“He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it. [Ps. 78:24; Isa. 62:2.]”Revelation 2:17 AMPC
The prophets weren’t lying when they said “war at the threshold”, though we have The Good News, Jesus IS our Victory. Through the spirit of revelation and also the seven spirits of God, this is the overcomers hour! He will reveal to you the strategies of the enemy so you can overcome! But you must seek Him in order to find Him.
There are keys to unlock doors, but it will not be so obvious. There are words of knowledge written on the spiritual keys to your deliverance / delivery, but they are hidden in the manna (Jesus the Bread of Life) and in your seeking Him, you will understand what it revealed and written on the stone. It will be through personal intention of seeking the Lord and waiting upon Him, not striving. We must individually overcome and we will in unity corporately overcome.
Please take this very seriously. The Lord showed me in a recent dream that for some in this war at the threshold of the new door that there has been an agreement, battle, or confusion transpiring with a spirit of death / and or murder. It is a very cunning spirit that is attempting to gain your agreement to cut short your destiny by trying to deceive you into thinking this is the Lord’s will for your life. What you are agreeing with has never mattered more, as wrong agreements could cut short your very life here on earth. Then in the dream He showed me all the little children who would be orphaned or wouldn’t be birthed without the spiritual mother’s and fathers.
The Lord also showed me through a vision recently a rectangular block of a rainbow as if it were a pathway of a street ascending in the heavens upward. Then I saw clouds underneath, then He reminded me of a belt I owned as a young child that I LOVED. The front clasp was a rainbow with two clouds on either side. The pathway to promise is through the cloud. In other words, another visual encouragement that we must go through and remain in His presence as it through Him and in Him we receive and inherit the promise. The pathway is found through entering through His Presence (remember the Old Testament Bread of Presence can literally be translated Bread of Face) and on the pathway of promises we find hidden manna (perhaps another facet of His brilliant Face)! Belted or girded with the Spirit of Truth, which is The Way, we can not miss Him! The conquering Bride will ascend with the Lord and He will lead us to Life!
In the new era the foundations of our faith are being relaid with the fullness of God. As we make Jesus the Chief cornerstone once again, His fullness will be revealed and experienced. This is the seven spirits of God –
The Spirit of Lord
The Spirit of the Wisdom
The Spirit of Understanding
The Spirit of Counsel
The Spirit of Power
The Spirit of Knowledge
The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
“Then a Shoot (the Messiah) will spring from the stock of Jesse [David’s father], And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him— The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and of the [reverential and obedient] fear of the Lord— And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make decisions by what His ears hear; But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. And righteousness will be the belt around His loins, And faithfulness the belt around His waist.” Isaiah 11:1-5 AMP
“None of the rulers of this age recognized and understood this wisdom; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written [in Scripture], “Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].” For God has unveiled them and revealed them to us through the [Holy] Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things [diligently], even [sounding and measuring] the [profound] depths of God [the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding]. For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may know and understand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:8-12 AMP
There is something so unobscure about strengths and weaknesses, because we all have them. And yet something so mysterious of their merging in man and woman.
A wife is meant to be covered in and under the strength of her husband, as the husband is meant to be covered in and strengthened by the tenderness of his wife. His strength moves her heart in tender love and devotion and her tender love and devotion moves his heart in love and strength.
Equally committed Loving strength Tender devotion In union the separate ribbions become entwined as one, where weakness is strengthened and it is now subject to the power of One
All that we need is found in union with Christ (whether single or married) and under the umbrella of family (Christ being the head). This is the mystery of Christ and the Church, the revealed plan symbolized through marriage and family that leads us back to Eden.
If you are looking for deep, here is your river. If you are looking for simple, here is your gospel.
Our Lord became our Savior to lead us Home, to know Him in the inner chambers of His heart. This is where the roadmaps and puzzle pieces lead, this is the dream. The framed picture of Genesis we now study as a guide to lead us to the paradise garden that once housed the most beautiful communion of a man, his wife, and God. A new portrait we will soon hang upon the wall, and until then we are dress rehearsing learning how to grow and abide in this extravagant Love demonstrated on the cross.
