse 4 we find a compelling description of the Shulamite’s eyes:
“Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon
By the gate of Bath Rabbim.”
Heshbon was about fifty miles east of Jerusalem. During the reign of Solomon it was given as an inheritance to the Levites as a peaceful city of refuge for families of the priests. The pools were actually part of a deep reservoir system provided by springs. Carr, G. Lloyd in The Song of Solomon: An Introduction and Commentary describes the pools in this way: “The sense here is one of still, deep calmness rather than the sparkle and shimmer of flowing springs.”
The Beloved was saying that the bride’s eyes reflected the deep waters that were within her. She had deep, prophetic revelation that reflected in her vision. Jesus said that whoever believes in Him “…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
There is also a powerful prayer in Ephesians that deals with our inner man and the eyes of our understanding.
“Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” (Eph 1:17-18a)
Jesus is readying a bride who has deep understanding and great revelation. Her eyes reflect the deep personal revelation she has received.
Verse 5
“Redeeming love crowns you as royalty.
Your thoughts are full of life, wisdom, and virtue.
Even a king is held captive by your beauty.” (TPT)
The Shulamite no longer has self-defeating thoughts like “Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun ha tanned me.” (Song of Solomon 1:6) or “I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” (in other words nothing special, one of many) (Song of Solomon 2:1)
But now her thoughts are full of life. She now has confidence through her intimacy with the Beloved. She now has wisdom and much virtue. And oh, now, she has held the King captive with her inner beauty. She is making herself ready – and so are we!
Verse 7
“You stand in victory above the rest,
stately and secure as you share with me
your vineyard of love.” (TPT)
The bride is beautiful to behold but she is also a warrior. She is clad in the full armor of God (Eph 6) and she knows how to wield her sword. The bride is not afraid to “take up” the full armor of God. She has been taught to fight but she fights from a place of victory because of what Jesus did at Calvary. She is winning the victory from a seated position. (see Eph 2:6)
Verse 10
“I am my beloved’s,
And his desire is toward me.”
If you remember the Shulamite made 3 confession throughout the book. This was her final confession and it revealed that she was now totally consumed by Him. There was now very little trace of self left. And that is where the Beloved is taking us. Now see the verse in the TPT.
“Now I know that I am for my beloved
and all his desires are fulfilled in me.”
She came to the place where all that mattered was that HIS desires were fulfilled. We are headed in that direction.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11)
And
“For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:29)
His goal is to completely conssume us just as He consumed the Shulamite.
Finally, in verses 11-12 (TPT)
“Come away, my lover.
Come with me to the faraway fields.
We will run away together to the forgotten places
and show them redeeming love.
Let us arise and run to the vineyards of your people
and see if the budding vines of love are now in full bloom.
We will discover if their passion is awakened.
There I will display my love for you.”
She is no longer the Shulamite who said with despair and disgrace “They made me the keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard I have not kept.” (1:6b)
Now, instead of looking inward, she is asking Him to “come away.” This can be seen as the bride as an intercessor. She now has a burning desire for the “faraway fields” and the “forgotten places.” She has an intense desire to see the lost saved. She also has a desire to help raise up the church to maturity. “Let us arise and run to the vineyards of your people.”
Her whole life is now outward – outward toward the Beloved, the lost and the church. This was a result of being satisfied inwardly through her intimate relationship with the Beloved. We too will only be able to turn outward and give life if we only first been satisfied inwardly. We cannot give what we do not have.
In conclusion, we see the Shulamite as a mature bride who has a heart for the lost. We see a woman who had a deep, inward beauty. It reflects in her eyes. She is now all-consumed by her Beloved. She now lives an outward life – giving life wherever she goes. This is where we are headed.
Posted: August 9, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Draw Me Away! – Song of Solomon Chapter 7 “The Bride Revealed” – Part 7
Now, finally, we are seeing the mature bride. The Shulamite is now mature, fruitful, a great delight to the beloved and a wonderful blessing to many. Chapter 7 goes into great detail about the now mature, beautiful Shulamite. We care to look into these details because they are attributes that Jesus, the Beloved, wants developed in us. He is looking for a bride that is ready for the marriage supper of the lamb. Before we go on to the chapter ponder this verse in Revelation.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (19:7)
In order to get ready we must first know what the Lamb wants in a bride. Chapter 7 gives us many insights. We will be utilizing The Passion Translation along with the New King James Version.
