Structure and Value System for MeetingsThe Worth and Excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love. –Henry Scougal

"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (NIV, Mark 12:28-30)

1. Settle in to Love: The first commandment is First. Our primary pursuit at each meeting is to minister to the Lord; i.e., to pour our love and worship on the Lord and communicate our affection, our thanksgiving and our pleasure in Him; to rest in Him and listen to Him

Affection. This is part of the glory we give to God, who counts himself glorified when he is loved. Deut. 6:5, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul." There is a twofold love: 1. Amor concupiscentiae, a love of concupiscence, which is self-love; as when we love another because he does us a good turn. A wicked man may be said to love God, because he has given him a good harvest, or filled his cup with wine. This is rather to love God's blessing than to love God. 2. Amor amicitiae, a love of delight, as a man takes delight in a friend. This is to love God indeed; the heart is set upon God, as a man's heart is set upon his treasure. This love is exuberant, not a few drops, but a stream. It is superlative; we give God the best of our love, the cream of it. Cant. 8:2,"I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate." If the spouse had a cup more juicy and spiced, Christ must drink of it. It is intense and ardent. True saints are seraphims, burning in holy love to God [from the Hebrew word saruph, to be burned up]. The spouse was amore perculsa, [an overwhelming love], in fainting fits, "sick of love, (i.e., lovesick – my add.)" Cant. 2:5. Thus to love God is to glorify him. He who is the chief of our happiness has the chief of our affections. – Thomas Watson – Puritan Sermons

Psalm 100: A Psalm of praise (todah –an act of the will/ adoration/a sacrifice/offering)Make a joyful noise (rua –split the ears roar to Jehovah (YHWH- I Am that I Am – the self-existant One) all you lands (i.e., one voice raised in praise from the whole earth). Worship Jehovah with gladness (simchah – absolute glee); Come before His presence with singing (r’nahnah - shout/sing for joy) Know that Jehovah, He is God (Elohim –THE God– the powerful creator). He has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people (am-flock/tribe/family), and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates (opening) with thanksgiving, (todah –an act of willful adoration) and into His courts with praise; (tehilah – very personal- spontaneous) be thankful to Him, (yadah- response of the heart) and bless His name. (barak – complete the knee/bended knee – adoration) For Jehovah is good; (tov- good in the wildest sense) His mercy is everlasting; (chesed – womb centered love exceeds the vanishing point) and His truth endures to all generations. (dor x2- complete revolution of time/time (age to age))

Enter into His love/joy in/for Himself and for us “The We opened the Circle and the We invited the Children into the Dance.” -Dan Wilt “The I (AM) became you and brought you into the We.”

Marvel because He is also the One who “barak”s/blesses/comes on bended knee (Gen 26:24, Psalm 18:35 –consider Jesus washing Peter’s feet)

Worship Him from the most honest place of your heart Tell Him what you are thankful for regarding Him, your mutual love, and

your life in your own words/songs/ thought Enjoy His joy in being generous in love and provision for YOU – You are

“the joy set before Him”. Listen to Him tell of His Wonderful Love Recount what you love about Him Listen to Him tell you again what He loves about Himself and YOU Tell Him what you enjoy/find beautiful about Him Listen to/sing His songs, dreams and desires over you and yours for Him Communicate and foster (stir) your desire for Him Look for Him in your circumstances through the lens of His love Meditate on the Truth and Wonder of who He is as revealed in scripture

and life Seek to “know HIM”; to understand and appropriate His Heart and

perspective Testify to His goodness

“The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The Westminster Catechism [a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11 [b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4

Here’s a theory to consider: Jesus knew His Father. He spent time with Him and worshiped Him. One of His most amazing accomplishments as a human being is that He operated from this identity - the identity of the beloved; the “first born”.

He was so anchored and centered in His Father's/Holy Spirit's love and joy in/over Him as well as His love and joy in/over them (while living in the fullness of His self-imposed/love-imposed/ temptation-filled limits as a human being) that He operated solely from the place of choosing complete trust in His Father’s care for Him and in His Father's thoughts regarding all things rather than relying on a "fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" response/perspective concerning what ever was presented to Him in the world.

He trusted that God alone was good and therefore only God’s perspective could declare whether something was “tree of Life” giving. His temptation in the wilderness was entirely focused upon these very issues. It was from the posture of “rest-in-trust-in-safety-in-love” that He lived out the fullness of His expressed life of obedience.

Jesus said, "the work of God is believing in Him who sent Me." John 6:29 “Rest-in-trust-in-safety-in-love = faith" is a dimension of grace that God freely gives to us now because

of and released in/through our life expressed in “rest-in-trust-in-safety-in-love” (i.e., "faith") in Jesus' and therefore Father's and Holy Spirit's love for and joy in/over us –is ours today.

He invites us to live from that place at all times regardless of what we see or experience all around us.  We must, therefore, take the time to know our Father as well in order to be anchored in Him and to trust Him, i.e., to live a fully human/first-born of all creation life. We must put ourselves in Love’s way while it simultaneously barrels into us with great purpose and determination. It is from this posture of arms open wide embracing wave after wave of God – who IS Love - that we are sustained and enabled us to lay down our agendas and personal passions/burdens in order to listen for the voice of the Lord - in our hearts and in one another - and to seek His redemptive perspective regarding each other, Long Island and the Church.

