Judging

Judges and courtrooms are serious business, not to be taken lightly. When looking at the history of the use of the gavel by a judge, the beginnings are murky. It is suggested that the word "gavel" comes from the old English word, gafol, meaning the demand by the lord of the land for the rent due, or the tribute owed by the tenant for the use of his land. The law makes a demand, and the demand must be satisfied.
It used to be that if a debt was owed and not paid, the debtor would be placed in the debtor's prison until someone was willing to come forward to pay the debt for him, or until he or she earned enough while living in the prison to pay the debt themselves-an almost impossible task. Some debtors spent the rest of their lives in debtor's prison. Charles Dickens wrote a novel about such a situation called, "Little Dorrit". The story is about a little girl, born and raised in a debtor's prison, where her family had been sentenced. Charles Dickens' own father was sentenced to debtor's prison, and he wrote the story to bring attention to the injustice of the system.
Some who owed a debt became indentured servants to the one who held the debt. The one who held the debt could "sell" the debt of the indentured servant to a third party, and then the indentured servant would have to work for the new debt holder until the debt was paid. The system was called debt bondage. This debt bondage system was banned by the United Nations in 1948 in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but that declaration is not legally binding, of course. Some countries have included the principles of the Declaration in their treaties and trade agreements with other nations, but it is not compulsory.
Even though we have been trying for thousands of years, with input from the greatest legal minds past and present, our system of justice is still far from perfect today, perhaps because man is imperfect.
All of these facts are mentioned to illustrate the point that judgment, while meant to establish justice, is always joined to consequence or punishment. For every guilty verdict, the judge must also impose a sentence. Sometimes a judge has leeway in what kind of sentence is imposed, but he or she is bound by law to sentence the guilty according to the parameters dictated by the law.
When the judges are corrupt, so are their judgments, and then also the resulting punishments. For the judges must not forget that they are subject to the same law by which they judge others.
Scripture brings us deeper into the subject of judging and judgments. The godly king Jehoshaphat ("Jehovah has judged"), one of the most pious and prosperous kings of Judah, appointed judges to all the cities of Judah. When he appointed them, the king instructed them:
"Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge (shaphat-judge, govern, vindicate, punish, execute judgment, condemning and punishing, plead, defend, deliver) for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, no taking of bribes."  2 Chron. 19:6-7
The responsibility of the judge is very great. As good king Jehoshaphat decreed, whatever judgment the one who judges makes, the LORD is in the judgment. How the matter is judged brings either execution of punishment, and/or achieves vindication, defense, and deliverance. Remember, a person judged guilty of the law, must suffer the penalty of the law, also, because the law is a covenant that has an "if/then" foundation. The judge, himself, must be without iniquity (injustice, unrighteousness, violent deeds of injustice, injustice of speech, deal unjustly), because iniquity will corrupt judgment. Those judging must treat self, friends, enemies, strangers, family members, rich, or poor the same under the law. Judges cannot be influenced by benevolent and advantageous acts towards himself by the one being judged.