The chapter starts with this:
“How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!” (v.1a)
And now the TPT
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the sandaled feet of this one bringing such good news.” (v.1a)
The feet represent the bride bringing the good news of the gospel. Therefore, Jesus greatly desires that we, the bride, bring the good news of the gospel wherever we go. It is our great commission. We cannot help but think of Romans 10:15
“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.'”
Verses 2-3 are beautifully translated by TPT
“Out of your innermost being
is flowing the fullness of my Spirit—
never failing to satisfy.
Within your womb there is a birthing of harvest wheat;
they are the sons and daughters
nurtured by the purity you impart.
How gracious you have become!”
The NKJV talks about the “naval” and as we can see the TPT translates that as “innermost being.” The New Testament talks much about the inner man. The mature bride is not shallow but rather she has a deep spiritual life with her Beloved. In Psalm 42:7 we learn that “Deep calls unto deep.” The deep part of Jesus is continually calling to the deep of us. The Beloved will have a bride that has learned to dig deep wells in the Spirit.
In verse 4 we find a compelling description of the Shulamite’s eyes:
“Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon
By the gate of Bath Rabbim.”
Heshbon was about fifty miles east of Jerusalem. During the reign of Solomon it was given as an inheritance to the Levites as a peaceful city of refuge for families of the priests. The pools were actually part of a deep reservoir system provided by springs. Carr, G. Lloyd in The Song of Solomon: An Introduction and Commentary describes the pools in this way: “The sense here is one of still, deep calmness rather than the sparkle and shimmer of flowing springs.”
The Beloved was saying that the bride’s eyes reflected the deep waters that were within her. She had deep, prophetic revelation that reflected in her vision. Jesus said that whoever believes in Him “…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
There is also a powerful prayer in Ephesians that deals with our inner man and the eyes of our understanding.
“Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” (Eph 1:17-18a)
Jesus is readying a bride who has deep understanding and great revelation. Her eyes reflect the deep personal revelation she has received.
Verse 5
“Redeeming love crowns you as royalty.
Your thoughts are full of life, wisdom, and virtue.
Even a king is held captive by your beauty.” (TPT)
The Shulamite no longer has self-defeating thoughts like “Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun ha tanned me.” (Song of Solomon 1:6) or “I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” (in other words nothing special, one of many) (Song of Solomon 2:1)
But now her thoughts are full of life. She now has confidence through her intimacy with the Beloved. She now has wisdom and much virtue. And oh, now, she has held the King captive with her inner beauty. She is making herself ready – and so are we!
Verse 7
“You stand in victory above the rest,
stately and secure as you share with me
your vineyard of love.” (TPT)
The bride is beautiful to behold but she is also a warrior. She is clad in the full armor of God (Eph 6) and she knows how to wield her sword. The bride is not afraid to “take up” the full armor of God. She has been taught to fight but she fights from a place of victory because of what Jesus did at Calvary. She is winning the victory from a seated position. (see Eph 2:6)
Verse 10
“I am my beloved’s,
And his desire is toward me.”
If you remember the Shulamite made 3 confession throughout the book. This was her final confession and it revealed that she was now totally consumed by Him. There was now very little trace of self left. And that is where the Beloved is taking us. Now see the verse in the TPT.
“Now I know that I am for my beloved
and all his desires are fulfilled in me.”
She came to the place where all that mattered was that HIS desires were fulfilled. We are headed in that direction.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11)
And
“For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:29)
His goal is to completely conssume us just as He consumed the Shulamite.
Finally, in verses 11-12 (TPT)
“Come away, my lover.
Come with me to the faraway fields.
We will run away together to the forgotten places
and show them redeeming love.
Let us arise and run to the vineyards of your people
and see if the budding vines of love are now in full bloom.
We will discover if their passion is awakened.
There I will display my love for you.”
She is no longer the Shulamite who said with despair and disgrace “They made me the keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard I have not kept.” (1:6b)
Now, instead of looking inward, she is asking Him to “come away.” This can be seen as the bride as an intercessor. She now has a burning desire for the “faraway fields” and the “forgotten places.” She has an intense desire to see the lost saved. She also has a desire to help raise up the church to maturity. “Let us arise and run to the vineyards of your people.”
