The Beloved

Song of Solomon Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away... My beloved is mine, and I am His.

What an awesome gift from our Father are our fellows believers.

Last night I had decided to get to bed early so I would be well rested and enjoy and early morning walk. But thanks be to God that He had scheduled a divine appointment for me.

Some of my fellow co-workers had been on a weekend retreat to Tiberius and brought back with them the married couple with whom they had stayed. Hephzibah and Gunter :)

After my shower I had called Ken to say goodnight and was on my way up to bed when Hephzibah asked me a general question about my life so I sat down and we begin a conversation just about general things, where I am from, what I do for a living, my family, etc. And within moments she turned our conversation toward our Lord and for the next two hours we sat and knitted our hearts together in Christ.

What a wonderful, merciful Father we have who allows us this miracle of conncection in our Spirit with another believer. This is a most wonderful gift from a Father who loves us so completely; this ability to make a real conncection with another person that allows them to have a real impact on our lives. I am changed somehow by my conversation with her. She shared with me some of the revelations that the Lord has revealed to her about Himself and I gain insight from her experience.

This has been a recurring theme since the moment I arrived on this trip. It has been one encounter after another. Not just introductions but meeting of souls and spirits whereby we are used to sharpen each other, to awaken each other to a clearer knowledge of who He is. Like iron sharpening iron, one person sharpens another. This concept has been the overwhelming teaching for this trip. Rafi, Fita, Chrissie, Daoud, Khaled, Hephzibah, Gunter, Suhail and all of the regular staff here pouring out the sweetness of the Spirit of our God into the lives of others has moved me. Drawing me to Him.

That is the wonder of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, always pointing to the Father, to the Son. He does not attract attention to Himself but always reflecting our adoration to the heavens. He is courting us, wooing us, beckoning us into intimacy.

One thing in particular that I will share with you that I learned from Hephzibah; if we are connected to God, engaged with Him in worship and adoration and we live in that place then the outflow of our lives, our ministry, is impacted by our relationship with Him. If we are in constant conversation with Him then our conversations will be about Him and we will draw others into that place of worship. Our acts of service are for Him. We visit the sick as an act of worship, we do all that is done in a day from a place of worship, we clean our houses and feed our families in an act of worshiping our Lord. Therefore, we are never angry at our circumstances or disapointed in our labors, or frustrated with those with whom we are in relationship because we live and breathe inside His presence.

Just by our very conversation she proves this because I am not thinking of her as she is talking; I am worshipping my Lord. That is a gift of the Holy Spirit. She describes it as a constant conversation in her Spirit man in her heart while carrying on a conversation with me and somehow, miraculously, I am drawn into that worship. It was the most amazing conversation that I have had in such a long time.

I find that to be customary here. Strong encounters with the Lord and with other believers. I love it!!

Father I am unworthy of all the gifts You have bestowed on me but I am so grateful. I love you and I praise You and I worship You for You are worthy. Teach me to live and love while worshipping You Lord.