Good king Jehoshaphat's father, Asa, was also a good king of Judah. Because the LORD had delivered him and his army from the hands of an overwhelming enemy (2 Chron. 14:8-13), he and his people entered into a covenant promise. They took an oath that they would seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul (2 Chron. 15:12). That sounds awesome! However, they also vowed that whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Here is where King Asa goes wrong. His own mother, Maachah (oppression, emasculation, castration), the dowager queen, established a particularly obscene image (NKJV) of a blood-thirsty goddess (Asherah/grove). While the king destroyed the idol, he did not kill his mother in accordance with the oath sworn, but deposed her from her position (v. 16). He showed partiality. I'm sure he was partial because she was his mother, but also because she was royal, and that was hitting too close to home!
Asa did not hold himself to the oath either, relying on foreign alliances rather than the LORD, for his security. As a result of not seeking the LORD, his kingdom would suffer wars. Asa oppressed the prophet who brought him this sentence of the LORD, putting the prophet in prison. Out of this anger, Asa also began oppressing some of the people (2 Chron. 16:7-10). By this behavior, he was acting in the definition of iniquity. Asa also did not seek the LORD when he became dangerously ill, but relied upon men, instead. Therefore, this illness resulted in his death (v. 12-13). The judge is also subject to the law by which he judges others.
Asa's name means "healer, physician", but it can also mean "injurious, harming". How he established law, and carried out the consequences that were to follow the law, made all the difference as to whether he would be a healer, or harming. I can see why his son, Jehoshaphat, made it a point to establish righteous judges. Judging can be a v-e-r-y tricky business.
We can easily fall into the same trap. We can be very quick to judge others, but when doing so, we may just as easily fall into the mouth of judgment ourselves.
Jesus, as usual, had very deep wisdom and advice concerning judging. In light of some of the above information, that advice sounds even wiser than ever:
"Judge (to esteem, approve, prefer, deem, think, determine, resolve, decree, pronounce, opinion regarding right or wrong, pronounce judgment, to subject to censure, condemn, punish, avenge, conclude, damn, decree, ordain, sentence to) not that you be not judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you...Condemn (to give judgment against, to pronounce guilty, sentence of condemnation) not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you...A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye", when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? First, remove the plank from your own eye...For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit...A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   Mt. 7:1-2, Lk. 6:37-45 (excerpt)
Do these words of Christ's mean that we are not to teach, or stand for righteousness? I don't think it means that. Jesus brought the truth about the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). Jesus corrected His own disciples when they were in error, so His statements were not about correcting error. Paul taught about the connection between the kingdom of God and righteousness (Rom. 14:17). The righteousness we stand for is the gift of righteousness to us through Christ, and not of our own making. Scripture says that if we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). As Jesus said, however, that conviction and confession of sin begins with ourselves. To do otherwise, I am thinking, causes us to be partial in judging like King Asa, and like him, doing harm instead of producing healing (2 Chron. 7:14). 