Her whole life is now outward – outward toward the Beloved, the lost and the church. This was a result of being satisfied inwardly through her intimate relationship with the Beloved. We too will only be able to turn outward and give life if we only first been satisfied inwardly. We cannot give what we do not have.
In conclusion, we see the Shulamite as a mature bride who has a heart for the lost. We see a woman who had a deep, inward beauty. It reflects in her eyes. She is now all-consumed by her Beloved. She now lives an outward life – giving life wherever she goes. This is where we are headed.
Posted: August 6, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
The Secret Place
In the Song of Solomon the Beloved (representing Jesus the Bridegroom) says to the Shulamite (us, the church, the bride of Christ).
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.” (Song of Solomon 2:14)
The Beloved, prior to saying that, said to her “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.” (Song of Solomon 2:10b) Therefore, we can say He was calling her UP and AWAY. That is exactly what Jesus is doing right now in the lives of His church, the bride. He is calling us to rise up and come away with Him. He is forever calling us to new heights in the Spirit. As a Father He is primarily interested in our spiritual development.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“
Paul realized one major key to spiritual growth was “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” We must do this with the good and the bad. If we are to go up and away we cannot hold onto the baggage of the past. Ask anyone who has hiked a big mountain like Everest and they will tell you that they only carry what is absolutely necessary. Anything more would become a hinderance. In fact, we see this in a beautiful passage in Hebrews.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Notice there is a distinction between “weight” and “sin.” There are things that can be a hinderance to us and not actually be sin. We must be careful to weed those things out of our lives if we are to run the race before us.
Back to the secret place. Moses had a powerful encounter with God where He saw God’s glory in the cleft of the rock.
Moses asked God “…Please, show me Your glory.”
Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live. ”And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.'” (Exodus 33:18-20)
Now, if Moses saw God’s glory in the cleft of the rock and Jesus the Bridegroom Jesus calls us to that place what would stop us too from going there? The only thing stopping us is us. Jesus is calling His bride to abide in the secret place, the place of intimacy with Him. Notice, in Song of Solomon what He said to her (and us!)
“Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely“
Do you believe your face is lovely and your voice is sweet to Jesus? We are not talking about the natural here. Your face is your countenance. It is where your gaze is. Your voice is who you are as a person. Our voices only reflect what’s in our hearts. Jesus loves the real you. Let Him know your innermost thoughts and desires. He is waiting in the secret place for you. One more passage.
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:6-7)
We learn here that God “is in the secret place” and that He “sees in secret.” You might rightly point out that God is Omnipotent (He is everywhere) and thus He sees everything. You are correct. But we are talking about God seeing in secret in the sense of what grabs His attention. Say you are in a supermarket full of people. All of the sudden a baby cries and it grabs you attention and you look in the direction of the baby. Now, you still “see” the other people, shopping carts, food but your full attention is now on the crying baby. This is the same with our Father. He sees all but we grab His special, undivided attention in the secret place.
Last Updated: July 15, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Draw Me Away! Pt.6
Song of Solomon Chapter 6 “Having Our Own Oil”
If you remember in chapter 5 the Shulamite had a crushing, hurtful experience. It was difficult for her and the Beloved. She chose her own comfort over spending time with the Beloved, despite His earnest plea. He visited her in the early morning.
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.” (v.2b)
She responded by saying she was clean and comfortable and didn’t want to get up. When she finally arose to open the door he was gone. Her decision had caused pain for the Beloved. Let us not think our selfish choices will not hurt our Beloved, Jesus. The Shulamite went about the city to find him but was only met by the watchman who struck her and took her veil away. At this point the Daughters of Jerusalem, who represent the lukewarm Christian, chime in.
“What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
O fairest among women?
What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
That you so charge us?” (v.9)
The Shulamite responds with a long, beautiful description of the Beloved. It was clear that the Shulamite was finally coming to know Him in an intimate, personal way, despite her obvious continued issue with being self-centered. She could now describe him in such detail like
“My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.” (vv.10-11)
Now, starting chapter 6, the Daughters of Jerusalem are stirred at her description and ask:
“Where has your beloved gone,
O fairest among women?
