Bridegroom

Our Father calls Himself a Husband to Israel in various scriptures.

"For your Maker is your husband, 
The LORD of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth."
                              Isa. 54:5

Jesus tells a parable of Himself as the Bridegroom in Matthew 25, and His Bride and His marriage are referred to in  the Book of Revelation as well:

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
                             Rev. 19:7

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
                             Rev. 21:9 

There are other references in the New Testament of this special married relationship that Jesus has with His Church: 2 Cor. 11:2-3, Rom. 7:4, Eph. 5:25-27, and 31-32.
 
I would like to relate a dream I had, with special thanks to PK for his inspiration and help in understanding.

THE DREAM OF THE BRIDEGROOM:

I dreamed I was a bride dressed in a wedding gown attending my wedding. We were all assembled in a banquet room, sitting at round tables. Even though I was the bride, I was seated at the tables with the guests, who were dressed in their wedding finery. I had seen in a small chapel area that a Jewish wedding Chuppah or canopy had been put up, but the area was empty. As we were waiting, I looked across the room and saw my groom. To my surprise he was a very young Orthodox Jewish man. He was wearing black pants and jacket, white shirt with no tie, and a wide-brimmed fur hat. When he took his hat off, his hair was black and wavy, cut short. He was very average in physical appearance, nothing remarkable about him.  
He was very determined that the wedding take place. I wondered why he wanted to marry me so much, because I was neither young, nor Orthodox Jewish. I grew concerned that his parents wouldn't approve of the marriage because of these things. I looked at the table where his parents were sitting. I could not see his father well, who seemed to be sitting in a shadowed side of the table. He sat very still and quiet. However, I saw the bridegroom's mother clearly, and she was ecstatic over the marriage, simply thrilled about it. Interestingly, she wore a dress of many different colors that blended together. The fabric of her dress was almost iridescent in how the colors shone. I relaxed because the parents seemed to be in favor of the marriage. 
As I looked back at the bridegroom, I noticed that he was wearing a vest-style, or girdle-style prayer shawl under his jacket. I could see the fringes of the prayer shawl garment hanging down below where his black jacket ended. It was at this point that I began to feel an attraction toward the groom. The prayer shawl made him attractive to me. My eyes were drawn to him. I began to watch him as he supervised the preparations for the wedding. He was determined and sure as he dealt with the details. 
The planned wedding had experienced a few delays. First, a previous wedding held in the banquet hall had run overtime, causing a delay in the start of our wedding. Secondly, the facility had said that there was money due on the bill, but the groom saw to this mix-up, and the facility came back and said they had made a mistake. They had found the record of the fact that that no monies were owed, that all was paid in full. It seemed that there was one delay after another.
My father had come to the wedding and I was glad to see him. But while the delays occurred, he had wondered away, as if the delays caused his attention to shift away. I looked around for him, because I knew that once the groom had dealt with the delays, the wedding would go forward immediately. I was afraid my father would not be back in time for it. I thought, if that was the case, I would have to walk down the aisle by myself, because the groom would not be put off any longer. He was sure and determined about this wedding. He dealt with the delays with maturity, authority, without anger nor impatience. He handled every problem with great confidence that he would resolve all. I was proud of how he handled himself, and admired his strength and sureness of purpose. The more I saw, the better I liked this groom!

It was the groom who was the driving force behind the wedding, not me, nor either set of parents. He was very calm, very resolute. I just sat in my finery watching him walking around the room, seeing to every delay.

Awaking, as I considered this dream, I became aware that I had seen how Christ was so looking forward to His marriage to His Bride. He is in full control, and will not be deterred. I am deeply touched that I was given this glimpse of our Lord, and His deep commitment to me, to the Bride. Let us not be discouraged, nor grow cold by what we see as delays in His coming. Let's not let our attention wander away. Let us not disregard the importance and divine purpose accomplished by the wedding of the Lamb of God, and His Bride. I will never be the same after seeing Him, and His strong character in this dream. I say wholeheartedly, "Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD."