Our Father is a King Who is looking for just judges.
 

Panel entitled "The Just Judges", part of the group of panels called, "Adoration of the Mystical Lamb" by Jan van Eyck, painted 1430-32. "The Just Judges" panel was stolen in 1934, and has never been recovered, even though the thief was known. In 1945, a copy was commissioned to fill the empty space.

Snails

You may wonder- snails? What do snails have to do with spiritual things? I would like to tell you a story from Korea.
There was a girl and a boy in high school. She was not a very good student, barely passing. He was a genius, an athlete, tall, handsome, and respected by his fellow students and teachers.  He was very aloof though, even cold and detached in personality.  They both had lovely, sweet parents. The two families were close, and his parents loved the girl, and thought of her as a daughter. She was particularly treasured by the boy's mother. The boy's future was bright and unlimited. He could go to any university he chose, even the Ivy League, and his parents asked him frequently if he had decided yet which college to attend.  The girl's future plans did not include college because of her poor academics. She loved him from first sight. He ignored her. She would peek through the classroom door window to get a look at him in his advanced classes. She joined the tennis team, because he had joined, although she had never played tennis. She didn't play tennis very well, and the tennis team joked about it. He continued to ignore her, although he was aware that she followed him. One day, she worked up her courage and handed him a folded love note in the hall. He took the note and said nothing, just walked away. A few days later, he stepped in front of her and handed her note back to her, and walked away. When she opened the note, he had corrected all of her spelling and grammar mistakes in red ink. Her friends were outraged that he had been so callous about her declaration of love. She just folded the note up and put it away as a keepsake. Her father was concerned about her love for this cold, yet gifted boy. He was afraid she would end up broken-hearted.
One day she asked the boy what type of girl he preferred. He told her that he could never like a dumb girl who wasn't even going to college. She thought about what he had said (as he knew she would), and she asked her teacher if there was any way a student like her could get into college. Her teacher said maybe she could get into a small third rate college, but the entrance exam was the next week. She could never study enough to pass that test in this short amount of time. This girl crammed and studied. She passed the test, barely, and the third rate college reluctantly sent her an acceptance letter.
Some time after the two families had gotten together to celebrate the girl's unexpected college acceptance, the young man came to the parents, who were visiting together, to tell them that he had chosen the college he would attend. His parents waited eagerly to hear. He told them that he had chosen the same third rate college that had just accepted the girl. The parents looked at each other, and rather than being upset at his choice, they started rejoicing. His mother exclaimed, "He likes her!" The boy's parents never doubted that their son would have success in life, but they had grown very concerned that he would never be able to open his heart and love someone else.
The girl's father just nodded and smiled and said that his daughter was called "Noah's snail" by her grandmother when she was little. The other parents asked why she was called that. The girl's father asked if they had ever heard the story about Noah's snail, and they said they had not. He begins the story about the snail:
Noah had built the ark, and the time had come for all of the animals to come to the ark and enter. The little snail started its slow, wearying, long trek to get to the ark. The big jungle cats raced passed the little snail, and the lion yelled out  to the snail, "Hurry, or you will never make it in time." The snail tried to push along faster, but was still very slow. Then the next group of animals came wooshing past. It was the monkeys. They were swinging, jumping and chattering. As they passed the snail, they laughed at it, and said, "You'll never make it! Why would Noah wait for you? You are a worthless creature." The snail just kept going at its excruciating, slow pace. Finally, it made it to the bottom of the ramp of the ark, with barely any strength left. It had taken so long to make the trip, that the snail was afraid it would look up and see the door of the ark already shut. However, when it raised it's little slimy snail head, and looked up to the top of the ramp, there was Noah at the open door saying, "Come on! I've been waiting for you." With the last of its strength, the little snail made it up the ramp of the ark.
At the end of his story, the girl's father had said that even though his daughter didn't seem to have great talent, or any special ability, she had the quality of optimism and perseverance. No matter the obstacles, no matter what others thought or said, she never became resentful, bitter, nor discouraged, and she never gave up.
Like "Noah's snail", sometimes it seems there is an impossible to complete goal in front of us. Circumstances and people, obstacles and objections are ever before us. There is no word of encouragement, and little sign of progress to keep us going. We see that others have not had the challenges that we have had, and we wonder if we should give up. Are we still in the will of God, or not? In these moments, we look into the scriptures, and find our direction and encouragement. Now, we can also remember "Noah's snail":
"...we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure."    2 Thess. 1:4
"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..."     Heb. 12:1
"...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (endurance); and perseverance, character; and character, hope."   Rom. 5:3-4
"...if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."   Rom. 8:25
(See also Lk. 8:15, Lk. 21:19, 2 Cor. 6:4, Eph. 6:18)

Our Father is a God of patience and perseverance (Rom. 15:5)


"One Thing Remains"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_KXsMCJgBQ

Relationship

"And they heard the sound (voice, singing) of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool (ruach: breath, wind) of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to them, "Where are you?"     Gen. 3:8-9