Where has your beloved turned aside,
That we may seek him with you?” (v.1)
The same will happen to use who come to know Jesus in that personal, intimate way. We will be able to describe Him in great detail. Think for a second about a loved one of yours. I think of my wife and can say she has dirty blond hair. She has a wonderful round face, with the softest of skin. She has deep, hazel green eyes. I could go on and on but you get the picture. And when we are able to describe our Beloved with such beautiful detail it will cause envy to arise in the Daughters, who know not that level of intimacy. I think of what the Apostle Paul said
“If by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.” (Romans 11:14)
Not only did she provoke jealousy to the Daughters she has greatly caught the attention of the Beloved.
“Turn your eyes away from me,
For they have overcome me.” (v.5a)
I think the statement from the Beloved was a vulnerable declaration. He was, at least how I perceive it, saying, “I see your eye toward me. I see your devotion towards me and it is overcoming me. I want more than anything else to be near to you but I also know I must be cautious. I know there is still deep-rooted self-centeredness in you and I know I must be careful.”
Despite her weaknesses the Shulamite has stolen the heart of the Beloved. Even a look in his direction from her moves His heart. That is us my friends! Now it is the point where he shows her just how special she is to Him.
“There are sixty queens
And eighty concubines,
And virgins without number.” (v.8)
The sixty queens, eighty concubines and virgins without number represent those like the Daughters of Jerusalem. They have the favor of the Beloved but he is a stranger to them. Likewise, many today in the church are saved and under God’s grace. But they do not have an intimate relationship with Him. They know a lot about Him but do not have a personal relationship with Him. We too, like the Shulamite, can take those steps toward Him, responding to His call to “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.” (Song of Solomon 2:10)
If for some reason you think this is unfair consider the The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. Jesus made a distinction between the 5 foolish and 5 wise. In the parable all 10 virgins fell asleep waiting to meet the bridegroom. The wise virgins, when awakened, arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish hadn’t even brought their own oil. The foolish said to the wise “‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” (Matthew 25:8b) The foolish virgins didn’t have their own oil. This represents those in the church who rely on the oil (Holy Spirit) of other people. Since they don’t have their own personal relationship they rely on revelation and the daily bread of others. God’s grace has permitted this for now but this simply will not cut it in the hard days ahead.
Jesus makes it abundantly clear what the purpose of the parable was. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:11-12) We all have a choice which of the camps of virgins we will find ourselves in. The good news is that if you find yourself to be in the foolish camp you can always respond to the call from the Beloved to rise up and come away.
As we respond to the call to an intimate walk with the Beloved we will be changed. You cannot spend time with Jesus and not be transformed. Others will take notice.
“The daughters saw her
And called her blessed,
The queens and the concubines,
And they praised her.
Who is she who looks forth as the morning,
Fair as the moon,
Clear as the sun,
Awesome as an army with banners?” (Song of Solomon 6:8b-10)
The daughters (of Jerusalem) saw (took notice) and called her blessed. Those on the outside will take notice of our intimate walk with the Beloved and want it for themselves. Is anything better than being a walking billboard for an intimate walk with God? We will convince people simply by our close walk.
Posted: July 7, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
The Duel Protection of Daily Repentance and Forgiveness Toward Others
The Holy Spirit showed me something new in the Lord’s prayer today. Well, He showed me a few new things but I feel to share this one.
Matthew 6
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. ‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (vv.12-15)
Notice Jesus sandwiched not being led into temptation and being delivered from satan within the message of daily repentance and forgiveness to others? Jesus was giving us a lesson – a key – regarding temptation. Of course God does not lead us into temptation. But! If we fail to ask God to “forgive us our debts” daily and release forgiveness toward others we will be very vulnerable to the temptations of the enemy. We are delivered from satan AS we operate in daily repentance and forgiveness toward others.
Now, I want to be clear that God does not want us on our faces for hours confessing our sins. But rather, confess to God as the Holy Spirit convicts. Same goes for releasing forgiveness. There is no need to search for days who you might not have not forgiven. Simply forgive as the offense arises – and it will!
FATHER, thank you for forgiving our sin on a daily basis. Thank you for giving us the grace to forgive – release – those who sin against us. We thank you that daily repentance and forgiveness toward others work together to protect us from the many temptations of the enemy. In Jesus mighty name.