"And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"  And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

                                                                   Rev. 22:17

Our Father, and His Son, the Lamb of God, are bridegrooms.

"Lamb of God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLVtp_b_SIU

"A Song for the Bride of Christ"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47gmVe_EvvU

  
"The Bride and the Bridegroom"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dozVxfTca2s

 

Science

Some people think that God and science are not compatible. They believe that one must exclude the other. Even scientists, within their own community, discourage the belief in God. However, true science, the study of science according to the scientific method, will never contradict Scripture, except, perhaps where supernatural events take place. The supernatural overrides time and space laws, because it exists outside the natural realm.
One of my favorite things is to find precious scientific knowledge in Scripture that pre-dates the secular scientific discoveries that have been made throughout history.
Here are a few:
"It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, 
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them out lie a tent to dwell in."
                                       Isa. 40:22
"Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks above the circle of heaven."
                                       Job 22:14
"When He prepared the heavens, I [wisdom] was there, 
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep."
                                        Prov. 8:27
In the above verses, we see that scripture from thousands of years ago, contained evidence that the earth was round. But not only do they state that the earth is round, but that the heavens are circular as well. This could not be known to man from a position on earth. It is not possible to see the curvature of the earth from the earth, although some say it can be seen at the top of Mt. Everest. Pilots testify that they cannot see any curvature of the horizon until they have reached 40,000-60,000 feet. Most say it is closer to the 60,000 feet level. So the knowledge revealed in the above verses could not possibly have been known to man thousands of years ago.

As far as the heavens being curved,  it was not until the early 20th century that Einstein and Minkowski theorized that space is curved by the masses of the bodies held within it. It is a very recent theory that the complete universe might have a circular or oval shape.

"Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were uncovered..."
                                      2 Sam 22:16
"Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?"
                                       Job 38:16
"The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
I went down to the foundations of the mountains;..."
                                       Jonah 2:5-6
These verses reveal to us that there are springs and valleys, or trenches, in the oceans. There are mountains under the seas.  Man used to believe that ocean bottoms were relatively flat and made of sand.  The Atlantic Ocean alone contains a mountain range 10,000 miles long. And it has only been in recent history that man has been able to explore the bottoms of the oceans to discover springs and valleys. Oceans springs were discovered in 1977 off the coast of Ecuador by Lewis Thomas.

"The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea
that pass through the paths of the seas."
                                       Psalm 8:8
"He hath compassed the waters with bounds,
until the day and night come to an end."
                                       Job 26:10
 The paths of the seas were discovered as ocean currents by Matthew Maury of the U.S. Navy in the 1800's. His nickname is "The Pathfinder of the Seas". Because of his discovery of ocean currents, he is considered the father of modern navigation.
The second scripture refers to ocean tides. The tides are created by the gravitational pull of both the sun and moon (day and night). Would King David, who wrote the Psalm, and lived 3,000 years ago, have known that in his time? I do not think that what he revealed while being inspired by the Holy Spirit, could have come from man's natural knowledge at the time.

"For He draws up drops of water,
which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down
and pour abundantly on man."
                                        Job 36:27-28
"All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come, there they return."
                                        Eccl. 1:7
These verses describe the Water Cycle, or Hydrological Cycle, perfectly. The water cycle was not theorized until the 1700's, although these books of scripture are thousands of years old.

"To Eber were born two sons:
the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided;..."
                                        Gen. 10:25
A very unusual event was documented here at the birth of Peleg. The Hebrew meaning of his name is "division, to split, to cleave". The event described above is the splitting of the earth. The theory of the existence of a supercontinent (Pangea), which split into smaller land masses that began to drift apart from one another is called the Theory of Continental Drift. It is attributed to Alfred Wegener, in 1927. However, the occurrence was noted at least 4,000 years ago by the Book of Genesis.  


"Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?
Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide Arcturus with its cubs?"
                                          Job 38:31-32
Regarding the Pleiades, the scripture above refers to them being in a bind. Modern astronomy has found that the Pleiades are indeed "bound together". They consist of 250 suns in a group of common motion and direction according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.
While to the eye it seems that the stars that make up the belt of Orion are fixed in position together, the scripture above says that they are loosed. We now know that the three stars are actually traveling in different directions at different speeds and each in its own course. Because of this, in time they will no longer bee seen as a straight line. They will indeed be "loosed" from that straight formation.
Why would it be difficult to "guide" Arcturus, as the LORD questions Job? We now know that Arcturus is one of the greatest stars in the universe and is also called a "runaway" star. because it is traveling at 257 miles/sec. Our sun only travels at 12 1/2 miles/sec. These facts were discovered by Charles Burkhalter at the Chabot Observatory. He died in 1923.

"He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing."
                                           Job 26:7
In ancient times, as when the Book of Job was written, man believed that the earth was carried on the back of a turtle. Some cultures believed that the earth rested on an elephant or a man. The Greeks believed Atlas supported the earth. But scripture from thousands of years ago tells us that nothing holds or supports the earth. There is no possible way a human could have had that knowledge in that time.


'Then God said, "Let there be light; and there was light."
                                            Gen. 1:3
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
                                             John 1:4
"Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him all you stars of light!"
One of the first acts of God in Genesis, was the creation of light. We know now that light or energy is the basis of all substance. Albert Einstein built his Theory of General Relativity 
(E=mc 2) on this principle. Matter will be converted to energy when traveling at the speed of light squared. The earliest mention of this kind of knowledge is by Socrates (469-399 BC), who taught that the universe is made up of energy which existed before man and other material things. The book of Genesis predates Socrates by well over one thousand years.
The scriptures teach us that God created the sun, moon, and stars. Ancient people believed these bodies were gods, and they both feared and worshipped these heavenly bodies. But here, in the Psalm above, the LORD tells us that the stars are made of light. Genesis tells us that the bodies were given for light, and for the creation of seasons here on earth. These things were not to be feared nor worshipped by man.

Perhaps one of the most interesting scientific revelations in scripture deals with man's or, more accurately, woman's beginnings. It must be mentioned in a study like this because it is so fascinating:
"And Adam called his wife's name "Eve", because she was the mother of all living."  
                                                                                      Gen. 3:20
Many people discount the truth of the "Adam and Eve" Biblical account because they find it too far-fetched. Amazingly, though, they must consider the fact that recent scientific discoveries have pointed to an "Eve" beginning for all females residing on earth today. This comes from the discovery of a genetic substance called Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in 1967. Mitochondrial DNA is a very small genetic tracing found, not in the nucleus of the human cell, but in another organelle of the cell, called the mitochondria.  This type of DNA is inherited solely from the mother, and is passed in its pure form in a direct unbroken female line. Therefore, all women can trace their mtDNA to a genetic "Eve", as Adam said "The mother of all living". We may never find Eve's physical body, but all females carry her physical body in them, and will pass her down to all future female generations.  
One of the most recent amazing discoveries made by science is that there is a huge amount of water beneath the earth. This body of water is so large, they estimate that it is even larger than the total water content of the oceans on the surface of the earth. The Bible contains verses that allude to this massive deep:
"By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath..."                       Gen. 49:25 
                           and
"And of Joseph he said:
Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the precious things of 
heaven with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath..."                                           Deut. 33:13 

Though this is a most recent discovery of man, our Father, the Creator, told us about this mysterious "deep that lies beneath" thousands of years previously. 
 
These are just some of the scientific facts found in scripture that were documented well before man "discovered" the knowledge for themselves.
God is not excluded from science. God created science.

Our Father IS science.


"My Redeemer Lives"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC6RXAJpPjo

"We Will Glorify"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4skT9ndv6ng  

"The Universe-The Beauty of Creation"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCNiyzfr4I


"The Ocean Beneath the Earth" Article (WashingtonPost.com)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/16/study-deep-beneath-north-america-theres-more-water-than-in-all-the-oceans-combined/



 

Mystery

 

The first mention of the fact that our Father was dealing in a mystery is mentioned in Mark 4:11, when Jesus is telling His disciples why He must speak in parables to the general population who sought Him out:

"And He said to them. "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."

