Pain Takes You to a Place Where Beauty (Jesus) Changes You-Part II

Pain Takes You to a Place Where Beauty (Jesus) Changes You – Part II 

Written By Katlyn Sorensen & Gloria Lundquist

A.                 Many people subconsciously view marriage as a romanticized ‘happily ever after’ but neglect beholding a vision to surpass their wedding day.  Our modern day culture emphasizes the bliss and glory of a wedding but neglects the joys and sorrows that come after.  Marriage is indeed a beautiful journey from God that He uses as a tool to shape and mold us into who He wants us to become.  Marriage is God’s plan for two to operate as one but to also carry your heart as wholly unto God.  Marriage with out a doubt has glorious times as well as difficult times.  In order to be victorious during both glorious and difficult times, one needs to have a vision of how they intend to carry their heart through them. 

B.                 There is a very good reason why we have chosen to focus on an issue that might not sound, on the front end as glorious as some may like to hear when referring to a wedding.  Of course pain and suffering are never going to be joyful topics and that is because the actual pain and suffering in and of itself does not have any power to transform your heart in a positive way.  In many marriages, they have the bliss and joy of the wedding day and then soon after, the “newness” of being married wears off and the newlyweds are left to journey through life together and try to make things work the best they know how.  This journey through life is ultimately a beautiful ride but in the midst of the journey, it doesn’t always look or feel that way.  We wanted to encourage you that the ‘time old tale’ of the ‘ball and chain’ does not have to become a reality once the ‘honeymoon’ is over.  True joy can be grasped in the midst of any circumstance in life and as your journey unfolds, you have the opportunity laid before you to enter into joy unspeakable and for your heart to be more alive than ever before.

C.                 “Where there is no vision the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.”  (Prov. 29:18)

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

D.                 The Bible does not offer us a fantasized victory.  Rather, God invites us to walk as Jesus walked, to embrace the journey of meekness and the pleasure of Christ being formed in our heart. 

1.                  Meekness is the restraining of one’s power for the sake of love.  In meekness, you have power but you refrain from exercising that power for the sake of love.  Meekness is not a laid back personality.  Being quiet does not mean you are meek just as being loud or outgoing does not mean that you are not meek.

E.                  Embracing this journey to true joy not only allows mistreatment into our lives, it requires it.  God is committed to conforming us to the image of His Son, after all, He was the most humble, meek and joyful Man to ever walk this Earth.  God knows that in this place, we will find joy unspeakable.  The power of the resurrection life is given that we might endure suffering and trial in this age.  The good news is that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).  Marriage has a unique way of revealing one’s true heart, either to oneself or to their spouses.

F.                  Mistreatment and opposition are results of this fallen world we live in.  Everyone suffers.  Everyone is hurt, betrayed, abused, take advantage of, oppressed, etc.  (We are not ‘belittling’ anyone’s difficult circumstances, nor are we claiming that we know exactly how one might feel in their own personal life, but rather giving encouragement that one is never alone in their struggle.)  Suffering can only transform the hearts of the redeemed; thus suffering only works for the redeemed.  However, one must choose to participate and embrace the suffering rather than resisting the season at hand.  When a believer responds in meekness to mistreatment, it produces the fruit of wholeheartedness, thus true joy.

G.                 Most people believe that the true measure of one’s passion or one’s entrance into fullness is either enthusiasm in religious activity, freedom in our expression of worship, mental understanding of biblical concepts, or one’s impact in ministry.  The ones who are perceived by others as “mature” are viewed by the measure of their anointing as they minister or by the largeness of their influence in the various realms of life.  Few consider the quality of one’s interior life as the measure of one’s passion and one’s maturity in this life.  Few consider that God truly looks upon the heart.  Few stop to ask, “How tender is my heart to God and how responsive is it to His name and ways?

II.                Why Mistreatment?

A.                 It exposes the great enemy of our soul – pride manifesting in anger.  Mistreatment is like a pressure cooker on the human heart and it exposes what is truly in our hearts.  Mistreatment and opposition touches places of pride otherwise unnoticed in our controlled and undisturbed environments.  This is why marriage can be, if cooperated with, a great sanctifier of the human heart.  A single person has the ability to control their environment in such a way as to keep their true heart and their personal issues undisturbed in hidden places.  In marriage you can run from the problems but you cannot keep them hidden. 