Posted: June 24, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
The Effective Working of His Power
At the end of Ephesians 1 the Apostle Paul prays an incredibly powerful prayer. It is a prayer, like an onion, that has many layers. We will be focusing on the last portion of his prayer that relates to the believer working in power. We will see that this power is a force that comes from God and is sustained by God.
“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power (dynamis) toward us who believe, according to the working (energeō) of His mighty (ischys) power (kratos) which He worked (energeō) in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.” (Eph 1:19-20)
There are actually four distinct Greek words for power in verse 19 (see above). Dynamis is explosive power. Energeō is the powerful working of God. Ischys is a show of force. And kratos is the power that comes from government – in this case the government of God.
We will be focusing on the energeō of God. Paul said that dynamis power is toward us who believe and that it is according to the working (energeia) of His government’s force in our lives. Don’t misunderstand when I say “His forceful government.” God never forces Himself on us. But to those who surrender and allow His government to rule in them He works mightily in them. Let’s be honest, there is a great battle between flesh and Spirit. We need the working of God with force in our lives. I know I do!
The Greek word energeō, as mentioned above, means “o be operative, be at work, put forth power.” It can be likened to how an engine powers a vehicle. It works underneath with great power, propelling the car.
We see in the above verse that God’s power was worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. That same power works in us who have died with Christ and have been risen with Him. Think on that!
In Ephesians 3 Paul pray another powerful prayer.
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:14-19)
He prayed they would be strengthened in the inner man, that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith and that they would comprehend the width, length, depth and height of God’s love. What an amazing prayer. Now see the statement -no, a declaration- that Paul makes right after the prayer.
“Now to Him who is able (dynamai) to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power (dynamis) that works (energeō) in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (v.20)
Paul was declaring that God is able (power!) to perform exceedingly abundantly above all that he asked or thought for them. But see it: it is according to the WORKING of His power!
As believers we greatly desire to please God and do His will. The truth is we cannot without the working of His power in our lives. Philippians 2:13 says
“for it is God who works (energeō) in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
It is GOD who works in us to want us to do His will and bring Him pleasure. So give yourself a big break and allow Him to work in you. He will never work His power against our will but, oh, to the person willing He will do amazing things!
Paul understood that He needed the working of God’s power in order to fulfill his calling to teach.
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working (energeō) which works in me mightily (dynamis).” (Col 1:28-29)
Paul said he strived (agonized) according to the working of God’s power that is within him. This takes all the pressure off of self and places it on God. So now we can begin to ask God that His power would work mightily in us. We must come to the end of ourselves and allow Him to work in us.
FATHER, we thank you for the working of your power in us. We confess that we cannot do anything of worth or impact for you kingdom in our own power. We recognize our great need for the working of your power in our lives. We surrender to you and thank you for the outworking. In Jesus’ name.
image credit: https://d2cbg94ubxgsnp.cloudfront.net/Pictures/1024×536/8/1/5/143815_shutterstock_560446045.jpg
Posted: June 22, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Living in the Heavenlies
In the first part of Ephesians 1 the Apostle Paul lays the foundation of the position and identity of the believer in Christ. Then he prays this prayer, which has become a key part of my prayer life.
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Eph 1:15-21)
There is much to unpack here but for today let’s examine the portions that speak about our living out of the heavenlies. Paul, in summery, asked that their eyes would be opened to 1. the hope of His calling 2. the value in the saints and 3. the greatness of POWER that is toward those who believe. We’ll put our attention on the last. Paul said this about the power:
“according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
The Greek word for “worked” is one of the main power words. it is energeō and means operative power. It can be likened to the engine of a car, working underneath to power it. The power that was worked in Christ and that is toward us is dynamis, another of the Greek power words. It is EXPLOSIVE power!
We see that this same power that is toward us who believe is the resurrection power that was worked in Jesus when he rose from the dead. This working of power RAISED Him up and caused Him to be seated in the heavenly places. Not only was He raised up but “far above all principality and power and might and dominion…”
Now, fast forward to chapter 2 and we’ll find ourselves seated with Christ.
“even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:5-6)
And if we are seated with Christ then we are also “far above all principality and power and might and dominion…” Saints, friends, I hope you get this in your spirit. We have been placed, not by our good works or piety, but by His grace, in the heavenly places.
There is a scripture that is exploding in my spirit.