Jesus described the kingdom of God as a mystery, and the understanding of that mystery is not meant for everyone (Col. 4:5-6). It is a secret or hidden truth. It can only be revealed supernaturally.
We find out later as Jesus taught, that the understanding of the mystery is something that can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit: "He will guide you into all truth..." , and also, "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in a figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father." Jn 16:13, 25, 1 Cor. 2:10, 14).
Though this mystery of God was not manifested in time until the appearance of the Messiah, Jesus, it was promised by the prophets of God, although it was shrouded from complete view:

• "...I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people." (Jer. 31:33)
• "And it shall be in that day, says the LORD, that you will call me "My Husband", and no longer call Me "My Master."     (Hos. 2:16)
• "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh...I will pour out My Spirit in those days."     (Joel 2:28-29)
• "I will also give You (Messiah) as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth."   (Isa. 49:6)

Why is it that the kingdom of God has come as a mystery, and what is the exact nature of that mystery? Here are some of the things the scriptures say about the mystery:

• Some were blinded to the nature of the kingdom of God, so that others, who would never be expected to according to the understanding of men, could receive it. (Rom. 11:25)
• This mystery was ordained before the world began (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7) 
• Part of this mystery involves a metamorphosis, both spiritual and physical. A transformation occurs and is required. (1 Cor. 15:51-53)
• This mystery requires that at a certain point in the fullness of times, a gathering together of all created things and beings into the existence and being of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:9-10)
• This mystery could not be known by humans before a certain point in time. (Eph. 3:4-5) 

 So we now know a few of the characteristics of this unique mystery that was founded in our Father before time began. Before Christ was manifested in the earth, the mystery could not unfold. This mystery of the kingdom of God involves not only the revealing of the Messiah, but the new creation that was manifested through Him - the Church.
Who is the Church, and what is the part that they play in this great mystery? The Church is not defined by the walls of a building. It is not defined by denominations, or traditions. It is a supernatural body enfolded into the physical, resurrected person of Jesus Christ:

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
                                                Eph. 5:31-32

In the above verse, we see that the church and Christ are likened to the joining of the husband and wife. Why is this used as an example? The husband no longer identifies himself as coming from a certain family background. He leaves that behind, and forms a new joining, a new family with his wife. And the deepness and intimacy of that joining far surpasses the one he knew with his mother and father. How he is defined has changed. His old identity has changed, and he has formed a new entity with his wife. The same is true with the Church and its relationship with Christ. It severs our old understanding of who we were, and where we came from. We are now joined with Him intimately:

"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
                                                  Col.1:26-27

The Church are those who have entered into that intimate relationship with Christ. The person of Christ has supernaturally become a part of their being.
The Greek word for "Church" is the word ekklesia. The meaning in Greek is "a gathering called out to meet in an assembly". But the root words that comprise the word ekklesia mean to call out of, to call away from, to invite, in a loud voice. Also included in the root meaning is "to bear a name, to receive the name of, to give a name to". 
So in keeping with the marriage concept of the Church from Eph. 5:31-32 above, even as a husband gives his name to his new wife, we also have received a new name. It is the most holy and exalted Name of the Father, and the Name of His Son, Christ!

"...Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth-
Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him."
                                                  Isa. 43:6-7
(Jesus said) "...whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." 
                                                 and
"In that day, you will ask in My name..."
                                                  John 16:23, 26

As we have become One with Christ, we have received a new name.And by this new name, we are known in the Spirit. It is part of that great mystery, that has been hidden in our Father. And as the Church we are:
"...the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15)
In our being, as the Church, we contain the very pillar of that mysterious truth: the salvation of God through Christ. This salvation comes with the very joining of His holy Name and Being to us.
He approaches each of those He has chosen:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."       (Rev. 3:20)