“Opposition and mistreatment are part of the unspoken vows.  “In sickness and in health, in opposition and mistreatment until death do us part or until will kill each other.” – Allen Hood. 

1.                  Most think they are holy when single, but the truth is that there is a difference between being holy and being undisturbed.

B.                 It’s also important to remember that God hates pain and pain has no power in and of itself.  However, God uses pain as an escort into intimacy with Him.  Pain is God’s megaphone to us, shouting “There’s something wrong within your own heart!”  God grips our hearts by allowing us to feel pain and this alone has the ability to change our priorities in one moment.  The problem is that most people see pain as something they need to quickly get over.  When one is in a season of pain, their focus is on getting out of that season in any way possible.  They are not able to recognize pain for what it really can become.  Pain does not disqualify us from intimacy with God but rather it becomes our escort into intimacy with Him.  Pain can never transform you in a positive way, it can only lead you to a place where you can be transformed.  The depth of the wound is the depth of the capacity. 

C.                 When one feels pain, they have to position their heart by taking their focus off of their circumstances and focusing their eyes on the faces of God in the midst of their suffering.  The faces of God that one must focus on are:  Your Bridegroom, Your Judge, and Your Father.

1.                  Jesus, who is your Bridegroom, longs for you, weeps with you and rejoices with you.  He counts your heart as so precious that it is absolutely worth the pain and joy that He chooses to go through with you.  Jesus is the very center of your identity.  Many men and women today struggle with an ‘identity crisis’ and are very insecure.  In the midst of this struggle, it is common to cling to your spouse so they can be your sense of security and identity.  When one does not know who they are in the Lord, they feel that they are supposed to give their whole heart to their spouse, thus opening up an access point that their spouse is not supposed to enter in to.  No human being was created to be able to hold the power of another human’s heart.  As a result of this, the spouse abuses this privilege because they do not know how, nor are they capable of handling such a precious thing.  You are Jesus’ Bride and He is the only one who decides who you are.  As the Bride of Christ, you have a higher place of honor than any other being in the Heavenly Courts.  (When 1/3 of the angels fell from Heaven, God did not send His Son to save them.)  Jesus defines His Bride as one who is lovely, beautiful, one  who has ravished His heart, etc.  We have ravished Jesus’ heart and we are the only created beings that are capable of doing this.  A summary of the Hebrew definition and its English equivalent of the word “ravished” is to overwhelm with emotions of delight because of one who is unusually beautiful, attractive, pleasing, or striking.

“You have ravished My heart, my sister, my spouse; you have ravished My heart with one look of your eyes (with every glance in prayer and devotion), with one link of your necklace…(with every choice and decision you make in loving Me and choosing righteousness).” (Song of Solomon 4:9)

2.                  Jesus, who is your Judge, is the One who will fight for you and bring justice to your life.  One can be comforted in knowing that the Lord will bring justice.  “Jesus holds every tear you cry in a bottle and He will repay Satan for each one of them” –Wendy Lundquist.

^“ You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” (Psa. 56:8)

“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passes away.” (Rev. 21:4)

“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

3.                  Jesus, who is your King, holds you in His arms every moment, records every movement of your heart toward Him, trains you with the least amount of pain possible in order for you to do the capacity of thing He has for you, and gives you grace to surrender to His leadership even when you do not understand it.

4.                  We need to fasten our focus on something eternal rather than the ‘here and now’.  We need to live for something that is guaranteed IF we choose to enter into it now.  God has planned a wedding day for His Son and we are His Inheritance.  We are engaged to marry into royalty and to stand in leadership with Jesus Christ as His equally yoked Bride, FOREVER.  There is nothing more glorious than this.  We must say “Yes” to Him!

