Re-Post: Exhibit in Japan

 Hi all,

I'm sharing again an older post God had me release in 2016. It's back again!

Re-post

My name is Shana Dorsey and I am an English teacher in Kyoto. I am also a Christian who loves poetry.

(Translated by friends)

　私はシェナ・ドセイといいます。京都での英語教師をしています。また、詩が大好きなクリスチャンでもあります。

エデンの果て

暗闇が紺碧へと移ろい
荒れ果てた地の上に
恵みは輝く
虚しき戦の後に
静寂なる足音が響く
我らは自問す
誰が、なぜ、我らを縛るのか 我らは約束への道を歩むのだ

Past Eden is about the story of Adam, Eve and all of us. Christians believe there is one God and he created everything we see. According to the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were the first two people God created. God put them  in a place called the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was beautiful and there was no evil in it at all. God told the couple that they could eat from any tree in the garden except the one in the middle called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they ate from the tree, they would surely die. However a serpent, who was a fallen angel (servant of God) in disguise, came to Eve and tricked her into eating from the forbidden tree. The serpent first told Eve she would not die if she ate from the tree. He then convinced her that God didn’t care for her, saying that God didn’t want her to eat from the tree because if she did, she would be like God and could make decisions for herself.  Eve distrusted God after hearing the serpent’s word and thus she ate from the tree . She also gave some to her husband Adam as well.

エデンの果ては、アダムとエバ、そして私達全てに関する話です。クリスチャンはお一方の神を信じ、そのお方が私達の見る全てのものを造られたと信じています。聖書の中の創世記という書によると、アダムとエバは神が造られた最初の2人の人間でした。神は彼らをエデンの園と呼ばれる場所へ置きました。エデンの園は美しく、悪というものは全く存在しませんでした。神は2人に「園のどの木からも実を取り食べて良い」と言いましたが、中央にあった「善悪の知識の木と呼ばれる木からだけは食べてはいけない」と言われました。「もしも食べたら必ず死ぬ」と言われました。しかし、蛇に変装した堕天使(神の御使い)がエバのところにやって来て、その禁断の木から食べるように騙しました。その蛇は、最初は「もしもその木から食べても死ぬ事はない」と言いました。それから、「神はあなたにその木から食べて欲しくない。なぜならば、もしも食べたらあなたは神のようになり、自分自身で物事を決断できるようになるからだ。」と言って、神はエバの事を気にかけていないと思い込ませました。蛇の言葉を聞いたエバは神への信頼を失い、このようにしてその木から食べたのでした。エバは夫であるアダムにもその実を分け与えました。

  Once Adam and Eve ate the fruit they were immediately ashamed of themselves; they realized they were naked. Therefore,they covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God.  God intentionally sought them out because he loved them. Because God is just he punished them but he also showed them mercy. They didn’t physically die immediately; however they spiritually died or became separated from God. They were cut off from the intimate, loving connection God desired with them. Moreover, instead of living forever, they died physically around 1000 years of age. Ever since then, the human life span has decreased to about 70 years. 

　木の実を食べたアダムとエバは、すぐに羞恥心を感じました。なぜならば、自分たちが裸である事がわかったからです。そのため、彼らはいちじくの葉で身を覆い、神から隠れました。神は彼らを愛していたので、懸命に彼らを探し出しました。神は義なるお方であるから彼らを罰しましたが、慈愛の心も見せました。彼らは肉体的にはすぐに死ぬ事はありませんでした。しかし霊的には死に、神から隔絶される事となりました。彼らは神が望んでいた親密な愛の関係から切り離される事となりました。加えて、永遠に生きる代わりに、肉体的には1000年位の寿命で死ぬようになりました。そこから、人間の寿命は70年位に縮みました。

  This story explains the origins of human discontent, loneliness and evil. God created everyone to be loved by him. Like Adam and Eve, everyone sins or disobeys God. Most of us would agree that stealing, lying and especially killing is wrong. God says all of these things are wrong too. He is perfectly just and holy so he must punish evil. However, God is also love, so he found a way to be with us, even though we sin. God sent his son Jesus Christ, who is very God himself, to become a human. 2000 years ago, Jesus lived a perfect life and died on a cross for us. God punished humanity through his son. Three days after his son died, God raised him from the dead. Now all who puts their trust in Jesus, can have a relationship with God. They also can receive eternal life; because of Adam and Eve everyone must die; however because of Jesus, everyone can be resurrected to eternal life!  This is a wonderful promise from God. My poetry speaks about my hope in God’s promise. It also speaks about the story of Adam and Eve and our journey toward God’s promise of heaven. Past Eden is written in a French style called a Rondeau, which was developed in the 13th century. The rhyme scheme (order of the rhyme) works this way “ABBA–ab–AB–abba–ABBA”. Each letter represents the end of a line of poetry. The Rondeau resembles songs and emphasizes repetition. Because, I wanted to emphasize God’s promise ,I chose this form.