THIS IS YOUR GENESIS This is how we begin again
“And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in love. For wives, this means being devoted to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to our Lord, for the husband provides leadership for the wife, just as Christ provides leadership for his church, as the Savior and Reviver of the body. In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything. And to the husbands, you are to demonstrate love for your wives with the same tender devotion that Christ demonstrated to us, his bride. For he died for us, sacrificing himself to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw. Husbands have the obligation of loving and caring for their wives the same way they love and care for their own bodies, for to love your wife is to love your own self. No one abuses his own body, but pampers it—serving and satisfying its needs. That’s exactly what Christ does for his church! He serves and satisfies us as members of his body. For this reason a man is to leave his father and his mother and lovingly hold to his wife, since the two have become joined as one flesh. Marriage is the beautiful design of the Almighty, a great mystery of Christ and his church. So every married man should be gracious to his wife just as he is gracious to himself. And every wife should be tenderly devoted to her husband.” Ephesians 5:21-33 TPT
The father of lies will always try and find a way to undermine the beauty in whatever season you may be in. For so long I thought there was something wrong with me because I was ”hidden and unseen”, when as overused as it may sound, yes, I was being protected by the hand of the Lord. The enemy would use the very purity the Lord was protecting to say I must be impure, and that is why I was ‘cast away’. As if being “seen” was some sort of trophy or sign of God’s good will toward me. This is the lie that many of us have believed at one time or another.
It doesn’t matter how mature we are, we must always carry a broken and contrite heart before the Lord. What if “being seen” would actually lead to your fall? It did for Lucifer, and any time we think we are above falling we error greatly. It is upside down thinking to the world, though in a lifestyle of humility is true greatness discovered.
Where ever the Lord is, that is where we want to be. Cave, cavern, dirt, desert, mountain top, valley, or palace and anywhere between – we just need to be where He is! It is the Lord’s mercy to some that they are not ‘used’ the way they think they should be!
Our stocks crash so to speak because we invest in the wrong currencies – in the current spirit of the world. The water current (spirit of the age) is grossly fallable! Rip tides and undercurrents unseen that often drown the destiny in the sea of prideful promise. Remember – we are created in the Lord’s image, and the enemy jealously desires that you would look like him too. He does not play fairly and he plays for keeps – he will call you out on the waters too and have you thinking you are living your best life of faith. It is a dire truth that we can put our faith in the wrong things.
Furthermore, there is a striking rescue that occurs in the desert. “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved?” Song of Solomon 8:5 ~ the song of ALL songs is found here of all places in a desert! But the rest of the verse is this, “I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth.” This is where union is birthed, from the desert places that become orchards and vineyards by our Lord’s extravagant redeeming love. If you are not satisfied in the desert you will not be satisfied elsewhere. The greatest mark of the Lord’s favor on your life is not a word from man, not recognition, not awards, not platform, it is the glowing smear of anointing on your face – that clearly signifies you have been with Him. It is the oil in your hands. It is the speech of your lips. It is the character and integrity of your heart.
Whether inside the church or outside, it can all be a game. I’ve seen both David (purity) and Saul (jealousy) and we all have both characteristics in us, until we allow the Lord to refine it out of us. It should not be in the Church though it is because it’s in the Bible and we are imperfect people yielding ourselves to the work of the cross to look more and more like Jesus.
I can tell you of my experience from the years I spent pursuing acting; the countless hours and days and time that was wasted filling my mind memorizing lines, becoming a character I thought someone wanted me to be. It was not merely a hobby, it was my full-time job. I am not suggesting that you can not be a Christian actor or a Christian in the Arts and Entertainment Industry; but I would suggest that we take a hard look at the things we think will matter in the end, and ask the Lord if it is producing eternal fruit as it pertains to any endeavor or vocation nonetheless.
