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These pieces reveal the
progression in becoming the Bride of Christ.
TEARS IN A BOTTLE
–The Secret Place Collection
(complete
Chronicle Online)
Before we come into the
kingdom, we feel alone. Somewhere deep within we know
there is something more to life.
(Psa 56:8 KJV) Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my
tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book.
We see a girl in the
shadows dressed for dancing … tears flowing
-misunderstood, abandoned, misused, and abused. I could
see God carefully allowing the tears to collect in the
bottle -saving them for a time when He could turn the pain
and wounds into something that would work for their good.
(Rom. 8:28) It could be that she is unaware of the Savior
or needs a higher awareness that He is with her.
THE BRIDE GROOM BECKONS …The
Bride Collection (complete
Chronicle Online)
– In childhood, we see her
far away in the shadows. In the distance, she develops the
relationship with her Father. She is learning
unconditional love and acceptance. This is a time of being
established; she is growing in wisdom and stature. As time
passes, she lays down childishness in preparation to enter
adulthood. She begins to venture out of the shadows in
search of a greater identity …one beyond that of “just a
daughter”. Eventually she begins feel more confident in
her ability to face her future. She begins to cross over
into a new realm of maturity …soon she crosses the
threshold to responsibility.
She is still focused on
“self” …unaware of the bridegroom who stands patiently
waiting. Meanwhile the Father will never leave her nor
forsake her …He continues to teach her about
relationships. He has modeled love and trust; after all,
her future relationships will hinge on the one with her
Father. When she is ready she begins to consider her
future …the Father begins to prompt her to ready herself
for the bridegroom. Then she turns to face her destiny.
The Father chooses the bride
–pays a price creating a covenant with Himself… then comes
the betrothal.
He arranged the adoption and the marriage before the
foundations of the earth. Traditionally the Father of the
Groom chooses the bride –pays a price creating a covenant
with Him. The man and woman then become betrothed.
Eph
1:5 AMP For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in
love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of
His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind
intent]--
After the bride has been
chosen, the Father pays an agreed price for her. In our
case, the Father paid the ultimate price – His only Son.
Along with payment, there was a written agreement
detailing the commitment and rights of the parties, which
began the betrothal.
The young man then leaves
and goes to prepare a place for her in his father's house.
She remains behind readying herself for married life. When
the Father says it is time, He will return to receive her
into the place He has prepared.
John 14:2-3 AMP In My Father's house there are many
dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have
told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.
And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will
come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I
am you may be also.
BEHIND THE VEIL –The Secret
Place Collection (complete
Chronicle Online)
The Lord began to speak to
me, “Behind the Veil”. The veil represents a covering –a
mantle if you will …concealing, covering, hiding –it can
be a mantle of truth or deception. –shining the light on
the dark places. (Eph
5:26, 27, Heb 4:12, 2 Pet 1:19 KJV)
The veil progressively
becomes more and more transparent. We make a divine
exchange –our veil for His veil –instead of being
separated from Him we become separated unto Him. The veil
then takes on the characteristics and symbolism
of the bridal veil. The
golden scepter and crown symbolize divine-sovereign
authority and headship. Once Esther had gone through a
time of preparation, she was allowed access to the king’s
quarters. Immediately, the king positioned her as “Queen”
Esther (not just Esther, the woman) and asked her, “What
is your request?” We dwell in His “Secret Place” in light
of what Jesus, the Christ has made available and not the
dark-secret place or the veil behind which the enemy once
tried to keep us.
THE BRIDE GROOM BECKONS
…The Bride
Collection (complete Chronicle
Online)
As she transitions to the
role of “the bride”, she comes to realize that her
righteousness pales in comparison to the light of His
glory.
It is as filthy rags in the
light of His countenance. She begins to see that although
she has found favor in the sight of the King. She must
begin to pursue a time of preparation … a time of
discovering what pleases her king …the one who will soon
be her groom for eternity.
