Voice

"Thus says the LORD: Again there shall be heard in this place- of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"- in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast,
the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say:
"Praise the LORD of hosts,
 For the Lord is good,
 For His mercy endures forever"-
and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first," says the LORD.
                                                                                        Jer. 33:10-11

In these verses from Jeremiah, the LORD is talking about a devastated nation- a nation which once teamed with life is now empty and desolate. Whether that nation is our nation, or another, or even the individual who is living the barrenness of a life separated from the knowledge of God, the LORD is speaking a promise and a comfort.
There is a sound of voices speaking over and through that land. Even in the place where seemingly all life has departed, these voices shout out over the land, over the soul, over the heart.
It is the voice of joy and gladness: this voice leaps and exults. This voice is an oil that is used at banquets, even wedding banquets.
It is the voice of the bridegroom and the bride together, for one cannot be separated from the other. The voice of the bridegroom is like a newborn child, circumcised into covenant (Ex. 4:25-26). The bridegroom's covenant is with his bride. The newborn's covenant is with God The marriage feast and the circumcision feast are very much alike.
The voice of the bride is the exulting voice of one being made complete, being made perfect, according to the Hebrew word meaning. The word for bride also includes the meaning of one being crowned, or wearing a crown. We see the relationship of Jesus and His Bride, the Church, in these voices.
Over this barren and empty land is heard the voice of praise-both the Hebrew words yadah and towdah. These words for praise mean to give thanks, to confess God's Name, to confess one's sin. They mean to throw or cast like arrows, and come from the root word meaning "hand", God's hand.
They especially mean the expression of thanksgiving, in word and song, and in worship. Thanksgiving expressed by sacrificial offerings and gifts to God.
Regardless of the barrenness of our hearts, and our circumstances, the sound of voices can be heard. These voices come from the Spirit of God, and from the spirit of men's hearts filled with the knowledge of God, with the knowledge of His love, and His will.
Let these voices spread across the land, and let them spread across the hearts of men.

Our Father has a voice.

"The Sound of our Voice"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-G3BKecJZ8

"I Can Hear Your Voice"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88fbQtA1kJw

Unity

The quality of "unity" is extremely important to our Father, and should also be important to those who are part of the Father's Kingdom. There are many examples in scripture that teach the preciousness of unity- the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the unity of believers with Christ, and the unity of the people of God with each other. Naturally, because unity is such a powerful and valuable concept, it is always under heavy spiritual attack. Many things try to rise up to separate us from each other. When we look at each other, it is easy to see the issues, and doctrines that make us determined to be opposed to each other, rather than the like precious faith that joins us so powerfully.
Recently, a group of Jewish worshippers received the first Torah to our county. The Torah is the handwritten scroll that contains parts of what we call the Old Testament. The rabbi who received the Torah on this occasion said that it represented unity to him. He said it WAS unity.
In the Passover meal, called a seder, there is a part of the meal when a piece of matzoh bread is broken into three pieces and placed in a cloth bag called a Matzoh Tosh, or afikomen. This bag is also called the "Unity". Though the pieces exist apart physically, they are united together within the Matsoh Tosh. To Christians, the unity of the Trinity is exemplified here.
In scripture there are sobering passages about the disunity among the people of God. An interesting passage is found in 2 Chron. 30. The nation of Israel is no longer a united nation, but is divided into two separate kingdoms. These two kingdoms are resentful of one another, and do not have much to do with each other. The Southern Kingdom is called Judah. The king of Judah, Hezekiah, is determined to restore the Passover Feast to his land according to the commandments found in scripture. He sends messengers into the Northern Kingdom, inviting all who wish to attend this Passover Feast to come to Jerusalem.
His messengers are received with mockery and scorn. They resented and rejected the idea that this Passover would be held in Jerusalem, part of the southern kingdom, and refused to travel there. Some, though had second thoughts as described in verse 11:
"Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem."
It requires humility to achieve unity. Humility is not an easy thing for most people.
In any case, as these northerners came to Jerusalem and joined in the Feast, it was found that the people had not properly prepared, or cleansed themselves, as was required to observe this Feast. Concerned about this,King Hezekiah prayed to the LORD that the LORD would provide atonement for everyone who "prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."
Verse 20 tells us that the LORD listened to the prayer of Hezekiah, and healed the people.
What a beautiful Passover that must have been-a Passover of unity. How many missed that blessing because of dividing viewpoints they held over the issue of worshipping in Jerusalem?
A similar issue arises in the New Testament. In Lk. 9, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, because the time had come for Him to offer Himself up in crucifixion. It says "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." Jesus was to travel through the area of Samaria on His way. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for Him. Now, the Samaritans had the same despising for Jerusalem as the people of the Northern Kingdom had in the scriptures we discussed from 2 Chron. 30. So they refused to receive Jesus into their village, because He was on His way to Jerusalem. What a sad thing to miss Jesus because of a doctrine, tradition, prejudice or stubborn spiritual pride. Whether they were right to despise Jerusalem or not wasn't even the point. They missed Jesus because of it. Their divisiveness was more important to them than their Messiah, the Son of God.
There are many things that divide us. We don't have to look hard to find them. But the blessing, the power, the honor and the glory is in what unites us. The unity of brethren who have come together in their devotion to God, creates a priestly anointing like the precious anointing of Aaron that covered him completely. That place of unity is where the LORD commanded the blessing- Life forevermore (Psalm 133).