“The absolute certainty of finality of our destiny as an adorned, embraced and enthroned Bride with Jesus is a substantial reality of our beauty.  There is nothing more vital to our future maturity, security, encouragement, and comfort, than the revelation of God’s affection.  The dividing issue between people who grow rapidly in the Spirit and those who do not is the knowledge of God’s affection in times of weakness.  It is with this knowledge that we run to Him, instead of running from Him.” - Mike Bickle – Song of Solomon Teachings – IHOP Kansas City, MO.

Overcoming Loneliness

Overcoming Loneliness – Stuart Greaves – IHOP Kansas City, MO

16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and

rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. 17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, for You have filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail? (Jeremiah 15:16-18)

1. what is loneliness
   1. Loneliness is a strong sense of alienation, a very powerful and overwhelming sense of emotional estrangement that is rooted in spiritual bareness but can very powerfully enhanced by scenarios of the past that produced mindsets and strong holds in the soul.
   2. Loneliness is an empty trembling with deep pain and its nature is such that there is no amount of companionship that can touch or heal it. Thinking that companionship is the answer, is the illusion that accompanies loneliness however it is a profound feeling of being isolated, a strong sense of invisibility and or being unheard making it difficult to relate in a meaningful way. There is a basic sense of human loneliness and then there is an overwhelming sense of loneliness that is an inflammation that sometimes is energized by flaming arrows of the enemy.
   3. Some symptoms of loneliness are: feelings of mistrust, internal disconnectedness from social realities (celebrations), anger, self-pity, oppression, being paralyzed internally, apathy (inability to function), loss of perspective, posturing for rejection, there as an outlook on life with a no as opposed to living with a yes

20 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

D. Loneliness is an inward emotional state that is not related to personality types (extrovert or introvert). It is not the same is solitude or being alone in that being alone is good and healthy and true solitude is about fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Loneliness is hollow and can also be described as a strong feeling of forsakenness, which sometimes can be aggravated by human contact. Depending on the personality type loneliness can be heightened when around people and subside when alone which can lead to isolation.

1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. (Proverbs 18:1)

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. ( 2 Corinthians 13:14)

1 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy…” (Phil 2:1)

E. The illusion of loneliness is to think that it is about companionship however it is a profound feeling of being isolated and sometimes a very strong sense of invisibility and being unheard making it difficult to relate in a meaningful way when these feelings are stirred up or awakened.

F. Loneliness is difficult to admit because of the fear of being perceived as quirky and the fear of vulnerability. A person struggling with loneliness of battles with a sense that they are being petty and that they are the only ones battling with loneliness. In fact one of the first steps in the battle of loneliness is acknowledging that one is battling with it and then finding a few trusted friends to who one can share this struggle.

II. trinity: participating in the holy and divine inner circle

1.  
   1. The reality of the Trinity is one that must be entered into through meditation where worship becomes the conduit and container for revelation and understanding.
   2. I believe that there is significant impact that awaits us when our communion becomes Trinitarian, because Trinitarian thinking and communion causes us to get our eyes off of ourselves and get lost in the divine fellowship into which we have been called.
   3. The modern culture of subjectivity has long since been in danger of turning into a culture of narcissism, which makes the self its own prisoner and supplies it merely with self-repetitions and self-confirmations. It is therefore time for Christian theology to break out of this prison of narcissism, and for it to present its doctrine of faith as one of the all-embracing history of God This does not mean falling back into objectivistic orthodoxy. What it does mean is that experience of the self has to be integrated into the experience of God, and the experience of God has to be integrated into the Trinitarian history of God with the world. God is no longer related to the narrow limits of a forgiven, individual self. On the contrary, the individual self will be discovered in the overriding history of God and only finds its meaning in that context.

And now, O Father, glorify Me together ??with Yourself, with the glory ??which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:5)



And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, ??that they may be one just as We are one… (John 17:22)



God is faithful, by whom you were called into ??the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9, emphasis added)

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and ??the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14, emphasis added)

D. The reality of the Trinity has powerful contemplative value. We’ve been invited to participate in the eternal fellowship and communion of the Godhead.