Our Father is mystery

 "God of Mystery"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub4juGJVGhQ

Humility

I have wanted to write about the humility of our Father, but I haven't quite known the meaning of the quality of humility. I don't think we can know it, until the circumstances of life have brought us to the condition and experience of humility. We think we know how to be humble, and scripture tells us to have the quality of humility, but I don't think we truly know what it is.
The dictionary defines humility as "a way of behaving that shows that you do not think that you are better or more important than other people". Another definition is "the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance." It comes from the Latin word humilitatem meaning "lowness, insignificance".
1 Peter 5:5-6 says in part,
"...Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble'.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 
that He may exalt you in due time." 
The word humility used here means "a sense of one's littleness", from a root word which means "not rising from the ground, lowly in spirit, humble."

The Proverbs tell us repeatedly the rewards of humility:
"By humility and fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life."

"The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."

"Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility."
                                                                        Proverbs 22:4, 15:33, 18:12 

Those who are entrusted with honor, are those who have the quality of humility first. In man's heart is the desire for honor and acknowledgement, the desire for eminence and respect from our fellow man. This is the exact opposite of humility. Jesus said that it was those who humbled themselves that would be the ones to be exalted (Mt.23:12). He also said as the disciples debated who was greatest among themselves, that the greater one is the one who serves, not the one who rules. He told them that He, Himself, was among them as One who serves (Lk. 22:26-27). Jesus turned down worldy kingdoms offered to Him, in order to be a servant of His Father (Mt. 4:8-10). And as we know, Jesus did as the Father showed Him to do. So if Jesus came as a servant, that same servanthood exists in the Father.


Humility is also essential in prayer before the LORD:
"If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."                      2 Chron. 7:14

Being humble is the first requirement in the verse above. It is of the first importance.
This same quality in prayer is repeated in other scriptures:

"Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD."
(Spoken by the LORD through the prophetess Huldah to King Josiah.)  
                                                          2 Chron. 34:27

"LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear."
                                                          Psalm 10:17 

The highest realms of the Kingdom of God are inhabited by the humble, and the Father inhabits that place with them. The greatest spiritual heights, the most exalted of the holies, the place where the Father lives, is the place of humility. He fills it, and it surrounds Him, and in that place of humility where He dwells, revival is found:

"For thus says the high and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity,
Whose name is holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
                                                       Isa. 57:15   

To "revive" above means to be delivered from sickness and discouragement, from faintness and death. It means to restore and preserve. It is a place of revelation, breath, and life. To inhabit that place, to be with Him, we must be like Him. 

Luke 21:1-3 (Fran's Amplified Version)

“And Jesus, the Son of Man, the Savior, received sight, beheld, took heed of and discerned with His Spirit Eye, the rich men (the wealthy, the abundantly supplied, the ones to be completed and filled with the Holy Ghost) casting (throwing, casting out, letting go of)  their gifts (what’s supposed to be the expressions of honor for God, their supposed sacrificial offerings) without even caring where it fell or to what purpose it would be used for) into the treasury (into the place where the treasures are all kept, the special rooms in the court of the temple – the peculiar places of the Body – where all that’s needed for service is kept and where the priests of God themselves live – the place where they themselves are as a tribe, the nation of trumpets, the watched over ones).  And He also saw a certain poor  (needy person, one who toils daily for their substance, who is the image of the great gulf, the chasm fixed between those who are needy of things and of flesh and those who are needy of the Spirit of God the Redeemer in their own spirits/hearts) cast in two mites (the two, the witness of their being stripped, peeled and scaled back like a stripped husk from all the outer, meaningless, natural, temporal things; and He declared, decreed, spoke the Word over the fact that, that stripped down, humbled person, had thrown in more (a greater and more superior quality, a more excellent part as offering unto God the Father) than all the rest of them.”

The above verses are the result of Scripture study by a friend. What she discovered in the familiar verses about the widow who gave the two mites, is not just a lesson on giving, although it is that also. It is a picture of the value of a humbled individual in the eyes of God. This is an individual who has had the circumstances of her life peel away from her all pride. She lived through things that removed all the outer false glory and temporary beauty of man's self-importance. To the others giving that day, she must have seemed of no importance, her gift too small for notice. But as Jesus looked at her with the eyes of the Spirit, He saw that, in her humility, she and her gift were the greatest of them all.