I thought I was pleasing the Lord, I had a relationship with Him all along. I was gaining my awards for Him, I was a witness, and I was missionary…. And those things may be true… but there came a time when also the Lord had to tell me this wasn’t going to give Him the most fruit – there was something more He was desiring from me. He didn’t make me leave, though I could feel He was leading me out (at least in that way). Soon after I was feeling this subtle pulling away from the industry, I’ll never forget I had been asked to audition for a now well-known Christian film. I was at the peak of my career, I was winning awards and known in the community, I was attached to future projects, I was getting the coveted direct offers; however with this audition and no matter how hard I tried, I knew the anointing left, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt in my spirit. You see I was using that gift for Lord for a time, but when the Ark leaves you go with it. You soar when He says soar and you die when He says die. And the true beauty is that in the Spirit, this can be simultaneous. The school of the Holy Spirit is one we never want to graduate from.
I write this to you to remind you our highest call is to love the Lord. Being or doing something great for God can actually be a distraction and deception especially without pruning (as mentioned before with Saul). If what you are doing is not yielding fruit, walk away. The Lord has actually tested me in endeavors I put my money into to see if I would commit to a system that was “paid for” or commit to and obey the Spirit – and yet I felt His leading in it. Friends! It ALL belongs to Him anyway!
The Lord continues to cleanse His house, and like me He will not force you to strip all that you have built. But mark these words, another stripping is coming, so it is with heartfelt compassion that I plead with you to be honest with yourself, “Lord is what I am planting and sowing bringing You most glory? Lord are my dreams and desires in align with Your perfect will?”.
For the Church at large, the Lord is stripping away all that is not His. There will be no rebuilding with mixture, as He is returning for a pure Bride. He is completely demolishing the old because as it is now, it does not look like what He had originally designed. He is ridding all that was built upon vanity in man’s might and own power (the lie). The Bride is in need of a new home, and the Lord is rebuilding the house on a new foundation!
The Lord gave me two scripture passages this morning with the message of pruning and prosperity for the Global Church but ultimately our personal outcome is dependent on our yielding. To America there is a warning of invasion that I tread carefully, though have received it enough I am released to say it. The Lord protects and provides for those who keep His covenant, so in this we have no fear.
“Go up within [Jerusalem’s] walls and destroy [her vines], but do not make a full and complete end. Trim away the tendrils [of her vines], for they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very faithlessly and treacherously against Me, says the Lord. They have lied about and denied the Lord by saying, It is not He [Who speaks through His prophets]! Evil shall not come upon us; nor shall we see war or famine. And [say they] the prophets will become wind [what they prophesy will not come to pass], and the word [of God] is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them [as they threatened would be done to us].” Jeremiah 5:10-13 AMPC
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [Deut. 4:29-30.]” Jeremiah 29:11-13 AMPC
The Lord DESIRES for us to have a hopeful final outcome! However we must yield, He will not force us. Ultimately the final outcome is our union and relationship with Him. His greatest desire is our hearts! I pray the anointing of brave obedience on all who read this! May our hearts be soft, yielded and pliable. May we “[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” Hebrews 12:2 AMP
~ Understanding the battle for marriage and family
I felt the Holy Spirit hovering and speaking, ‘For many see that marriage and family are under attack and increasingly so over decades, but do they understand why?’. Many of us have seen the finger of the Lord upon it, and prophesied regarding it, but do we truly know WHY? Without true understanding here we lack the purpose for which we see.
The war is over the glory which is revealed to the earth through the sons and daughters sourced by the Son of Righteousness within them. We are children of the Light, and there is One source, which was Heaven’s redemption plan not of our own. We are like little moons shining in the darkness of night, we receive our light from the Son. The war began over the seed, and the wrestle continues to this day – from birth to maturity over the sons and daughters who shall reign. The enemy seeks to destroy the seed, and if he fails to destroy it he seeks to defile it, and then from there he attempts to assassinate the Lord’s perfect will by distorting and perverting the seed to the degree that the seed bears his image. The enemy desires his sons and daughters to reign with him too, for he fiercely covets the honor and glory. Already defeated He aims to strike the heart of the King by capturing His Bride, he seeks to make for himself an impure bride, he seeks to have covenant with her that she may reproduce for him until that final day. Who shall reign? ONE shall reign, though under His gracious jurisdiction and authority we rule and reign with Him, Yeshua our Lord and King.