“Once we carried the likeness of the man of dust, but now let us carry the likeness of the man of heaven.” (1 Cor 15:49, TPT)
Now that we are raised with Christ we are to carry the likeness of the man of heaven. How do we recognize that a person is from certain region in the United States? It is by their accent. Being from New York I can recognize the distinct accent no matter where in the world I was. It is also so with the man of heaven. He has the characteristics of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He carries the fragrance and anointing of heaven.
How do we carry the likeness of the man of heaven? Simply by remaining seated in the heavenlies with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. It is a place of rest and confidence. Its not about striving its about resting. But oh yes you will find yourself interceding, wrestling principalities and the like but it will be done from a seated position.
Posted: June 21, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Seated in the Heavenlies
Lessons from Ephesians
In the very beginning of the book of Ephesians Paul makes a profound statement that deserves our full attention.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph 1:3)
Notice the word blessing is used three times by Paul to convey his main point. And the main point is that the believers at Ephesus (and us!) have been blessed with every blessing in the heavenly places. That is quite the loaded statement! We should not brush over the word “blessing” so easily. The the Old Testament we see God blessing the likes of Noah, Abraham and so on. God did not and still doesn’t take blessing lightly and nor should we.
The Greek word for blessing in our Ephesians text is eulogeō and comes from two root word εὖ “well, well done, good” and λόγος (logos) “word, saying, account.” So to be blessed by God is a tremendous thing. It means we have His favor and His goodness is upon us. But Paul went even farther: he declared they were blessed with every spiritual blessing. The important thing is where that blessing is: in HEAVENLY places.
What is heavenly places? It may sound mystical to some but it simply means being in the Holy Spirit. Let’s look a bit farther in Ephesians to get a clearer picture.
At the end of Ephesians 1 Paul prays one of his 4 “epistle prayers.” Starting in verse 19 he talks about the power that is toward us who believe:
“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. (vv.19-20)
And now, see this, we too are seated right there with Jesus in the heavenly places! Imagine that! Paul continues his revelation on this and see yourself in it.
“Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:5-6)
Notice all the work is done by God. He “made us alive,” raised us up together” and “made us sit together in the heavenly places.” We cannot, somehow on our own, climb our way to the heavenly places. We have been placed there by Jesus dying and being raised to life. So we also see that being seated in the heavenly places is a matter of position. He has appointed us to that place. And we were meant to rule in that place with Christ. See this profound statement Paul makes:
“to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:9)
The manifold (many sided, colored, varied) wisdom of God is made known by the church (us) to the principalities and powers (demonic entities) in the heavenly places. What an honor from God!
Lastly, we are commissioned by God to wrestle against principalities in the heavenly places.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
This wrestling is done in the Spirit and empowered by God. This is a battle fought from a seated position. When we remain seated in the heavenly places we operate from a place of strength and authority.
Posted: June 14, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Draw Me Away! Pt.5
Song of Solomon Chapter 5 “Knocking”
“I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one.” (v.2a)
The desire of the Shulamite is greatly increasing. She said “I sleep, but my heart is awake.” This is being in love. It may seem odd or even wrong to some but we can be in love with Jesus. It can be so intense that it keeps us from sleeping. Jesus will always respond to this type of affection. Now we see the Beloved responding to her heart that is awake. Oh wait, before we go on, is your heart “awake” toward Jesus? We can go on in religious tradition and not have a heart that is awake. Jesus, quoting Isiah 29:13 said
“These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.” (Matthew 15:8)
But that is not us! Our hearts are awake and alive toward God. Now, see how the Beloved responds to the Shulamite’s (and ours!) awakened heart:
He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one.
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.” (v.2b)
Its amazing that they are married and yet He is still knocking. No matter how long we walk with Jesus He is forever the gentleman. He is never forceful. He simple knocks and with great anticipation waits for a response. We know know from this verse that he was outside knocking for a long time. Dew does not cover someone’s head who has been outside for a short amount of time. We know of another verse where Jesus is knocking.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)
Jesus is still knocking. He is waiting for a response. And sometimes He comes at inconvenient times in order to test our true affections, as we will see with the Shulamite. See her response:
“I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I defile them?