Would we allow the LORD to peel back our pride through difficult lessons and circumstances? Or would we do everything in our faith and power, to escape from that peeling and scraping away? Would we, having had all things taken from us, still be willing to give the pittance we had left, because we had gained a humble, worshipping heart before God? Would we be willing to give up other people's esteem and good opinion, as we were (seemingly) diminished in their sight? If we lost all of the temporary comforts and ease of the world, would we become humble, or bitter?

Will we welcome the process of becoming humble before God and man?

                                                      

Our Father is humility.


"Humble Thyself in the Sight of the LORD"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqv7ww-UJk




              

Joy!

 

"Without having seen Him, you love Him;
though you do not (even) now see Him,
you believe in Him and exult and thrill
with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy."
                                     1 Peter 1:8 (AMP Version)

If we look in the scriptures at the verses relating to joy, there are so many, it would be impossible to cover even half of them here. In the verse above, the joy of God makes us shine gloriously. It is so overwhelming, that we cannot even express what we are feeling. There are no words to describe it.

Jesus spoke about giving us His joy:
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."     Jn. 15:11     
and, Jesus praying to His Father in heaven says,
"But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves."      Jn. 17:13

In the above, Jesus made the point that He was speaking of His joy, even while He was yet in the world. He wasn't speaking of a joy that could only be attained when we are in heaven. And the joy He was describing was a supernatural joy that is specifically found in Him. It is the joy of the Father.
Psalm 43:4 says:
"Then I go to the altar of God,
to God, my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God."
Psalm 16:11 says:
"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
The "fullness" spoken of in the above verse means to be filled to satiation, as with food or drink, to the point where you can contain no more.

Psalm 105:42-43 tells us that as the Father brought His people out of slavery in Egypt, He joy and gladness, the word gladness meaning "with a joyful shout". Our Father shouted with joy! When was that last time you were so full of joy that it came bursting out of you with a shout that you couldn't hold back? This is the kind of joy that our Father lives in and wants us to have.
Our Father wants our joy to be so full, that when we walk in the earth, this joy transforms creation:
"For you shall go out with joy,
and be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier
shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." 
                                   Isa. 55:12-13

In the above verses, the supernatural joy of our salvation impacts all creation, and transforms the curse (thorns and briars), into a blessing (cypress and myrtle trees). This joy establishes the Name of God in the earth.
Our Father commands us to be glad and rejoice forever in what He creates. Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Gal. 5:22. If we have received Him, then not only should we be living in joy ourselves, but we should be feeding that joy to all whom we meet in life. If we truly feel gratitude to our Savior and our Creator, than that gratitude certainly expresses itself in joy. Have we lost that feeling of joy? Then let us stir up the gratitude that we once knew and felt so well.
Jesus talks about the person who resembles stony places in Mat. 13:20-21. This person received the word of salvation with great joy, but because of trials and disappointments, he has become offended by the word, and by God. Have we allowed hardships and disappointments to make us stony places devoid of joy? This is not the will of the Father for us.
Man has a hunger for the joy of God. So many look in diverse places trying to find the feeling of joy for which their souls hunger. They end up substituting temporary things to try to attain that feeling, but those things pass away, because they are not the everlasting joy for which our souls long. So many are suffering to find just a few moments of a temporary joy, that is not joy at all.
We who are the called of God, walking in His joy, bring the "good news" to all creation. In that joy, our lives exhibit for all to see that joy can be found in the wells of salvation.
This is Apostle Paul's prayer for us in Romans 15:13:

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit..."

Our Father is joy!