“the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:26-29 NIV
Heaven’s blueprint for oneness, ruling, authority, and dominion is displayed by the union of a man and woman in holy union.
The number of mankind is six, in the concept of addition ‘two persons’ together we see the number twelve, which is the number of government. When we are truly one with each other and one with Christ, we are empowered by our union with Him. We have become the three fold cord not easily broken. Now we see our right standing with Him – we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places. 12 : The 2 (that are now in harmony) are standing beside the 1, in right standing we rule with Christ. 1 (Christ, union with Him) + 2 (man & woman).
Here is a simplified way to see why the enemy has so fiercely come against marriage and family; they are the appointed institutions by God and are Heaven’s design for governing. Earth is a mirror of Heaven, and when we perceive this rightly, we dismantle the ruling spirits and accomplish the Lord’s highest plans. The Lord is a person with a heart and emotions, and He is looking for partners to govern with. This is how we restore Eden; it isn’t something new as much as it is returning to Truth, returning to our first Love and His directives. This is the new birth of the new man, the mature son and daughter walking in righteousness, authority and humility with the same intent as it always was though now re-emerging with unveiled faces. Rightly we shall see Him, and rightly shall we love Him. We reemerge to take dominion and occupy, preparing the soil for Justice, Mercy and Truth to once again have the lay of the land.
The first opportunity for dominion in the earth was through Adam and Eve, the second through the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and the third is what we are now progressing in – the new covenant where Jew and Gentile inherit salvation without distinction. The new covenant dominion model is built upon the Chief Cornerstone, where these living stones re-enter into the heart of God, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, with clear understanding of their identity. These living stones emerge as Adam and Eve’s restored sons and daughters.
Isaiah prophesied this plan when He saw the Lord, “For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace, [He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From that time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 AMP. The word government in the Hebrew in this passage means “rule, dominion”, “empire, prevail, have power”. It is important to highlight that the Scripture writes the government will be upon His shoulders. One of the meanings of shoulder in Hebrew in this Scripture is “the place of burdens”. With a mature understanding that Christ bore our burdens on the cross, coupled with the knowledge that we become one with Him through picking up our cross and sharing in His suffering; symbolically we are able to rightly see ourselves standing beside Christ, the head of the Church and support His dominion and rule just as shoulders support the head in the body. Once we have died and the new man emerges, he is designed to serve the Head of the Church, Christ. We serve Him by ruling and reigning with Him to accomplish His highest plans in the earth, that all dominion would be given unto His glorious Name.
We see and hear this plan in Genesis with Adam and Eve, ‘the first opportunity’ as I wrote above, “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28 AMP.
We see another opportunity for the plan to be manifested symbolically for a second time with the relationship of the High Priest and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel that included a guarantee of blessing, provision, reclaimed property, ownership, and inheritance of promised land though they fell short when doubt, unbelief and disobedience prevailed as their choices. They continually became unattached from their first love, God Himself. The Old Testament covenant was likened to a marriage contract as the language is used throughout holy Scriptures. For this specific point, yesterday when starting to write on this topic I had a vision of the tribes of Israel on the priests shoulders, and the Lord was connecting another dot with governing and marriage with Lamb. The following Scripture is lengthy but very important, “You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the [twelve] sons of Israel, six of their names on one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, arranged in the order of their births. With the work of a jeweler, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel. You shall have them set in filigree [settings] of gold. You shall put the two stones on the [two] shoulder pieces of the ephod [of the high priest], as memorial stones for Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. You shall make filigree [settings] of gold, and you are to make two chains of pure gold like twisted cords, and fasten the corded chains to the settings. “You are to make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled and talented craftsman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and of fine twisted linen. The breastpiece shall be square and folded double; a span [about nine inches] in length and a span in width. You shall mount on it four rows of stones: the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. The [engraved] stones shall be twelve, according to the names of [the twelve tribes of] the sons of Israel; they shall be like the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. You shall make for the breastpiece chains of pure gold twisted like cords. You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. You shall put the two twisted cords of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastpiece. The other two ends of the two cords you shall fasten