Among other things, in a very practical way it facilitates: Finding the place of agreement – musically, in prayer and in our

meditations on our scripture reading Speaking blessing and life rather than criticism/rebuke/judgment over one

another Yielding to the flow of the Holy Spirit and the leadership provided by the

prayer leader/worship leader in the room, Self-control; (Gal 5:23) i.e., not having to speak every thought or play

every note or pray out loud every prayer Growing in trust in each other Building a love-based community

2. Being Secured in Beauty The exploration of and fascination with the Beautiful God is the chief and best motivator for sustaining worship and prayer. The scriptures of both the Old and New Testament overflow with this instruction and we turn to Psalm 45 and Revelation 19 to illustrate the results of a heart fascinated by and focused upon the Beautiful God.

We focus first on the Beauty of the Bridegroom-King and what follows is the securing of the Bride in the context of His love and the beauty He has bestowed on her. It is the becoming what we behold principle.

(2Corinthians 3:18) (YLT) . . . and we all, with unveiled face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (MKJV) But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit. (ISV) As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are being transformed into the same image with ever-increasing glory by the Lord's Spirit. )

It begins with setting the eyes of our heart . . .

(See Ephesians 1:18-20 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ,)

. . . on the Truth and we are reminded of the beauty/glory of the Lord - and then we testify. This happens individually, yet demands a corporate context for us to fully encounter this dynamic because we behold the Lord and reflect Him to one another.

In some translations of Psalm 45 we are told that the writer “recites” his inspired revelations – including those that have come through the Law, through other believers and his own contemplations.

Recite: to repeat or say aloud from or as from memory, esp. in a formal way; give a recitation on (a lesson) in class or of (a poem, speech, etc.) before an audience to tell in detail; give an account of; narrate; relate to enumerate to repeat or say aloud something memorized to recite a lesson or part of a lesson in a class

Let’s look at this “discipline / joy” in context:

The Marriage of the Lamb: Psalm 45 & Revelation 19

Psalm 45 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite (rachash - to gush) my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. (“I speak of what touches the King.”)

You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad. Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor. All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you forever and ever.

Jamieson Fausset and Brown’s Commentary describes this Psalm as “A song of loves, or, of beloved ones (plural and feminine) - a conjugal song. Maschil - (See on Psa_32:1, title, and see on Psa_42:1, title) denotes the didactic character of the Psalm; that it gives instruction, the song being of allegorical, and not literal, import. The union and glories of Christ and his Church are described. He is addressed as a king possessed of all essential graces, as a conqueror exalted on the throne of a righteous and eternal government, and as a bridegroom arrayed in nuptial splendor.

The Church is portrayed in the purity and loveliness of a royally adorned and attended bride, invited to forsake her home and

share the honors of her affianced lord. The picture of an Oriental wedding thus opened is filled up by representing the complimentary gifts of the wealthy with which the occasion is honored, the procession of the bride clothed in splendid raiment, attended by her virgin companions, and the entrance of the joyous throng into the palace of the king. A prediction of a numerous and distinguished progeny, instead of the complimentary wish for it usually expressed (compare Gen_24:60; Rth_4:11, Rth_4:12), and an assurance of a perpetual fame, closes the Psalm. All ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters regarded this Psalm as an allegory of the purport above named.”

Now let’s look at Revelation 19 with this imagery in mind:

Revelation 19 And after these things I heard a great sound of a numerous crowd in Heaven, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and the power to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments. For He has judged the great harlot who defiled the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged the blood of His servants out of her hand. And secondly they said, Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God sitting on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah! And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all His servants, and the ones fearing Him, the small and great. And I heard as the sound of a great multitude, and as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, See, do not do it! I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw Heaven opened. And behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war. And His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except Himself. And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His garment, and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw one angel standing in

the sun. And he cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, Come and gather together to the supper of the great God.

Revelation 21 – 22:5And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away. And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the Water of Life freely. He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God. And its light was like a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. And it had a great and high wall, with twelve gates. And on the gates were twelve angels, and having names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel: And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of its street, and of the river, from here and from there, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each yielding its fruit according to one month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And every curse will no longer be; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. And they will see His face, and His name will be in their foreheads. And there will be no night there. And they need no lamp, or light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light. And they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show to His servants the things which must shortly be done.

We see that there is an individual and corporate expression of joy in the revelation of the king that precedes the revelation of the Bride/the Church and it is in HIS accomplishments that she is adorned and secured in beauty and in love. The way in is Him and the reward is Him. By invitation we behold Him and actively engaging with Him as a response to beholding Him. We are transformed by His

love and beauty and become like Him, and the reward is . . . to see His face, to bear His name and to reign forever and ever.

