Song of Solomon 2-10-11
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Greetings Friends,
It's been a long time....and speaking of time....as the verse says, the flowers are blooming and the turtles are out....and Our First Love is calling.
Some of us have gotten a little too sleepy in our walk with the LORD (myself included). For a season I have not run the race for eternal life as hard and earnestly as I have in the past. The LORD God who created all things is patiently and mercifully trying to stir many out of sleep. Some have been sleeping deeper than others.
The current events have been a rude awaking for some. Many are fearful as the future seems so uncertain it is causing us to weigh our desires in the balances. Many who have not taken their life seriously are beginning to really think more deeply; questioning their purpose in life. We all definitely were created with a specific purpose; even the turtles & flowers have a specific purpose, how much more God's creatures (us) who were created in His image?
Friends, if you have never read the New Testament from beginning to End on your own, NOW IS THE TIME while you have the FREEDOM. Read it without commentary, read it as a child, and pray even if you do not believe in God, pray to the "Unknown God" to reveal Truth to You. I once questioned and doubted the Christian God I was raised to believe in....but I also sought to know the purpose of existence and who the One True God is. If we do not seek we should not expect to find, If we do not ask we should not expect to receive, if we do not Knock we should not expect doors to be opened unto us. (Matthew 7:7)
For those of us who already believe in God and that Christ came to save us literally, by setting us free from the slavery of sin, from death and the power of the enemy; we still need to be reminded of what His word, warns and promises to those who endure to THE END and are faithful to keep faith in Him. Those of you who have yet to read the New Testament and discover who Christ truly is and what He requires and promises to those who take the steps of faith, you have a Great Hope and inspiration to gain.
When we say we believe in Christ this statement means a lot! Today for many it doesn't seem to mean as much as it did back in the days of The Holy Women of Old whose lives were literally on the line when they claimed such a belief. Today for many it means, "Ya, I been to the altar and accepted Jesus, I am going to Heaven, I don't need to be told by you how to live my life, God accepts me whatever I do, there's nothing I can do or say that would make Him love me any more or any less." Megachurches are accepted throughout the United States and I am sure in other countries as well. If so many people are accepted by Jesus why aren't they turning the world upside down as they did back in the days of the first disciples?
Let us look at this passage from the Book of Acts
Acts 17
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Notice there were Greek women of honor that believed the Gospel that was being preached. Jesus shared the Gospel with His own Nation (the Jews), but many rejected Him. Those Jews who did believe Him were considered to be following a deceiver. So, for a Greek person to believe that a Jewish man was the Savior of the World (savior of those who choose to believe), that was quite unusual. The followers of Christ were accused of turning "the world upside down". They were apparently living with a man named Jason (as it was normal for followers of Christ to sell houses and lands and join together having all things in common). Jason was scorned for having received the Brethren into his home and they were accused of living contrary to the ruler and rules of the time. With these kinds of accusations, their profession of faith put their lives on the line. So, when a woman of old Greek or Jew or of any other nation claimed Christ to be the Savior they knew that would mean their life would be drastically different and their future in this world uncertain. Yet, many boldly proclaimed His name because His name wasn't just a name. Proclaiming His name wasn't like wearing a name brand that makes you feel cool. It was through His name many of them received healing of diverse sickness, and/or freedom from sins they were once bound & afflicted by. They also received hope of eternal life with the Christ they came to know as their FIRST LOVE.
Faith in Him worked cleansing from sin and joy unspeakable in their lives. Faith in Him made life on earth just a passing moment in time. How many of you have ever loved someone deeply: they are your waking thought, the one you lay down to bed and think upon, you live to please them and you find your happiness in them, you can't imagine life without them?
Christ wants to be our First Love.
He loves us so much He suffered and died so we can be with Him for eternity. It only makes sense for us to be moved by His sacrifice to love Him immensely in return. I don't expect you to be moved without first having sought Him with your whole heart and reading about His life and purpose, getting to know Him. He is more tangible than we realize: He can minister to us through dreams and visions, through awakening life experiences. He is near to all who call upon Him in Truth. He's calling out to us now through the present world circumstances. He is giving us an opportunity to make right our wrongs before He returns to put an END to all the suffering here and create a new heaven and a new Earth. You realize Noah warned people in his time of God's righteous judgment that was coming. All people were destroyed but Noah and 7 other people with him. The flood drowned out all the wicked inventions of men and allowed Noah and those with him to have a fresh start in life. This isn't a fairytale friends, it's history and it will somewhat repeat itself, although fire will consume rather than water. So, take comfort your First Love is calling you to draw near to Him and learn of the Strength, Hope, Peace, and Joy you can have by His Amazing Grace; even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Christ wants to be our First Love.
He loves us so much He suffered and died so we can be with Him for eternity. It only makes sense for us to be moved by His sacrifice to love Him immensely in return. I don't expect you to be moved without first having sought Him with your whole heart and reading about His life and purpose, getting to know Him. He is more tangible than we realize: He can minister to us through dreams and visions, through awakening life experiences. He is near to all who call upon Him in Truth. He's calling out to us now through the present world circumstances. He is giving us an opportunity to make right our wrongs before He returns to put an END to all the suffering here and create a new heaven and a new Earth. You realize Noah warned people in his time of God's righteous judgment that was coming. All people were destroyed but Noah and 7 other people with him. The flood drowned out all the wicked inventions of men and allowed Noah and those with him to have a fresh start in life. This isn't a fairytale friends, it's history and it will somewhat repeat itself, although fire will consume rather than water. So, take comfort your First Love is calling you to draw near to Him and learn of the Strength, Hope, Peace, and Joy you can have by His Amazing Grace; even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Keep your heart looking up towards a hopeful eternity with your First Love.
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