"Joy to the World" (Flash Mob)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9865b-K9s2w

"Center of My Joy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=265uVZ39Z1E

"Trees of the Field"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjL27TlSwYU

Wisdom

 



One of the most mysterious qualities of our Father, is His wisdom.
When we think of "wisdom", we think of a quality that incorporates intelligence, common sense, a certain talent for understanding. It does include these things, but the wisdom of God far exceeds the ideas we may have concerning wisdom, as we find it in man.
The quality of supernatural wisdom is directly connected with justice, judgment, and the power of creation. In the Old Testament, one of the meanings of "wisdom" in Hebrew, and the primary power of the word, is in regard to judging. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon asks God for a gifting of wisdom. In verse 9, Solomon says to the LORD, "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" The LORD answers him saying, "Behold I have done according to your words; see I have given you a wise and understanding heart..."
Similarly, in the New Testament, the word "wisdom" is defined as "the wisdom of God as evinced in forming and executing counsels in the formation and governing of the world, and the scriptures. So wisdom can be very much about justice, judgment, and governing.

Even more mysterious, is the role that wisdom played, and continues to play in the creation power of God. We can see this wisdom in Prov. 8. The person of Wisdom is speaking throughout this chapter:

"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His works of old.

I have been established from everlasting,

From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

When there were no depths I was brought forth,

When there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills, I was brought forth;

While as yet, He had not made the earth or the fields (outer places),

Or the primal dust of the world.

When He prepared the heavens, I was there,

When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

When He established the clouds above,

When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

When He assigned to the sea its limit,

So that the waters would not transgress His command,

When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;

And I was daily His delight,

Rejoicing always before Him,

Rejoicing in His inhabited world,

And my delight was with the sons of men.”

                                  Prov. 8:22-31

Before, during, and after the completion of creation, Wisdom was present and participating. Even from everlasting, the person of Wisdom was with the Father.

And the delight of Wisdom, and of the Father, was seeing the inhabited creation, especially the sons (children) of men. They celebrated and rejoiced as that life was brought forth.

We know that wisdom also includes the concept of judgment and justice, and government. So what judgment was being accomplished with Wisdom present at the dawn of creation? What caused the great rejoicing at the bringing forth of an inhabited world?

The previous condition of the earth was emptiness, darkness and chaos, according to Gen. 1:2. By establishing light, and life, our Father was also establishing His judgment on those forces that had created such previous turmoil, and destruction. By establishing a creation teeming with life, our Father  was judging darkness and death. By this judgment, He was re-establishing His government, His Kingdom, in the midst of the void. And by the presence of Wisdom, the re-newed creation was brought forth.  The grace, beauty, joy and power of wisdom, the Wisdom that exists with the Father, are being revealed in the scriptures above.

The partnership of creation and wisdom are revealed in other parts of scripture as well. Master craftsmen were appointed by Moses to build the beautiful pieces of furniture used in the Tabernacle of God, among the congregation of Israel. The talent and artisanship of these craftsmen were attributed to the fact that these men and women were filled with the Spirit of wisdom (Ex. 28:3, Ex. 31:2-4).

And yet, the gift of wisdom is not just for God, kings, and craftsmen. In James 1, we can read:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Just as our Father answered Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, so He will answer our prayer for wisdom as well. Why is it so important for the people who are the called by God, to desire and attain wisdom?

Ephesians 3:9-11 tells us:

“and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden on God who created all things through Jesus Christ (the Word of Christ is all wisdom-Col 3:16), to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…”

The same purpose that we read in Gen 1 is commanded above to His church: establishing the judgment of God, the government of God, to the powers of darkness that would try to rule the earth. They did not succeed the first time, and they will not succeed this time – it is against the purpose, will and wisdom of God.

While the wisdom of our Father carries His judgment and government, and His creative power, yet the qualities of that wisdom are wrapped in His nature of love:

“For the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

                                                         And

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.”

                                                      James 3:17, 13

In this age, it is desperately needed for those who know God to seek and attain His wisdom, and all that His wisdom entails. Our Father says in the verses from Ephesians above, it is to be done now, manifesting through the church (His called out assembly). All we have to do is ask.

Our Father is Wisdom.