My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door,
And my heart yearned for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.” (vv.3-5)
We have to understand in this time people most likely had dirt floors. If she got up she would dirty her feet. It was also late at night (or very early morning) and she was tired. Jesus, like I said, will often come in the inopportune times to see what is most important to us – our comfort or being with Him.
The Beloved’s desire was so intense toward her that He went a step farther than knocking. And He will do this with us also.
“My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door.”
He will never turn the knob but He will put His hand on it, bidding us to respond and open the door. I pray we be quick to open the door when are heart is aware of His nearness. Now finally she gets out of her comfortable bed and opens the door.
“I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.”
Myrrh has significant historical and prophetic meaning in the Bible. It was used for many things but it had to main purposes: 1. for perfume and 2. for embalming the dead. In the book of Esther we find myrrh was one of the beauty treatments for Esther. (Esther 2:12) The wise men brought 3 gifts to baby Jesus and one of them was myrrh. It might seem like an odd gift to give a baby but they were prophetically declaring He would die for the sins of the world.
I believe this twofold purpose of the myrrh is still an active ingredient in the lives of believers. We are the fragrance of Christ. (“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 2 Cor 2:15)
The myrrh in our lives also proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus in our lives!
So, the myrrh on the Beloved’s hands on the latch of the door was meant to draw her into those two purposes. He wanted her to lay down her comfort and come away with Him. If we say, as she did in the beginning “draw me away” we can guarantee He will come knocking. It might very well be at an inopportune time though.
She finally opened the door but He wasn’t there.
“I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My heart leaped up when he spoke.
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
The watchmen who went about the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls
Took my veil away from me.” (vv.6-7)
He had turned away. The Beloved was hurt by her selfishness and left to return another day. We must not think of Jesus as a robot. We were created in the image of God and share happiness and yes even grief. In the gospels we see Jesus joyful but also greatly grieved by certain people. Now, we know He is gracious and His mercies are new every morning. But we still must not treat Jesus like He has no emotions. I think of when entering Jerusalem He said
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)
That is not a stoic, emotionless Jesus!
“The watchmen who went about the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls
Took my veil away from me.”
The watchmen represent other believers in the church. Often times its the people in the church that hurt us the most. But perhaps this happens more often when we find ourselves in the wrong place like the Shulamite. Maybe we not be found out and about looking for Him when we had the opportunity right before us.
How does this play out in our lives? Often times when we sense the presence of God it is Him knocking. His initial presence is just a taste of what is to come. Then we open the door and He comes in his glory, revealing Himself, giving revelation, opening the scriptures and so on. May we, by God’s grace, be quick to open the door when we hear Him knocking.
Posted: June 4, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Draw Me Away! Pt. 4
Song of Solomon chapter 4 – “Ravished”
Now we are starting to see the Beloved’s single eye towards the Shulamite. The chapter begins with
“Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.” (v.1a)
His complete and undivided attention is now toward her. He said she had “dove’s eyes” behind her veil. As we have noted in past articles dove’s mate for life. They have a single eye toward their spouse if you will. The Lord is very interested in our spiritual vision. In fact, He is very jealous about what we allow our eyes to gaze on. The Shulamite should be very encouraged by this and so should we be when the Lord speaks this to us.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” In other words if our vision (perception) is good (healthy) then our whole body will be full of light. Oh Lord, we ask for dove’s eyes.
A little farther in the chapter the Beloved gives another similar complement, although this time more complete.
“You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.” (v.7a)
She may have heard that statement and said to herself “Do you even know me? Don’t you see my many flaws?” But did you know God sees us as perfected because of what Jesus did on the cross? He has wiped clean ALL f our guilt and through the cross there is no spot in us. Now, that is how God sees us positionally. There is an outworking of course. Nevertheless, Jesus sees us the spotless bride. Please see it. And now a verse to help confirm this.
“and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” (2 Cor 2:10, emphasis mine)
Now we see those dove’s eyes are ravished the heart of the Beloved.
“You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.” (v.9)
The word “ravished” is a powerful word. It is a bit tough to translate in this case. But the root of the Hebrew word for lāḇaḇ means “properly, to be enclosed (as if with fat).” Our English definition carries a violent tone. In a sense the Beloved is saying that she violently stole his heart. She grabbed a hold of it and enclosed it. Remember in chapter 3 what she said when she finally found the Beloved after frantically searching for him?