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:10, 12)

 

III. loneliness is anxiety

 

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink (nourishment and provision); nor about your body (comfort), what you will put on. Is not life more than food (nourishment and provision) and the body (comfort) more than clothing (honor and status)? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing (honor and status)? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat (nourishment and provisions)?’ or ‘What shall we drink(nourishment and provisions)?’ or ‘What shall we wear (honor and status)?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt. 6 25-33)

1.  
   1. Loneliness is a manifestation of anxiety in that it is rooted in a fear of being left alone and forgotten. This fear stirs up all manner of anxieties defiling our spirit which only be healed by fully embracing the truth of the gospel and living it out in the grace of God

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled (Col. 1:21)

B. The reality of loneliness is rooted in anxiety, which is a wrongly prioritized desire for honor, money, recognition and comfort. Loneliness gives the illusion that either of these can be the solution to our despair.

C. Anxiety steals time (Mt 6:27) where as prayer redeems time Ephesians 5:16. Worry is the opposite of prayer. Anxiety is the feasting on self, not being able to see past ourselves rather then fellowshipping with the Spirit.

“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matt 6:27)

 

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16)

D. The primary way out of the swirl of loneliness is Jesus’ prescribed way

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt 6:33)

 

“Indeed the hour is coming yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32)

 

“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Sam 30:6)

 

IV. Turning loneliness into a sacred space

 

19 Therefore thus says the LORD: ” If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them. (Jeremiah 15:19)

1.  
   1. God was not “working” for Jeremiah because he prayed but we find out in verse 19 that his heart was not turned to the Lord. Jeremiah had closed His spirit not allowing himself to be vulnerable to the Lord and for the Spirit of God to visit him in the deep recesses of his soul. There was a do not enter sign on the chambers of his soul.
   2. When we bring the void of our loneliness before the Lord in the place of prayer that void will be transformed into a sacred space of fulfillment and joy as the Holy Spirit fills us with the knowledge of God.

“For this reason we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…” (Colossians 1:9)

C. The knowledge of God is the primary antidote for our loneliness –

“If you receive My words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1–5)

1.  
   1.  
      1. Receiving God’s words – obedience
      2. Treasure my commands – meditation
      3. Incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding – teachable
      4. Cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding – prayer
      5. Seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures – refusing to be denied

C. It is essential that we confess our struggle with these near us and those we trust for the purpose of prayer –

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)

E. Ask the Lord for insight was triggers the inflammation of loneliness i.e. situations, forms of entertainment, seasons of the year (holidays), physical energy level.

“… that each of your should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor …” (1 Thess 4:4)

F. Sufficient rest and regular eating –

“Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touch him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.” (1 Kings 19:5-6)

 

G. Pouring out oneself continued and steadfastly in true Christian fellowship –

“The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Prov 11:25)

 

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

1.  
   1.  
      1. Apostles doctrine – study of the word, small group bible study
      2. Fellowship – strengthening the saints, encouraging, exhorting, comforting in truth flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
      3. Breaking of bread – remembering his broken body and shed blood for the new covenant

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Heb 12:3)

4. Prayers – contemplative, supplications, intercessions and thanksgiving (corporately and privately)

The Longing to be fascinated

The Longing to be fascinated:

The longing to be fascinated is satisfied by the revelation of the beauty of Bridegroom King (Ps. 27:4; Isa. 4:2; 33:17; Ps. 145:5)  We need to marvel and experience wonder and awe in order to function emotionally.  The power to be deeply moved is something we all long for.

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek… all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord… (Ps 27:4)

In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious… (Isa. 4:2)

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty… (Isa. 33:17)

1. Secular entertainment builds on this human need.  It exploits and then destroys our heart if we partake of it in wrong ways.
2. We have the opportunity to enjoy tokens of the deep things of God:  His vast beauty, mystery, and splendor.  The Holy Spirit is described as searching an discerning the very depths of the hidden beauty and splendor of God’s Being                                                                                                                                                                                            Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, not have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepard for those who love Him.”  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, and the deep things of God… (1 Cor. 2:9-10)
3. We are invited on a Holy Spirit treasure hunt to search for the deep treasures of His splendor that is purposefully hidden in the heart of God.  This is the most intensive treasure hunt imaginable in this age and continues forever in the age to come.  To marvel in the mystery of God’s beauty creates holy curiosity that know no boredom.  It takes God’s activity in us to know God.  There is nothing more exhilarating than when God reveals God to the human spirit.  When God the Spirit reveals Jesus to our hearts something very powerful begins to take place in our emotions.
4. Even small tokens of these deep things capture and exhilarate the human heart in time and eternity  (Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:7).  The Holy Spirit grants insight into God’s great majesty and splendor.