“The Perfect Wisdom of Our God”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnzYnOe6kI

Reconciliation

Scripture in 2 Cor. 5, tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and all things have become new. Yes, we have become new, but this scripture says "all things" have become new with us. How is this accomplished?
Verses 18-21 in the same chapter continues the thought:

"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word (logos-living voice, decree) of reconciliation..
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Paul is writing to a church of believers in Corinth, yet he is pleading with them to become reconciled with God (verse 20). Aren't believers already reconciled with God?
The meaning of the word "reconciliation" in Greek, refers to the exchange of currency. Unlike coins are made equivalent by a rate of exchange. Although the coins may have nothing in common, they are made to relate to each other, and to equal one other.
If we use this understanding of currency exchange, we might be able to say that man's sinful and dying nature is being exchanged or made equivalent, to the holy, everlasting nature of God by the application of Christ's sacrifice. As it says above "that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
This exchange is an ongoing application of the blood of Christ, and the person of Christ to our souls. If anyone is IN Christ, he is a new creation. Jesus said to abide IN Him (Jn. 15:4).  To abide means to remain, continue, to be held, kept continually, to remain as one, not to become another or different.
The importance of this reconciliation between ourselves and our Father, is that this same reconciliation that the Father desires with us, He also has desired with the world, with "all things". In that same desire, He has imparted to us a ministry of that reconciliation. We apply a "living voice, a decree" from our mouths of the reconciliation between our Father and the created world through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As we become reconciled with our Father, so does all creation - "ALL things have become new".
In 1 Thessalonians 1:8, the Apostle Paul tells the church:

"For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."

This church might have expected or hoped to impact their immediate surroundings, mentioned in the above verse, but they were probably unaware that the Word of God spoken from that place affected ervery place in the world. The Word of God is Spirit. It is alive, and cannot be bound nor fettered (2 Tim. 2:9). It is not limited to the human ears of listeners, but reaches beyond to "every place".
As we speak the Word, as we sing the Word, as we pray the Word of Reconciliation, we are operating in the Ministry of Reconcilation between God and His creation. That which has been broken is repaired. Where there is a gap between God and man, we spiritually stand in it, to make the connection again:

"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 Streets to Dwell In."
                                              Isa. 58:12

A "breach" as described above, is something that has been broken open, broken apart, or broken in pieces, sometimes with the use of violence. The relationship between our Father and man, was broken into pieces by our own rebellion and rejection of Him. He has made a way to repair what was broken by us. We, who understand what He desires to do, can be repairers of that destruction.
Sometimes we view the destroyed spiritual condition of our nation, and we judge it, and we despair over it. But our Father has instructed us to repair it.
Moses is described as a man who stood before God in the breach between God and His people, who had turned away from Him (Psalm 106:23). In doing so, Moses prevented the judgment that the people deserved for their rebellion.
This is the ministry with which we also have been entrusted. As we have heard and read many times in 2 Chron. 7:14,

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."

The reconciliation begins with us. We are to be newly reconciled with our Father every day. Why must it be done every day? Isn't once enough? No- the scriptures tell us that the mercies and compassions of the LORD are NEW every morning (Lam. 3:22-24). This newness means "refreshed, renewed, repaired". The renewing and repairing are available to us every new day, not just once.  As we live, and walk in that reconciliation, it doesn't just affect our own lives, but it will be sounded in every place, even to the healing of our land.
Having been given this ministry of reconciliation, we must now walk in it. How sad it would be for our Father to say over our lives'

"So I sought for a man among them , that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."
                                                                        Ezek. 22:30

It is the heart of our Father to be reconciled with His creation, so much so that He paid with His own blood to do it. We cannot doubt, despite the wickedness we see, that this is His desire. We need to be reconciled to His desire, and speak forth the Word of Reconciliation.

Our Father is Reconciliation.



"A Beautiful Exchange"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bUZj1bkoE

"We'll Stand in the Gap"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5jKnP8sKXc

"Song of Reconciliation"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzSbbldJ488

"Take Me to the King"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8TAr9jgA9A