in the two filigree settings in front, putting them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. You shall make two gold rings and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. You are to make two gold rings and attach them to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod in front, close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven sash of the ephod. They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it will be above the skillfully woven sash of the ephod, so that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod. So Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob) in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the Holy Place, to bring them in continual remembrance before the Lord. In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim (Lights) and the Thummim (Perfections) [to be used for determining God’s will in a matter]. They shall be over Aaron’s heart whenever he goes before the Lord, and Aaron shall always carry the judgment (verdict, judicial decisions) of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord.” Exodus 28:9-30 AMP. First there can be no tribe without a man and a woman, we need both male and female as the twelve tribes were the sons given to Jacob birthed through his wives Rachel and Leah, and concubines Bilhah and Zilpah. On each onyx stone placed upon each shoulder were engraved the six names that made the twelve sons / tribes of Israel. Six tribes on the right and six on the left – once again the number six represents mankind, we have two stones on either side of the head of the priest that in unity are the sum of the number twelve which is the government upon his shoulder. The Lord likened unto me in the vision the two onyx stones representing the man and woman on either side of Him that He has set to govern with Him. There is so much symbolism here, I could write a book, though for now I would like to focus on the meaning of the numbers and Old Testament priest atoning for sin and judgment. The old covenant is a foreshadow of the new covenant, the Old Testament priest singularly entered the Holy of Holies and symbolically carried (dead) stones on his shoulders and heart likened to the type and shadow of Jesus Christ the Messiah who became our High Priest once and for all atoning for our sin and makes intercession for the saints. In the new covenant Jesus restores us through our repentance back to right standing with Him; first we are restored to His heart which is always the first priority. He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb. When we emerge as restored, mature humble lovers, this makes the pathway for Eden anew, then we are granted authority to rule beside Him. It is not about our power though rather attaining all dominion that belongs to our King. If you understand this correctly you would know human power is demonstrated through self and is demonic. There is resurrection power, and dunamis power, however it once again is CHRIST IN you. “Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior].” Hebrews 4:14 AMP
So here we are emerging in our third opportunity post resurrection and ascension of Christ. The Lord has implanted us inside His heart, just as the Old Testament high priest carried the sons upon his heart and shoulders with the weight of judicial decisions upon his mind. Jesus carried the weight of our sins on the cross, freeing us from the condemnation and death sentence that we may rise as living stones. Now that the veil has been rent, we rise as co-heirs partnering with the Lord building upon the Chief Cornerstone. “Come to Him [then, to that] Living Stone which men tried and threw away, but which is chosen [and] precious in God’s sight. [Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16.] [Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. For thus it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen (honored), precious chief Cornerstone, and he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall never be disappointed or put to shame. [Isa. 28:16.] To you then who believe (who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Him) is the preciousness; but for those who disbelieve [it is true], The [very] Stone which the builders rejected has become the main Cornerstone, [Ps. 118:22.] And, A Stone that will cause stumbling and a Rock that will give [men] offense; they stumble because they disobey and disbelieve [God’s] Word, as those [who reject Him] were destined (appointed) to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [Exod. 19:5, 6.]”1 Peter 2:4-9 AMPC
We serve Jesus our High Priest by carrying our cross (becoming like Him through the fellowship of His suffering) and executing His judgments (understanding what He is for or against). Only lovers are appointed to judge; selfless love moves His heart and selfless love comprehends rightly His ways. It is the tender devotion and commitment of these lovers that have His attention. He is our Bridegroom King who covers us, intercedes for us, provides for us and has already displayed His greatest love toward us. As we are One with Him, on earth as it is in Heaven we honor the Lord’s plan of restoration through the divine union of marriage. He laid His life down for us and we lay our life down for Him, the two become one. The covenant of marriage is what Heaven looks like. “Marriage is the beautiful design of the Almighty, a great mystery of Christ and his church.” Ephesians 5:32 TPT
This is our third opportunity, the number three is symbolic of covenant and the Spirit. “The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost. [Isa. 55:1.]” Revelation 22:17 AMPC. On earth we are preparing for the Marriage of the Lamb; “That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].” Ephesians 5:27 AMPC. “Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself. [Ps. 118:24.]” Revelation 19:7 AMPC.