When I found that I was supposed to write about "Relationship" in this entry, the Lord brought me to this scripture above from Genesis. I was surprised. I wrote the scripture on the opening of this post, and then I walked away for a few days. I was waiting to see how these scriptures would teach me about my relationship with our Father. Things began to unfold for me as I thought about this familiar story of man's fall.
As the LORD God walked in the garden, calling for Adam, it is understood by us that God already knew what had happened. We also discover, as we read through the account of the fall of man, that there is no repentance from Adam and his wife reflected in the scriptures. Not only did Adam refuse to repent, but at one point, Adam even directly blames God for his downfall because it was God who gave Adam his wife:
"Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate."           Gen. 3:12
Eve, in turn, blames the serpent.
I think, in any case, that there is no transforming repentance, unless it comes out of love. That kind of repentance cannot just come out of a head-knowledge of the Law. The kind of repentance that transforms, teaches, and heals, can only come from a heart that loves our Lord, our God. Along with their lack of repentance, I also do not detect, from this account in scripture, any caring or love from the man and woman towards God. This is very sad.
We can also assume, I think, that there is an attitude of resentment towards God by Adam and the woman even before this point, because the serpent is easily able to convince Eve to disregard God's instructions. He tells her that God just doesn't want them to be like Him, knowing good and evil  (Gen. 3:5). This is where their weakness lies, this is where they have left an opening-in their relationship with their Father. The serpent just takes advantage of this resentment towards God in Adam's and Eve's hearts. Similar resentment of God will have a destructive influence over their son, Cain's, choices, as well.

What is the Lord trying to teach me about my relationship with the Father from this? I looked again at the Father's attitude toward the man and wife.
First of all, when the Father comes to deal with this situation, He brings the Comforter with Him. The Holy Spirit is there in the presence of the cool breath, or wind, of the day. That speaks so much to me about the Father. Not only does He know what they have done, but He wants to comfort them in their fear of Him. He wants to minister and create into the condition of the man and wife. Within the tragedy of the downfall of man, the Father begins to prophesy. The first prophetic promise of the Messiah comes forth, as God issues judgment upon the serpent:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."      Gen. 3:15
Yes, Adam and Eve must leave the garden, but they don't leave without hope. Redemption and atonement has just been introduced into the future of mankind, and that very redemption will come through the one whom all will blame for this transgression-the woman.
How else does He minister to, and comfort them?

"Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin and clothed them." 
                                                                                                 Gen. 3:21
The Father covers the man and woman with a sacrifice, even a shadow and type of the sacrifice that was made by God's Son. Though their own choices uncovered them, God would not leave them vulnerable, and uncovered. Rather than just supplying the man and wife with a covering, He even covers them with His own hands. Father "clothed them". Can we feel what is in the Father's heart towards the man and woman? It goes far beyond Creator and creature. He has a relationship with man. However, in this case, as in so many other cases with man, God's feelings of love and caring are not returned. He is worthy of our worship and praise, but He is also worthy, foremost, of our love.
What is my relationship supposed to be like with God? With Jesus? What are the expectations that They have? If I have a relationship of love with Them, then the Law, the Word, becomes written not upon tables of stone, but it becomes written upon my heart. I am not hiding from Him in shame and fear (Gen. 3:10), but I am turning towards Him for comfort, help, and love, even when others might judge that I don't deserve it. This love is how I "abide" in Him, and how His word abides in me according to Jesus (Jn. 14:21-23). Love is the glue and the generator that causes the abiding. The abiding develops out of love, rather than just obedience. Obedience is important, but the obedience that naturally flows from the love for His Father, is the obedience that humbled Christ, even to death on the cross. Because of this kind of love-obedience, the Father highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name above all other names. The name that Christ received as a result of His love-obedience to the Father, brought all creation into that same obedience (Phil. 2:5-11). There is a fruit that comes from our love for the Father. We are instructed to be of this same mind of Christ. Only love for our Father can produce this same mind. This is the mind from which Christ did all. This is the mind that changed all creation as noted in the above scripture. This is how Jesus described His love for His Father that produces His obedience:
"But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here."     Jn. 14:31
Father's relationship towards me is reflected by this truth:
"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears not has been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us."     1 John 4:16-19
"...And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever, and ever. Amen"         Rev. 1:5-6
The wonderful miracles for us mentioned above, came forth out of His love toward us. We acknowledge His love for us easily, but how much thought and exercise do we give regarding our love towards Him? I don't want to neglect that part of my relationship with Him.
There are many gods in the earth, but only the One true God ever desired a relationship with mankind that He created.
When I think on these things, it makes me want to speak to Him, sing to Him, pray with Him and for Him, cover Him, to look into His face, with love. I will make mistakes, and I may fall down in the days ahead, but I hope I will always remember to turn back to Him in hope, in comfort, and in love.