　この話は人間の不満、孤独、そして悪の根源について説明しています。神は誰もが、神から愛されるようにお造りになりました。アダムとエバのように、誰もが罪を犯し神に従いません。私達の殆どが、盗み、嘘、そして特に殺人が悪い事であると同意します。神は、これらの事全てが悪いと言われます。神は完全に義であり聖なるお方であるから、悪を罰さなければなりません。しかし、神は愛なるお方でもあります。ですから、たとえ私達が罪を犯しても、私達と共にいられる方法を見つけられました。神はひとり子であり、神そのものであるイエス・キリストを、人の御姿にして送られました。2000年前、イエスは完全なる生涯を送られ、私達の為に十字架にて死なれました。神はひとり子を通して全人類を罰しました。その死の3日後、神はイエスを死から復活させました。今は、イエスに信頼を置く者全ては、神との関係を持つ事ができるのです。永遠のいのちも受け取る事ができるのです。アダムとエバの為、私達は皆、死なねばなりませんでした。しかしイエスのお陰で、私達は皆、永遠のいのちへと復活する事ができるのです！これは素晴らしい神からの約束です。私の詩は、神の約束にあっての希望について語りかけています。アダムとエバの話、そして神の約束である天国へ向かっての私達の旅路についても語りかけています。エデンの果ては、13世紀に発展した、フランスの詩形であるRondeau(※)を用いて書かれています。韻を踏む順序は、“ABBA–ab–AB–abba–ABBA”のようになります。それぞれの文字が、詩の終行を表します。Rondeauは歌のようであり、反復を強調します。私は神の約束を強調したかったので、この詩形を選びました。

　皆様がお楽しみ頂ける事を望んでおります。

※Rondeau(ロンド)：第1行の最初の部分をリフレインとして2回使う、2種類の押韻しかない短い13行詩。


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Remaking

正すべきものは多く
光は暗闇へと移ろう
仄かな灯火が
地をかすかに照らす
目に見えねども一歩ずつ 我らは約束への道を歩むのだ

再生
私は頑なな粘土
繊細な手つきが小さな円を描き
私にはあざができる
しかし、水でうるおされ
背は柔らかくなり
頭も柔らかくなり
私は砕かれた粘土となり
体は柔らかくなる
繊細な手が私に触れ
私は委ね、焼かれ、輝く そして、“彼”の印が語り出す

シオン

　Sometimes I feel like clay. When clay is exposed to arid air, it hardens. It can be mad soft again, if exposed to water. In order for clay to become useful, it must first be dipped in glaze(a glassy substance used to decorate, color or strengthen the clay);  then  it must be put into an oven or a kiln. Once the fire fires, the clay hardens into a mold—-whether a cup, plate or vase—- that can hold anything. In Christianity, God is often called the Potter and we the clay. God has made us and he shapes our lives. There are times when I don’t like my life, where I feel out of control and want to do things my way. This is normal, because ever since the time of Adam and Eve, humans have been rebellious. However, God is patient. He tenderly, lovingly takes me and helps me yield to his will. God desires that we all surrender to him, and accept the wonderful plan he has for us. When you become a Christian, you enter into a process of remaking. God is remakes you to be perfect just like him. Sometimes you are put through the kiln of suffering, but when you emerge, you come out stronger and more beautiful. We all suffer in life, but when you have your Potter with you, he comforts you. When you accept his fire, you can shine brightly for him. 