-Song of Songs teaching by Mike Bickle

Song of Solomon Session 1

Session 1 Introduction to the Song of Solomon by Mike Bickle – IHOP Kansas City, MO

I.                   Introduction

A.                 In this session, we will give introductory information about the Song of Solomon and principles of interpretation. This will give us a road map so as to understand the big picture in the Song.

B.                 King Solomon is the author of this eight chapter love Song in approximately 900 BC. It was probably written before his spiritual decline (1 Kings 11:3-4).

C.                 The two primary sections of the Song are Song 1-4 and Song 5-8.

1.                  The first four chapters of the Song focus on the Bride understanding and enjoying her inheritance in Christ. These chapters emphasize how God views and desires  her.

2.                  The last four chapters focus on Jesus’ inheritance in the Bride. We seek something from Him, but He also seeks something from us. He wants us to love Him with all our heart (Mt. 22:37). The focus of the book completely shifts in the middle (4:16-5:1).

II.                my personal mandate and journey with the Song

A.                 The Lord spoke to me by His audible voice in July 1988. I was in my office and I was reading Song of Solomon 8:6 and began to pray, “Let Jesus seal my heart with the seal of His love.”

B.                 The Lord said that He would release grace to walk in Song 8:6-7 across the Body of Christ worldwide and that I was to focus on this theme throughout my ministry. 

C.                 My first response was to be perplexed after I read the Song of Solomon that day. My next response was to study the Song by faith without enjoying it. I was initially intimidated by the symbolic terminology. I soon began to find much delight and pleasure in studying the Song as I encountered Jesus the Bridegroom and felt the power of His love.

III.             the song reveals the pattern of holy passion

A.                 This Song reveals God’s pattern in how we grow in passion for Jesus. It touches the significant principles and practical realities needed to develop mature love for God.

B.                 Understanding this Song helps us identify the issues that God is specifically dealing with in our lives. It equips us to discern what God is doing in the different seasons in our lives. Through our life, we ebb and flow in and out of the testing and blessing described throughout the Song. People often find themselves in two different places in this Song in the seasons of their life. I re-visit the same place in the Song again and again.

IV.              How to interpret the Song of Solomon

A.                 Natural interpretation: this view depicts a natural love story between King Solomon and his bride, the Shulamite maiden. It emphasizes biblical principles that honor the beauty of love within marriage. This view has grown in popularity in the last 100 years and has many good commentaries. There are two basic story lines when interpreting the Song as a natural love story.

1.                  The first tells of a Shulamite maiden who was wooed by the handsome and wealthy King Solomon who progressively wins her heart as the storyline unfolds.

2.                  The second is the story of a godly Shulamite maiden who deeply loves a poor shepherd in her hometown (Shunem). King Solomon passed through her town and noticed her working in a vineyard. He was struck by her extraordinary beauty. Thus, he sought to steal her heart away from the poor shepherd that she loved. She remained loyal to the poor shepherd in the midst of the temptations of King Solomon’s wealth and power.

B.                 Spiritual interpretation: this is a symbolic interpretation to see the spiritual truths in our relationship with Jesus behind the natural love story. This is the approach I will use in this study course. We study the Song to gain deeper understanding of our relationship with Jesus. This is the most common interpretation over the last 3000 years (since Solomon wrote this Song).

1.                  Jesus is exalted in the Song. He spoke of Himself from all the Scriptures to the disciples on the Emmaus road. He went through all 39 books of the OT to speak of Himself.