Our Father desires a relationship with us.

"I Love You, Lord"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw_uBn9zJfc

"As The Deer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M04P1lW4OA

"Unchained Melody"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrK5u5W8afc

Garden

Garden
July, 2015

We can get a glimpse of the eternal will and purpose of God as we look at some scriptures dealing with gardens. Even as Adam's marriage to Eve (see "Marriage" post), and all of our marriages, are a type and shadow, a picture, of Christ's relationship with His Church-Bride, I think even the Garden into which the man and woman were placed, points us to a fascinating prophetic image of the Bride of Christ. The Bride has been kept veiled and protected, and, at most, we have had small glimpses of her. But it is now the time to see her more clearly. If we look under the veil, we can see the beauty, the anointing, and the importance of the Bride, not only to Jesus, but to our Father as well by looking at the prophetic picture of the garden. 

The first garden that comes to mind is the Garden of Eden in Genesis.

"The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed..."        Gen. 2:8

 

So, as we can see above, the man was not created in the Garden of Eden, but was put there after the Garden had been planted. If we do a word study of the underlined words of this above verse, we will find some remarkable things.

• The LORD God planted- means He fastened or fixed the Garden into place
• He fastened a garden-  meaning an enclosed garden, a chaste woman, a bride.

An example of a garden being used to describe a  bride can be found in Song of Songs 4:12-15:

         "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..."

• This Garden/Bride was fastened eastward- aforetime, antiquity, that which is before
• This Garden/Bride was fastened in antiquity, at the beginning, in Eden- pleasure, luxury, dainty, delight, finery.

So, this dainty, delightful Garden/Bride was fixed or fastened from the beginning, in antiquity. Into this Garden/Bride,

• the LORD God put- set in place, ordained, appointed, directed, made for a sign
• the man- mankind, human being, rubbed red, shown red, emit redness.
• that He had formed- pre-determined, pre-ordained, planned of divine purpose

This special being, Adam, was divinely purposed, even before he was created, to be placed in this Garden/Bride. For what divine purpose was he placed there? We can read that purpose in Gen. 2:15:

"Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress and keep it.

• The LORD God took the man- fetch, lay hold of, seize, take in the hand, marry, take a wife, carry off, be removed
• The man was put in the garden to dress it- to work, serve as a subject, to serve with Levitical service, to be led to serve.
• And he was to keep it- keep, guard, observe, give heed, protect, save life, treasure up, celebrate, keep (Sabbath, covenant, commands), perform a vow, preserve

The man was ordained and appointed for service in the same manner of the priesthood, in order to preserve and guard the Garden/Bride, to keep the commands and covenant of God regarding the Garden/Bride. He was physically and spiritually moved from one location to another in order to begin this service. The man was created and formed in a pre-determined divine plan for this important priesthood service.

What we can see is the importance of this Garden/Bride depicted in Genesis that caused the LORD God to fasten it onto the earth, and to appoint a priest to care for, preserve and protect it. The meaning of the Garden/Bride was important enough that when the man neglected to do the service that the LORD God had pre-ordained him to do, he was forced to leave the Garden/Bride, and he could never enter again. This is covered in mystery in many ways, but we can get a beginning glimpse into the divine purpose from scripture.

First of all, the Garden/Bride contained the three Persons of the Trinity. The Father and Son are present in the Garden/Bride, the Son being represented by the Tree of Life that was in the very center of the Garden/Bride. The cool Winds (Ruach) (Gen. 3:8) in the Garden/Bride represent the reviving and refreshing presence of the Holy Spirit. The Garden/Bride ushered in the presence of the LORD God for fellowship with the man.