“This life is a dressing room for eternity – THAT’S ALL IT IS!” ~ Leonard Ravenhill
Many years ago, about twenty, I had a dream I was in my grandmother’s dressing room sitting under one of the pieces of furniture in the room. I was huddled closely next to a person who was my husband (or who I was going to marry) in the dream. We were hunched for our heads to fit under the cut out area of the piece of furniture where our heads would fit, and sitting closely with our knees up, as if “taking cover” though there was no perceived danger, for me I think of a birthing or a groaning of intercession. My grandmothers name is Mary Magdalene and the Lord has often used her in my dreams to represent knowing Him and intimacy. In all other dreams about a man or husband the Lord would tell me who I was not to marry. This is the only dream up until a few years ago when He started speaking more specifically on the matter. The man in the dream was my cousin so obviously I couldn’t marry him and was symbolic; the meaning of his name, personality, calling, type, demeanor, and possibly looks, etc. The dressing room was to the right next to her bedroom and had an adjoining door to the bedroom as well as a main door. In the dream we were sitting underneath a window. In the big picture, the window represents our opportunity to become those who will bear the mature sons and daughters. With our backs near the wall, and facing toward the main door of the dressing room we have a choice. The adjoining door to the bedroom was to the right ~ this is our blueprint once again of Heaven, we have been given access to the bedroom representing intimacy. Here on earth we are dressing and preparing for eternity. It is our devotion to the Lord and with each other that glorifies Him and positions us for the final door to the Marriage of the Lamb. Ironically, my grandfather who is the husband to Mary owned several Dry Cleaners and it was many in our family who serviced over the years at one time or another in the cleaning of garments, inspecting them, sending them back for repairs or missed spots if necessary. We paid great detail and attention to readying the clean garments for the owners. Spiritually the most important thing we can do in our lives beside loving the Lord with all of our hearts, is help raise sons and daughters unto spiritual maturity. This is the preparing of the Bride.
“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!” Song of Songs 7:2-3 TPT
“For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.” Romans 8:18-25 AMP
Here are links to some of the prophetic words already released in greater detail of the aforementioned content above on marriage and family
From the beginning, the story line remains the same: a Bridegroom King is awaiting His love.
On this day, July 6, I am reminded that in the 7th month representing ‘completion and perfection’, and on the 6th day representing ‘man’, that the Father who created the world only called it complete after mankind was created in His image. (Genesis 1:26-31).
Symbolically, in Genesis 2, as second testament Christians, we see a second chance God lay a future plan for the 2 being restored to 1 (Oneness). “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being. [I Cor. 15:45-49.] And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted).” Genesis 2:7-8 AMPC
In Genesis 2:7 referenced above completion is by the Spirit of God – man becomes a living being. In Genesis 2:8 also referenced above man is placed in his home named Eden (delight).
Now we are a new creation in Christ Jesus – Genesis 2.0 (and quite literally 2.8 as the number 8 represents new beginnings and restoration).
Our new beginning is through the work of the cross and Jesus becoming our High Priest after the fall – the perfect plan of redemption to give He and us communion with no separation. The fall of man resulted in separation from God, the resurrection of Christ after His crucifixion restores us into right relationship with God, and gives us the opportunity to have unbroken fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By opening our hearts, we give the Son what He has always desired, a place to call home and dwell with His beloved. Furthermore we have the opportunity to engage in divine union with Him, as He ascended we are seated with Him in Heavenly places. In Oneness we are in Him, and in our hearts He is in us, this is union restored.
So back to the beginning… today is 7.6 Song of Solomon writes metaphorically of the delights of the garden, and prophetically we see even in this sixth verse of the seventh chapter how our love completes the Bridegroom’s heart.