COME AWAY MY LOVE …The Bride Collection (complete
Chronicle Online)
Song 2:10-11, 16 AMP My
beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair
one, and come away. For, behold, the winter is past; the
rain is over and gone. [She said distinctly] My beloved
is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the
lilies. [Matt 10:32; Acts 4:12.]
Draw Near to me and I will
draw near to you. The Bridegroom is so near that she can
hear Him whisper, Come away with me. In Song of Solomon
chapter 2, we see reminiscing of the time of courtship,
where they are exchanging tender-loving sentiments.
DANCE WITH ME –Oh Lover of my soul – The Bride Collection
(see chronicle)
THE DOOR OF HOPE The Bride Collection (complete
Chronicle Online)
The imagery of the bride describes the people of God. Paul
said that the Spirit declares that He is jealous over His
church, which He has betrothed to Christ. Throughout
scripture –the betrothal –we find her unfaithful.
Hos
2:14-20 Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and
bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly
and to her heart. There I will give her vineyards and make
the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a DOOR OF
HOPE and expectation. And I will betroth you to Me
forever; yes, I will BETROTH you to Me in righteousness
and justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will even
betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness, and
you shall know (recognize, be acquainted with, appreciate,
give heed to, and cherish) the Lord.
AMP
To appreciate the book of
Hosea you must grasp the parallels between God and Israel
… Hosea and Gomer –the unfaithful wife. In becoming
friends with the world, we have conceived and birthed many
illegitimate dreams and plans. Our decisions and actions
take us to the Valley of Achor (the valley of
troubling).
The passages are so typical of the
unconditional love that He has for us –giving us mercy
instead of fully executing the judgment that we deserve.
RUTH'S THRESHING FLOOR
(see entire chronicle)
Within this piece is an impartation of grace for you to
remain at the altar of sacrifice …on the threshing floor
…to yield and wait for the Lord to do His work in and
through you.
See yourself as Ruth after
yielding herself at the threshing floor in submission and
obedience …coming out from that place of divine
appointment …ready to meet her destiny in History –His
Story.
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST … the Bride
Collection (complete
Chronicle Online)
Gal
2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me. KJV
The bride has yielded
herself to Christ; here she is basking in the glory of
God. She has turned in repentance and the veil of
deception has been exchanged for the veil of promise. She
is being transformed into the image of the Lord. The light
has shown forth and she shall manifest the majesty and
glory of God.
2 Cor
3:16-18 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the
Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. Now the
Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).
[Isa 61:1, 2] 18 And all
of
us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to
behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very
own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree
of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who
is] the Spirit. AMP
2 Cor 4:6 6 For God Who
said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our
hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the
illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory
of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed]
in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [Gen 1:3.]
AMP
THE SPOTLESS BRIDE … the
Bride Collection
Heb
9:14 How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who
by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent
divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished
sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works
and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God?
AMP
The Bridegroom sees His
bride with the eyes of love, she is desirable to Him, but
the Father has declared that His desire is to present her
glorious not having spot, or wrinkle…holy and without
blemish. She prepares herself through the washing of the
water by the word. Jesus is the bridge that allows her to
cross over into her destiny.
The Bridegroom is near …He
sees that she has made herself ready and He now beckons
her to come. The final in the collection depicts Christ
escorting His bride into eternity.
TWO SHALL BECOME ONE … the
Bride Collection
(complete
Chronicle Online)
For
no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and
cherishes it, even as the Lord the church: For we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For
this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one
flesh. (Eph 5:29-31 KJV)
We generally relate, “Two
shall become one” to the wedding vows. However as I
created this piece, I was picturing a multitude of
symbolisms. One was the heart cry of Jesus in His prayer
to the Father –“may they become one as we are one”? I have
always perceived a number of hidden meanings in this
request in John 17:11.
“May they individually
become one with us as we are one”? “May they (a group)
become united as one having one heart and mind as We (the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are”?
He sees that she has made
herself ready and He now beckons her to come and join Him
throughout eternity. The Groom has long awaited His bride.
In this rendering, her husband is escorting her
into the light …into her
role of queen and bride for all of eternity.
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