The Garden/Bride of the Song of Songs mentioned above, is also described as containing very precious trees, plants, and herbs that were used in creating the anointing oil of the priests and kings, and also of use for medicinal purposes. In fact, in another garden of scripture, the Garden/Bride  in which Jesus prayed before He was crucified, was called "Gethsemane", which means an oil or wine press (also oil used for anointing), and also meaning a medicament or unguent, which is used for healing. It is, to this day, full of very old olive trees. All of these things paint a lovely picture for us of some of the qualities of the beautiful Garden/Bride.

The prophet Isaiah admonishes and encourages the people of God to extend their soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted so that they can then become lighted from within by the LORD, who will make them like a watered garden, whose springs of water will not ever fail (Isa. 58:10-11). That whole chapter of Isaiah gives us a further look into God's calling for us as that Garden/Bride. The Garden/Bride is a place of ministry, a place of comfort and healing to those who have need. A creative power, and a restoring and rebuilding purpose flows from the Garden/Bride, if she will walk in that calling of God as we see in the next verse (Isa. 58:12):

"Those from among you

Shall build the old waste places;

You shall raise up the foundations

of many generations;

And you shall be called the

"Repairer of the Breach",

"The Restorer of Paths to Dwell in".

 

The Bride in New Testament scripture plays a very important role in the earth, especially in End-Time events, and is a purpose and calling in every believer's life.

The Bride in the Book of Revelation plays a part with the Holy Spirit in calling and bringing the return of the Messiah to rule and reign on the earth (Rev. 22:17).

As Isaiah prophesied about the Garden/Bride above, together with the Lamb of God, the Bride has a part in bringing forth the New Creation, even the descending of the New Jerusalem to the earth, "being adorned as a Bride for her Husband" (Rev. 21:2). And once again, the presence of God will dwell with men.

"God Himself will be with them and be their God." (Rev. 21:3). AMEN.

An important thing to note before we leave this topic: all of the gardens mentioned in the above scriptures were directly fed by living waters. A mighty river came from Eden to water that garden. The meaning of the word used here for "river" is to flow, to shine, to be radiant, to flow together, even describing a conflux of people, to give light, to be glad, to rejoice. It is the river of salvation, the river of the Gospel of Good News. After passing through the Garden/Bride, it became four mighty rivers that watered other lands. The Gospel of Salvation flows through the Garden/Bride, and from her, it is dispersed throughout other lands and peoples in all directions. The Garden/Bride of Song of Songs, and Isaiah 58 were both watered by springs and fountains within and without them. The Garden of Gethsemane, mentioned above, is beside the Kidron Valley, where a river flows during the rainy season. The Garden/Bride of Rev. 21 and 22 had a pure river of water of life running through her. Trees with healing leaves also grew in her. What are these waters mentioned here, but the written and living Word, Jesus (Jn. 7:37-38). The relationship between the garden and the water is a close one. A garden cannot be watered by water that is not physically touching it. It is necessary to keep ourselves close, even right next to, the source of our water if we wish to become that Garden/Bride. A garden far separated from its water source soon becomes a desert, a wasteland.

Although the first Adam failed to fulfill his priestly service, not only to the Garden/Bride, but to his own natural bride as well, the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, kept all that the Father had placed into His care and hands, and He kept them in, and by, the power of His Father's name (Jn. 17:12). He is very desirous of His Bride, and the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The beauty, mystery, purpose and anointing of the Bride of Christ is revealed by our Father even back in the Book of Genesis, and throughout scripture. It is ready to be revealed in us, to us, and through us. It is for us to seek it out, and unveil it.

 

Our Father has fastened a Garden/Bride in the earth.

 

"In The Garden"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jEllIaBdyM

 

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfdD3pBUig

 

"Comfort Ye, My People"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZvpbBD75M

 

*Special thanks Pastor Ken S. for his encouragement and feedback, and to Fran B. for her thoughts and contributions to this post

 ** Photo at the top of the page-Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Israel