²⁷ He expounded…in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Lk. 24:27)

2.                  The Spirit inspired all Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) and exalts Jesus in all that He does.

¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (Jn. 16:14)

3.                  The Spirit has deep friendship with Jesus and a fierce loyalty to fill people with love for Jesus. They have been together from eternity past. Thus, it is inconceivable for the Spirit to inspire a book in the Bible without Jesus being the predominant theme.

V.                 the Spiritual interpretation: 3 common approaches

A.                 First, is the relationship between Jesus and the individual believer. This approach gives spiritual principles that aid us in our progression of holy passion. This is the way we approach this study.

B.                 Second, is the relationship between Jesus and His corporate Church throughout history.

C.                 Third, is the relationship between God as the Bridegroom and ethnic Israel as His Bride (Jer. 2:2; Hos. 2:16-20; Ezek. 16:8-14, 20-21, 32, 38; Is. 54:5-6). This was the primary approach of the scribes in OT times as well as Jewish rabbis today.

D.                 We bless different interpretations as long as they exhort others to grow in love for Jesus.

VI.              all believers are included in the Bride

A.                 Theologically, all believers on earth are betrothed (engaged) to Jesus. In Hebrew tradition, an engaged couple was legally married and needed to be divorced if they broke their engagement.

² For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Cor. 11:2)

B.                 The consummation of the marriage relationship occurs in the age to come (Rev. 19:7).

⁷ 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)

C.                 A working definition of the Bride is one that includes all those who are mature in love.

D.                 I believe that the Bride of Christ is the entire Church from history that is filled with mature love. In the resurrection, the Spirit will bring God’s work to completion in the whole church. In other words, every believer will experience a mature bridal relationship with Jesus. 

E.                  First, the maturity of the Bride is ultimately the fruit of Jesus’ work on the cross.

³¹ If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:31-32)

F.                  Second, in heaven there will be only one unified people, rather than two classes of believers. Jesus prayed that His people would be unified like the Father and the Son.

²¹ That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You… (Jn. 17:21)

G.                 Third, we will be like Jesus when we see Him in glory. The impact of seeing God will release great power that will transform all believers in the age-to-come.

² When He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)

H.                 Fourth, the Bride’s destiny is ensured by God’s ravished heart for her. His heart is ravished for all of His people. God’s heart is ravished for all the redeemed, not just for those who are spiritually mature during their brief time on the earth. Jesus is not more ravished for one group in the Church than He is for another group. 

⁹ You have ravished My heart, My sister, My spouse… (Song 4:9).

I.                    Summary: the maturity of the Bride is based primarily upon Jesus’ work on the cross, His intercession, the revelation of His glory and His ravished heart for us.

 

VII.           The Three main characters of the book

A.                 King Solomon: in the spiritual interpretation he is a picture of the triumphant resurrected Jesus Christ who is King of Kings.

B.                 Shulamite maiden: in the spiritual interpretation she is a picture of the Bride of Christ. She is introduced as a young maiden who grows up to become a Bride in mature partnership with King Jesus. The Shulamite is mentioned once by name (6:13). She lived in Shunam (north of Jezreel).

C.                 Daughters of Jerusalem: in the spiritual interpretation they speak of sincere yet spiritually immature believers. They look to the Shulamite for answers on how to grow close to the King. They are not an actual group that we can identify in history (but personify immature believers).

VIII.        Comparing Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs

A.                 Solomon wrote 3 books in the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. It was common for the Jewish fathers to relate the 3 books of Solomon to the temple he built.
1. They related the book of Proverbs to the outer court of Solomon’s temple.
2. They related the book of Ecclesiastes to the inner court of Solomon’s temple.
3. They related the Song to the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple.

B.                 In Ecclesiastes, he wrote, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” This book proclaims that life without obedience to God is vanity. Therefore, it is impossible to be satisfied with even the most desirable circumstances. This book speaks of man’s endless wanderings until he finds rest in God. We can have everything but if we lack reality with God then in reality we have nothing.