再生
時々、私は自分が粘土のように感じます。粘土は乾燥した空気に晒された時に固くなります。水に晒された時に泥のように柔らかくなります。粘土を使いやすくする為には、最初に、(飾り付けをし、色塗りをし、強度を高める為に使われる)うわぐすりに漬けなければなりません。それからオーブンか窯に入れられなければなりません。一度点火したら、粘土はカップや皿や花瓶であれ、型へと固まります。キリスト教においては、神はしばしば陶器師と、そして私達は粘土と呼ばれます。神は私達をお造りになり、私達の人生を形作られるのです。私は自分の人生が好きでなくなり、どうしようもなくなり、物事を自分のやりたいようにしたくなる時があります。これは普通の事です。なぜならばアダムとエバの時から、人類は従順ではないからです。しかし、神は忍耐深いお方です。神は優しく愛でもって私を包み込み、私をそのご意思に沿うように助けて下さいます。神は、私達全てが自分自身を神に明け渡し、そして神がご用意なさっている素晴らしいご計画を受け入れる事を望んでいます。あなたがクリスチャンになった時、あなたは再生の過程へと入るのです。神はあなたを、神のように完璧に再生するのです。時にはあなたは窯の中の苦しみを通過します。しかし、生まれ変わった時、もっと強く、もっと美しくなるのです。私達全ては人生において苦悶します。しかし、あなたが陶器師と共にある時に、あなたは慰めを受けます。あなたがその火を受け入れる時、あなたは神の為に明るく輝く事ができるのです。



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Zion

The sun peaks over the horizon

scattering flecks of gold into the air

Up ahead they laugh, saying

"the rain is gone by,

the valley of tears, done, 

the light, come, 

And home, just beyond."

Translation: 

太陽が地平線からのぞき
金のかけらがそこらにちる
前の方は笑って、言い
「雨がすぎた
涙の谷終わった
光が来た
そして、帰る家はすぐそこ」

Zion is about finding home. Another popular metaphor Christians use is that of the pilgrim. A pilgrim is someone who goes on a journey, usually for religious reasons. The world is like one dark night, filled with sorrow, as well as a few dashes of laughter. The sun represents light, the light of Jesus Christ, who Christians eagerly wait for and travel toward. Zion comes from Hebrew. It is also another word for Jerusalem or even heaven. Christians are pilgrims toward heaven. Deep down every person longs for a place where there are no tears, no pain and no death. Heaven is that place, the place called home, the place God has promised us if only we would walk toward Him.

シオン
シオンとは故郷を探し求める事について語っています。クリスチャンがよく用いるもう一つの隠喩に巡礼者があります。巡礼者とは、大抵は宗教的な理由により旅路につく者を言います。この世は暗い夜のようなもので、悲しみに満ちており、幾分かの笑いもあります。太陽は、クリスチャンが熱心に待ち焦がれ、そして旅をして求める光、即ちイエス・キリストの光を表しています。シオンとはヘブル語から来ています。それはエルサレム、もしくは天国でさえをも意味するもう一つの言葉であります。クリスチャンは天国への巡礼者なのです。心の底では、全ての人は、涙もなく痛みもなく、そして死もない場所を待ち焦がれています。天国とはそのような地であり、故郷と呼ばれています。私達がただ神に従って歩む時に、私達に約束された地です。

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The Entire Collection
Because of his interplay of dark and light colors, I see much hope in Scott’s artwork. Therefore in all of my poems I was inspired to focus on the hope of God’s promises to me. Right now I’m going through a time of transition and uncertainty about my future. Thus, I was inspired to see the beautiful light of the sun, peak through the dark of my suffering. My poems are also about the pilgrimage or the walk toward God’s promise. I walk past Eden in the night, but by the light of God’s Son up ahead of me, I see my way home.

詩について

闇と光の色の相互作用によって、私はスコットの芸術作品に多くの希望を見出します。ですから、私の詩の全てにおいて、私への神の約束の希望に着目するひらめきを与えられました。今現在、私は未来に対する移行の時と不確実な時を通っています。従って私は、美しい太陽の光、苦しみの闇を通しての頂点を見つめるひらめきを与えられました。私の詩は、巡礼者もしくは神の約束に向かっての歩みについても語っています。私は夜にエデンの果てを歩みます。しかし、私の行く手にある神のひとり子の光によって私は故郷への道を見つめるのです。

How We Shine

 "Come, mighty Spirit, penetrate

This heart and soul of mine;

And my whole being with thy grace

Pervade, O Life divine....

Thus life within our lifeless hearts

Shall make its glad abode;

And we shall shine in beauteous light,

Filled with the light of God."~Horatius Bonar

The Story of Light

 
  In the Beginning God said "let there be light" and this was the start of all life on Earth.  His first human creations, Adam and Eve, disobeyed him and brought a new darkness into the world. This was the start of all death. At the crux of time  God's son Jesus came to offer light to us once more. When  he hung bleeding, then died on a cross for our disobedience, he tore open a veil, one that had darkened our heart, separated us from God,  and kept us from knowing the one who is light itself.  