“Scarcely had I passed by them,
When I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let him go,
Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,
And into the chamber of her who conceived me.” (Song of Solomon 3:4, emphasis mine)
She “held him and would not let him go.” The Shulamite, if you will allow, forced herself upon him. This was in fact what the Beloved desired all the time. This caused a ravishing of his heart. So it is with our walk with Jesus. He is a passionate lover and is ravished when we grab ahold of Him and refuse to loosen the grip!
Now, the Beloved gives her a compliment that comes with a gentle yet compelling challenge.
“A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
A fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon. (vv.12-15)
He talked about all the wonderful fruits, spices and wonderful delights of the Shulamite’s garden. No longer can she say she hasn’t kept her own vineyard. But now it is time for others to enjoy its wonderful bounty and delight.
The same is with our walk with Jesus. Spending time connected to the vine (Jesus) will produce wonderful fruit of the Holy Spirit. If we are careful though we can find ourselves with a “garden enclosed” and a “fountain sealed.” The Lord is a giver by nature and so must we be also. Now hear the response of the Shulamite and prayerfully make it your own:
“Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.” (v.16)
This “wind” represents the Holy Spirit blowing on our lives, allowing others to enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. Yes Holy Spirit, blow upon our gardens! Awake, oh winds!
Posted: May 24, 2021 by I am a VOICE Ministries Leave a Comment
Draw Me Away! Part 3
Chapter 3 Song of Solomon
Let us not forget that up until this point everything the Beloved did to woo the Shulamite was in response to her heart cry: “Draw me away!” (Song of Solomon 1:4) Now notice the contrast between her cry and the statement of the Daughters of Jerusalem (representing carnal Christians): “We will run after you” and “We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine.” (Song of Solomon 1:5)
Notice the “I will.” Their devotion is based on their own will, which are dead works. But the Shulamite cries out : “Draw me away!” She recognized that she must be beckoned by the Beloved. She realized that her own passion and dedication could only take her so far. We too must come to the place where we cry out for the Lord to draw us away. We need to have the pull of the Holy Spirit leading us into the secret place. Jesus will respond to that heart cry every time. That leads us to chapter 3 where the Beloved continues His work or drawing the Shulamite.
“By night on my bed I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but I did not find him.” (Song of Solomon 2:1)
Backing up a bit to chapter 2 we find the Beloved saying “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.” (v.10)
It appears she failed to respond to the Lord and now its night time and she is comfortable in her bed. She regrets not responding and sought him from her place of comfort. Isn’t that how we are at times? The Lord visits us, calls us to rise up (come to a new spiritual level) and we fail to respond. Then we seek Him in how we are comfortable. Of course He won’t be found in that place because He wants desperately for her to “rise up.” Sometimes we will only meet God when we decide to rise up out of our places of comfort and come to the new stair – or spiritual level. We hear the call to “come up here.”
Failing to find Him the Shulamite rises and seeks Him.
“‘I will rise now,’ I said,
‘And go about the city;
In the streets and in the squares
I will seek the one I love.’
I sought him, but I did not find him.
The watchmen who go about the city found me;
I said,
‘Have you seen the one I love?‘” (vv.2-3)
Now she was desperate. She was willing to put her self in great danger as a woman walking around the city looking for the Beloved. Again, Jesus will always recognize this type of hunger and respond to it. Sometimes He withdraws from us for a season to stir up this type of hunger. Now see what happens:
“Scarcely had I passed by them,
When I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let him go,
Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,
And into the [a]chamber of her who conceived me.” (v.4)
Now she finally found her Beloved and would not let Him go. I feel that many in our day are going to find Him – maybe even for the first time – and will refuse to let Him go. They now realize that living without Him is the worst possible scenario. Notice, though, what she says just before finding Him.
“Scarcely had I passed by them.” The Passion Translation puts it like this: “Just as I moved past them, I encountered him.” The “them” refers to the watchmen, which represent other believers close to us. Sometimes in seasons when we don’t sense the presence of God because He has withdrawn we seek out other believers. But we must not rely on other believers in these times and “move past them” and then we will quickly find the Lord. Jesus’ greatest aim is to take us up and away. He is drawing those of us that have cried “draw me away.” He is calling us out of the place of comfort and past other believers. It is there where we will find the one we love.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Tags