C.                 In the Song of Solomon, Solomon shows forth the joy of life that can be attained without regard to how our circumstances are going. In this book, the Holy Spirit is calling us to make intimacy with God the goal of our life. The Song highlights how full our life is when our consuming passion is to love and know Jesus. Even with hard circumstances, our spirit can be alive in God.

D.                 Ecclesiastes teaches us that no matter how great our accomplishments are in man’s eyes they will not ultimately have any value if they are not pleasing to God. When Ecclesiastes is understood it awakens us to the fervency that begins the journey in Song 1:5. Thus, Ecclesiastes prepares us to understand the Song of Solomon.

E.                  The philosophy in Ecclesiastes tells us to “assert ourselves to gain more worldly experience as the way to enjoy life.” Song of Solomon speaks of entering fulfillment through humility, obedience and the impartation of God’s love.

F.                  Ecclesiastes speaks of the vanity of pursuing the best things found in earthly life, while Song of Solomon speaks of the spiritual pleasure of pursuing the best things found in heavenly life.

IX.              The CANticles or a series of Songs

A.                 The Song of Songs is sometimes referred to as the Canticles. The Latin noun “canticum” means “a Song”. Canticles mean a series of Songs.

B.                 The Vulgate was a popular Bible translation written in the 4^th century by Jerome who translated the Scripture into Latin so that the common people could understand it.

C.                 In the Vulgate, the Song of Solomon is called the Canticles. The following references may be rightfully used: Cant. 4:9 or Song 4:9 or SS 4:9 or SOS 4:9.

X.                 Allegorical interpretation

 

²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic (figurative in NIV; allegorically speaking in NAS). For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar– 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai…and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Gal. 4:23-26)

A.                 The allegorical interpretation has been used in different ways through history. Paul’s treatment of the Hagar-Sarah story “is described by Paul as symbolic by the NKJV, as figurative by the NIV and as an allegory by NAS.

B.                 Paul’s use of the Sarah-Hagar story in Gal. 4:21-31 is more “figurative” (typology) instead of an “allegory.” Paul’s use of allegory differed greatly from Alexandrian allegory (first-century Philo as well as the third and fourth century Origen and Chrysostom).

C.                 The Alexandrians used allegory in a way that ignored its historical context and meaning. In 1 Cor. 9:9-10, Paul used an allegorical interpretation of the “muzzled ox” (Deut 25:4) to apply to the full-time workers in the gospel receiving finances.

D.                 An allegory is a fictional story with symbolic meaning without historical facts as its basis. An experience of this type of an allegory is seen in the book, The Chronicles of Narnia.

E.                  An allegory is a literary form where people or objects symbolically represent truths. Allegories illustrate truths to make them easier to understand. Our primary interpretation of Scripture must be the historical grammatical that takes the Scripture at face value. We approach the Scripture this way unless the Scripture indicates otherwise (Gal. 4:24; Jn. 15:1-6; Rev. 11:8; Isa. 5:1-7; Hos. 2:1-14; Ezek. 16; Dan. 7:2-8, 16).

F.                  Allegorical interpretations are helpful if we only use them to illustrate truths that are clearly established throughout the New Testament.

Pain takes you to a place where Beauty (Jesus) changes you.

 Pain Takes You to a Place Where Beauty (Jesus) Changes You Part I

Written By Katlyn Sorensen

“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”  Isaiah 61:3

We are living in one of the most emotionally broken generations that has ever been.  You see these broken stages developing in children at a very young age. People are seeking to find their identity in anything other than True Beauty (Jesus Christ). There are seven known longings of the human heart that Christ has placed in you. He has designed the human heart in such a way that these longings can only be truly satisfied through the Lord. Every day you wake up, your spirit is like a vacuum, seeking to fulfill these longings in any way possible. These longings have to be filled but our human nature seeks to fulfill these longings with anything other than God. If these longings are filled with anything other than God, that fulfillment will only be temporary, as you have to continue seeking other fulfillments when those die out. These longings can ONLY be permanently satisfied with Jesus.