Our Father is Unity.

"We Are One in the Spirit"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7_wHi0PNHg

Bethlehem

It's Christmas time as I am writing this entry. Most people know the Christmas story, but to me, it represents some of the most incredible movings of our Father to fulfill His will and Word on the earth. Without going into all the amazing details of the Christmas story, there are just a few thoughts on which I would like to focus.
The prophetic promise of a coming Messiah, the Savior, is spread throughout the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah prophecies that a Son, a Child, would be born, but this child would not be ordinary, but would be God, Himself. "His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."  (Isa. 9:6). Isaiah also tells us prophetically that a virgin shall bring for a child named Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Isa. 7:14). These prophesies regarding the birth of the Savior were recorded 750 years before Jesus was born. There are many powerful prophecies like the ones in Isaiah concerning His birth. It is the greatest event in the plan, will and purpose of our heavenly Father.
As Jesus is about to be conceived and born, both Mary and Joseph have received angelic visitation, making clear that the moment has come when God is about to fulfill His prophetic promise of a Savior. There can be no doubt that both knew that the One to be born was conceived supernaturally, was holy, and mighty. In Mt.1:20-21, an angel tells Joseph in a dream that "that which is conceived in her (Mary) is of the Holy Spirit." and "...you shall call His name Jesus (meaning in Greek, salvation of God), for He will save His people from their sins." In Lk. 1:31-33, Mary is told by the angel, Gabriel, that "...you...shall call His name Jesus...He will be great...Son of the Highest...". There can be no doubt of Who is about to be born!
Another prophetic promise regarding the birth of the Messiah that I would like to focus upon, is found in Micah 5:2. Here the prophetic promise states that Bethlehem will be the place out of which this everlasting Ruler will come. In Hebrew, the word Bethlehem means "house of bread".  Jesus told His disciples that He is the Bread that comes down from heaven, the Bread of Life. Interestingly, the root word of "bread" in Hebrew has to do with warfare, a fierce warrior, prevailing in warfare. This place and this birth was indeed the  moment in time when the enemy of mankind and God was overcome and defeated, and the Word and will of God prevailed in victory.
The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, tells us that Mary and Joseph are now married, and living in northern Israel, in the town of Nazareth, in the area of Galilee. Mary is very heavy with child, and it certainly is not in their plans to make a long, arduous trip anywhere. But, according to the Word of God, this special child will be born in Bethlehem, not in Nazareth. How is that to happen? THIS will be one of the miraculous workings of God.
Thousands of miles away in the city of Rome, the Emperor of the known world, Caesar Augustus, would make a decree. Israel is part of the Roman Empire, as is all of the Middle East region, and is subject to all decrees of the Emperor. This Emperor decides that "all the world should be registered." This means that all people under the rule of the Roman Empire must go back to the cities/countries of their origins to be listed, and accounted for. In order to fulfill the imperial decree, thousands will be uprooted from where they are, and will be traveling to their home cities. The whole world will be shuffled to various locations to be registered. There is only one family in the whole earth that God desires to move, however - a family, who, under their circumstances, would never have moved but by this royal decree. Joseph had to get his very pregnant wife down to Bethlehem in Judea in southern Israel, because Joseph is a descendant of King David, who's birth city a thousand years earlier was little Bethlehem. Joseph and his family must return there, although he now lives a long distance away in Nazareth.
It is not a coincidence that the Emperor issued this decree. It is a sovereign work of God. God's Word assures us that He can impart His will on any king in the earth, at any time: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes." Proverbs 21:1. Psalm 2 leaves us in not doubt that regardless of what the nations and rulers plan to do, and want to do, the LORD will have them do as He wishes. There are many instances in scripture where God imposes His will upon a king.
Caesar Augustus, the first and most powerful of all the Caesars that would follow him, did not know God, did not serve God, and was firmly convinced of his own absolute power. But God moved on the will of this king, and had him to issue this very odd decree that shuffled the whole world around.Why? Because God needed to move a seemingly insignificant family in a small country from Nazareth to Bethlehem in time for the most important event in human history - the birth of His precious Son, Jesus, in order to fulfill His promise to us to send us a Savior and King.

Our Father is "Bethlehem", the House of Bread.


"Unto Us a Child is Born"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN5BaOGTmGs

"Come O Come Emmanuel"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xtpJ4Q_Q-4