“[The king came forward, saying] How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!” Song of Solomon 7:6 AMPC
“How delicious is your fair beauty; it cannot be described as I count the delights you bring to me. Love has become the greatest.” Song of Songs 7:6 TPT
“How beautiful and how delightful you are, My love, with all your delights!” Song of Solomon 7:6 AMP
The greatest gift we can bring our Bridegroom King is the love of our heart. No longer will it be said or written that He did not have a place to rest His head, at least may it never be said of me. Jesus, may my heart always be Your home. May my offering of love be your delight, “I count the delights you bring to me. Love has become the greatest”. This is divine union, this is Oneness; we have found our home in Him, and He has found His home in us. This is Eden restored when we complete His heart by fulfilling His greatest need in giving Him our first love, “our delights”.
We often think of how the Lord completes us. Have we thought much about how our love completes Him? Out of every treasure, every gift, every offering, every stored fruit, it is our burning love that is the greatest ~ it is this cost that is most precious to Him.
It should break our heart that the Lord is returning for a remnant. My heart was gripped recently as the Lord shared His burden with me over this. What about the majority who will not make it? And what’s scarier / sadder yet is many of those who think they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven are perishing. Part of the great deception is many think they are in the remnant and they are the lukewarm.
Some of you wonder why you “can’t seem to find God”, well the Lord says to us in the book of Jeremiah when we seek Him with all of our heart, then He will be found. Do not blame God for your lack of searching while withholding from Him your entire heart.
Some of you have anxiety and lack of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace – and you know this. However your approach to Him is dishonoring – He’s not a genie you summon to comfort you. He is not a popcorn prophecy. He is the King of King’s and the Lord of Lord’s who is worthy to be worshipped with your whole entire heart. Many Christians are still living under a deception of “grace” (aka hyper-grace which is a deception) that is enabling you to stay stuck and entangled. You think you can do whatever you want and just ask forgiveness for it. The bottom line is many are living in sin, and still summoning Jesus like a genie to comfort them. This is twisted thinking. You can not serve two masters. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Your inability to make decisions and move forward in life is because you are entangled. You do not love and inquire of the Lord like He is your ‘vital necessity’, in others words your vitals are faint, your heart is sick and weak. Repent. Change your mind, and your lifestyle because the days are coming when you will get passed by.
So many are being swayed and lulled by the songs of this world! You seek temporary comforts that will quickly fade. (I’m not necessarily speaking to having nice things or experiences, but rather things that keep us from fully loving the Lord with all of our heart – compromises and sin. And yes for some it is money, it is sex, it is possessions, it is gossip, it is jealousy; it all comes down to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as the Bible says). Better to be uncomfortable for a season on this side of Heaven (our lives are like grass that quickly fade) than to be eternally separated from Love Himself. “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:5 AMPC.
I pray we would all repent of divided interests, loving the world – having one foot in and one foot out in our allegiance to the Lord. May we strengthen and encourage one another, and even rebuke in love when necessary so that the Lord would receive His full reward. One of my all time favorite verses since I was a teenager is in Psalms, and makes for a beautiful prayer, “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. [Ps. 5:11; 69:36.]” Psalm 86:11 AMPC.
“Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [Deut. 4:29-30.]” Jeremiah 29:12-13 AMPC
“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 AMPC
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? [Ps. 39:5-7.] And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:24-34 AMPC
“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].” James 1:5-8 AMPC
“Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].” James 4:8 AMPC
“Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully. [John 7:17; I Cor. 2:15; I John 2:20, 27.]” Proverbs 28:5 AMPC
When you crave spiritual food, spiritual sight is opened. The hungry shall be filled … This is a principle that applies in all realms, as it said, we become what we behold. So then may our focus be upon the Lord, that our eyes may see Him who is high and lifted up above all injustice. “Come up here” – this is the place we see Him rightly and understand His ways and nature. The word understand in the scripture above means to discern, we distinguish by the eye as we behold Him! When we crave and seek the Lord, we naturally ascend to the higher heights in the spirit realm and are filled with His Presence, the Bread of Life.