These Seven Longings are:

(1) The longing for the assurance of being enjoyed (by God)
(2) The longing to be fascinated
(3) The longing to possess and feel beautiful
(4) The longing to be great and successful
(5) The longing for intimacy without shame
(6) The longing to be wholehearted and passionate
(7) The longing to make a deep and lasting impact

Most of your daily activities stem from seeking to fulfill these longings. You CANNOT repent from these longings, you can only repent from seeking to fulfill these longings in the wrong way. Its like these longings are deep crevices in your heart. Everyday we do things to fill these crevices up. (Ex: Eating, watching television, playing video games, sports, etc.)  Many of these things we do, are not bad things by any means, but they will not truly, permanately satisfy you.  Jesus wants you to fill these longings with Him.  When these crevices in your heart are filled up with other things, there is no room for Jesus to come in and fulfill these.  He wants to conquer your heart.  He wants a voluntary, lovesick bride.  As believers, we have ravished His heart.  He wants you to know in a deep way how He feels for you.  He wants this truth to be settled in your spirit in a deep way.  Many people do not know this truth which in turn, causes them to search for other ways to satisfy these longings.  By satisfying these longings in other ways, it eventually causes very broken, lost people.  It creates so many problems in your life.  Many people who are broken seek to postpone their pain through things like food, friends, tv, work, etc.  These things are like pain killers; they only work for a time, but eventually they will wear out.  So many people have such deep wounds that they will do anything to stop the pain.  At that very point, when you are in the most intense pain, is where Jesus meets you.  He wants you to stop focusing on your circumstances and start focusing on Him.  He wants you to see that you can use your pain as ‘currency’ for intimacy with Him.  Pain has no value in itself, but we all have it, so it must be there for some reason.  God hates pain, but He does teach us that we can use it as an escort into intimacy with Him.  When you are in the moment of the most intense pain (whatever may be the cause-broken family, broken relationships, etc.) He says to His believers “I love you, you are beautiful, I love you, you are beautiful, Focus on Me and I will heal you.  If you give this to Me and stop focusing on your circumstances and start focusing on Me, I will give you Beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.”  And when you do start focusing on Him and not on your circumstances and you start meditating on how the Lord feels for you in the midst of your pain, it is in that moment, that pain has taken to you a place where Beauty (Jesus) is changing you.  He says “Now I can come in to the deepest places of you, now I can enter in to the deepest places of your heart.  I want all of you, not only because I love you with all of My mind and all of My heart, but also because I know that it is the best thing for you!”  He says “You have ravished My heart, My sister, My Bride”  (Sister speaking of Jesus’ relation to our Humanity because Jesus is fully man and fully God-Bride speaking of the believer’s position of partnership with the Lord-remember there is no gender concerning these issues.)

 Many people tend to run from Jesus instead of running to Jesus.  The difference between the believer who runs to Jesus instead of from Him in the midst of their shame, sin, brokenness, and struggle, is that the believer who runs to Jesus knows how Christ Jesus feels towards them.  They know that His heart is absolutely ravished and lovesick over them.  The believer who runs from Jesus does not have these truths settled in their spirit.  Christ has a ravished heart for both believers, the only difference is, one believer experiencially knows this, the other does not.

 I strongly encourage you all to meditate on how the Lord feels about you.  Take a highlighter and highlight every verse in the bible that speaks of how Jesus feels toward you.  Take these truths and pray them back to the Lord.  Say to Him “Thank You Jesus that you love me, thank You, thank You, thank You, and thank You that You desire me and You desire to spend time with me.”  etc. etc. etc.  Thank Him for things such as how He longs to be with you, how He enjoys you, how He is lovesick for you, how He wants all of You and He wants to give you all of Him.  This alone will begin to change your entire emotional chemistry.” 

“The absolute certainty of finality of our destiny as an adorned, embraced and enthroned Bride with Jesus is a substantial reality of our beauty. There is nothing more vital to our future maturity, security, encouragement, and comfort, than the revelation of God’s affection. The dividing issue between people who grow rapidly in the Spirit and those who do not is the knowledge of God’s affection in times of weakness. It is with this knowledge that we run to Him, instead of running from Him.”  – Mike Bickle  Song of Songs teaching – IHOP Kansas City, MO.