3. The Interwoven Relationship: i.e., The Dynamics of the Lovestruck

The King is adorned by Zion’s worship in intimacy as a response to His initiation of sacrificial tenderness:

All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

(Ivory= His Body – see Song of Solomon 5:14 - Jesus’ body (or belly, KJV) speaks of His tender compassion. In the Song of Solomon 5:4 the Shulamite says “My heart yearned,” and is translated here as body. It speaks of deep feelings or tender compassions. Jesus’ compassion is rare like ivory (and requires skill like carved ivory). 14 His body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires. (SoS 5:14))

Zion is adorned in the “chamber” – her “secret place”/ worship-prayer closet of intimacy, by the Holy Spirit, for the joy King:

All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king – Psalm 45

Picking up from that point we move to Psalm 46, which continues to speak of the interwoven relationship between God and His dwelling place; i.e., Zion, the city of God, which is the Bride (see Revelation 19-21). God dwells in the midst of His people as the river that makes the city glad (Psalm 46: 4-7) We are then told to “Come behold the works of the Lord … “and to “ cease striving and know that He is God” (v. 10).

Psalm 47 meditates on the glory of God and the glory of Jacob whom He loves. We are encouraged to sing and clap for joy because of the King has ascended with a shout (reminiscent of the glory of God, the sun being illustrative of Bridegroom who exits His Bridal chamber with joy like a mighty man – see Psalm 19 and looking forward to Ephesians 1.)

It is within this context, the context of God dwelling in/with the Bride and our marveling at His craftsmanship, that we are invited in Psalm 48 to consider His Beauty and works expressed through His adornment of Zion (the completed Church –Jew and Gentile -, i.e., the Bride). It is the end result of both parties being overcome with love and affection.

Psalm 48 A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.

God is in her citadels; He has shown himself to be her fortress. When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. (Isaiah 60 God dwelling in His Church) Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor. You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever.       Selah

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

4. A Room with a ViewFinally, we are invited in the Book of Revelation through the open door, which is Jesus (Revelation 3) to consider the Beauty of God unveiled in Revelation 4:

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.    In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:   "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

It is in this context that we progress to partnership with the True Intercessor – the Lamb of God - who alone is worthy to break the seals on the scroll and bring true justice and mercy to the marriage of worship and intercession in Revelation 5:

The Scroll and the Lamb  Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the

scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."  Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:    "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:    "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:    "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

In Psalm 18, we get a clear picture of the dynamics between the Heavenly and earthly realms meeting through worship and intercession in the relationship:

1.) Within the Godhead 2.) Between God and His people through Jesus, our righteousness

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around

me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him - the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble   but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all

lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

4. Send forth Love: Our secondary pursuit is the Second Commandment, i.e., focusing on loving others: “The second is like the first, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:39 It is primarily expressed through ministering to one another by:

Greetings & blessings to each other Listening to each other Seeking the Lord’s thoughts and heart for each other Preferring each other Praying for each other and their circle of influence, our community, Long

Island and the Church

"Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [It should] not [be] so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whomever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.'" Mark 10:42-45

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:29-33)

“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

“It would seem that the posture in discovering a truly prophetic voice is one of deference and respect. As I have tried to process with people in the church spheres claiming to have some kind of “voice” for the church and the culture I have found very little room for honest dialogue. This deeply concerns me. Can we just talk? Given the instruction from the above NT insights it seems critical that love rule and that humility be our mantra. We can only know in part - at best - and it takes the wrestle within community to come to clarity. Over the past year or so I have heard so many proclamations about what God is up to and what He thinks - it really makes my head spin. I guess I’m OK with someone being passionate about what they believe is central to the voice of Christianity in our times ... but what I really am struggling with is an apparent lack of humility in the delivery - especially when things don’t “pan out” the way it was declared or desired. The blogs go silent - the websites empty of any kind of debriefing - and without any one saying “sorry”, or “ooooops we missed it”, or “let’s process together what just happened” ... excuses are made (or the silence is deafening) and things just roll on to the next prophetic call. The results are devastating as people are confused once again.

What ever happened to the advice Paul dishes out “… weigh carefully what is said and if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.” Wow - how much grief would that save us if we could just get to a place of community and trust where that could operate. I have been privy to many times when a voice tries to be heard from amongst those who are “sitting” and it seems to never be able to get enough volume to be heard. For all sorts of reasons these voices are rarely heard in a church dominated by celebrity, position and charisma. Seems to me that something needs to shift.

If we are not careful - we eventually will loose our voice altogether, and if that’s already happened (which some would most certainly believe) - the potential of regaining it will be quite slim. The true prophetic voice is not to be treated with contempt ... my prayer is that somehow we can recapture the voice of heaven in the community of faith. I see no way forward however apart from a love and humility that makes room for dialogue and

process both within and without the “walls” of Christendom.” – David Ruis – When all the Dust Settles.

5. Format for Freedom

Worship first Listen to the Lord first Listen to the room and focus on love Avoid matters too large for you (principalities, powers, places of

weakness, prideful judgments, etc.) Find out what God says and agree from His Throne Avoid preaching from prayer Choose actions and release sounds that bless God and others; i.e., that do

not draw attention away from the Lord or distract those who are seeking Him

Pray concise, scriptural, love and blessing focused prayers

4. Values of the House 5. Obey traffic signals