Understanding comes from revelation, and revelation comes with time and intimacy. One of my favorite verses below writes so beautifully ~
“As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].” Psalm 17:15 AMPC
You can not rush the Holy Spirit. The only rushing that should be in Church are the hungry and repentant hearts coming to the altar, and sound of the rushing Wind of the Spirit.
When we rush, we forgo the Holy Hush
We need not be afraid of pause or silence. We need not rush through worship or the reading of Scripture. We need not rush through the preaching of the sermon. We need not rush the working of the Spirit, lest it become the work of the flesh. We claim to wait but we do not tarry.
Wait, and resist the rush.
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“To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God. And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak. [John 14:16, 26; 15:26.] For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:3-5 AMPC
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1-2 AMP
A man like St. Valentine had to have known his beloved identity in Jesus as he emulated Christ through his selflessness and commitment to covenant love. At the time in Rome the Christian Church was facing persecution from an emperor named Claudias who had released an edict prohibiting marriage. St. Valentine being a priest secretly married the Christians, and helped persecuted believers. It is said that while imprisoned he prayed for one of his judges, Asterius’ daughter who was blind. The daughter was healed which led to Asterius’ salvation as well. In 269 AD St. Valentine was sentenced to death, and was beaten, stoned, and beheaded for marrying Christians, he was martyred for love and marriage, as was Christ. I love this account of St. Valentine, though how much more powerful that Jesus made the way through His shed blood for us to be worthy to receive Him as the greatest lover of our soul, our Bridegroom King.
The way of the future is the road to marriage. Here is an excerpt from Jesus Christ: The True Bridegroom by Basilea Schlink
“Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. That is why He calls Himself Bridegroom in the Scriptures. His great love desires a bride, a bridal soul. He longs fervently for her love. He looks for her to see whether she is about to come to Him, to see whether she longs and yearns for Him, to see whether she really wants Him alone. Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. He wants to give us His love; but He is also waiting for us to return His love.
Jesus is a true Bridegroom. His love is a jealous love. He wants you, your soul, completely. He is jealous when you give your love to other people and to other things. He is jealous when pay more attention to them, when you give them more time, more of yourself, than you give Him. Then He stands beside you, grieved. Then He is hurt and wounded, because He loves you so much.
Jesus is a true Bridegroom. He does not force you to love Him. He asks: “Will you give Me your love?”, and He gets what He wants when you do this. Only one thing will satisfy Him – your love. All else is too small for Him: that you believe in Him, that you obey Him, that you come to Him for forgiveness. He is not only your Physician who heals you. He is not only your Redeemer who delivers you from your bonds. He wants to be your Bridegroom, and as Bridegroom He gives you His great, His tender, His most intimate love. Now He is waiting for you to give Him your love. He who loves wants to be loved in return.”
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Will you be Mine, says the Lord? May we cherish this Heart that loves us so, may we offer our love in true companionship to the most Beloved King, the fairest among ten thousand…
“And I will betroth you (Israel) to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and loyalty, and in compassion. I will betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness. Then you will know (recognize, appreciate) the Lord [and respond with loving faithfulness].” Hosea 2:19-20 AMP
I really sense in my spirit that today is a day of completion, even on this date February 7th being symbolic with the number seven representing completion and perfection. If this is for you, receive it! You have battled and fought in belief, and now it’s time to receive. Part of preparation is unto reception ~ and receiving is actually more important than most people realize.
Two things have been resounding in my spirit today, “the Father delights to give good gifts to His children” and “the Father is developing and completing that good work He began in you”.
Something is clicking for some of you, it’s a belief and understanding that the Lord is good. He wants you to fulfill your assignment, destiny and purpose. He wants you to make it to your appointment on time. And for those of you who have done the work; the yielding, surrender, healing and testing – it’s time for the move, from the pit to the palace. Welcome to your new home! Sudden changes will be happening soon.
To God be the glory!
“If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?”” Matthew 7:11 TPT
“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” Philippians 1:6 AMPC
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].” James 1:17 AMP
“They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts— the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone.” Jeremiah 31:12 NLT
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