   Jesus died, and at first, to the undiscerning and the powers of darkness, it seemed darkness had prevailed. But darkness can't overcome light. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Thus everyone who believes what Jesus has done gains the right to become children of light-----children of God. Once more God says  "let there be light"---this time in our heart.  Thus when we believe in him, we come alive.  

The Beauty of Light

 
   As children of light, Christians are beautiful beyond compare. Beauty and Light have much in common: Both are pleasing to the eye and both draw people in .  In addition, usually, those with glowing faces are considered to be beautiful. Beauty and light are body deep; a true and lasting glow actually comes from the inside. When I eat healthily, my complexion becomes brighter, and I typically get compliments for it. (Carrots in particular produce a lovely radiance). It's the same with spiritual things. Jesus said the Church is the light of the world. Christians are called light; yet most of us would agree we don't physically shine like the sun. However, one day the righteous will shine like stars , inwardly AND outwardly. 

                                              

  Radiant

    Through God's Spirit, Jesus, the light of man,  has come to live inside us.  The only reason we shine at all is because Jesus, the light of life, dwells within us. Like a light bulb, Christian light sources from within. One day soon we will see Jesus in all his glory: One day soon we will see him clearly. As he is.  Right now we see Jesus through dark glass but soon the glass will be removed----- and  then-----face to face.  That moment suspended in the air, when we look Jesus in the eye, our vision of him will become crystal clear.  Jesus himself once said "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light (Matthew 6:22, BSB). Therefore when our vision of Jesus becomes clear , our whole body will fill with light. 

Once our eyes drink him in, we will be so filled with  light that our skin won't be able to contain it. Like the sun breaking forth,  ascending the horizon, scattering beams everywhere,  Christ's light will break through us and our skin will pour out glory. At the end of time, we will physically shine bright because of the incredible light within us. Yet even now, if we fix the eyes of our heart on Jesus, still we can shine spiritually to all the world. 

The Most Glorious Woman on Earth

  Who is She?




   At a passing glance she wouldn't appear remarkable.  With her hair disheveled from battle, face streaked with dirt, dressed mottled from flight, she may seem unattractive. It's said men have entertained angels unawares. Perhaps we've entertained queens with the same ignorance. Would you be terribly shocked if you've heard  that you've sat in the presence of royalty? That the hobbled woman down the road carrying a tattered bible and a cross around her neck, also stood in the courts of heaven----that even the middle aged woman filing away at his desk is also "queen"? "How can that be?" , you may ask. I say this because the most glorious woman on Earth is not a normal woman.  She is the Church, or all those who believe in Jesus. She's the Bride of Christ :


    ...we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church [1].


     When Adam first saw Eve he exclaimed “ this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh”. In other words “this is my self.   I see you, and I see me too.”   Just like Eve was taken out of Adam’s side, the Church was taken out of the side of Jesus: When Jesus was pierced, outpoured blood and water. From this the Bride of Christ was born. Therefore the moment we individually say yes to  Christ,  we become his. With one “yes” we are his Bride. Because both men and women compose the Church, both are apart of the Bride.  God created "man" in his image as "male and female". We are all equally in the divine image. Therefore, God uses both genders to represent humanity. In the spirit, the Church is female.   Rich, poor, plain, beautiful---the Bride is all those who confess Jesus the King of Kings. She may not look beautiful according to the flesh,  but she is beyond compare to those who look with the Spirit. 

The Most Beautiful Woman

      The beauty of the Church doesn't come from herself. Unlike the women of the earth, she doesn't spend hours primping in front of the mirror.  Her only foundation is Jesus. Lipstick isn't needed to make her lips pop. Her eyes draw you in with the light of Christ, rather than  with shadow and mascara. I say this not to  disparage the use of make up ( I wear it occasionally) ,  but to draw attention to the fact there is a superior cosmetic called holiness.

The Church wears the holiness of Jesus.

.........Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. [2]

   As we can see the Church is made holy by Christ. When two people get married, everything they have belongs to the other. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for his Bride so that she can become the righteousness of God, just like him. Her sin died with him on the cross so that both of them could be free from sin. Three days after Jesus died,  God raise him from the dead and seated  him at his right hand so that only his perfect righteousness would remain. The Bride has received Christ's righteousness , which is her wedding garment.

The Most Important Wedding

     At the end of the age there will be a  wedding ceremony called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Church officially married Jesus at the cross. However the marriage is in the style of the ancient Jewish wedding system. The Jewish wedding is two -part. The first stage is kiddishin (bethrothal) and the second is nussin (full fledged marriage). In the betrothal phase, a young suitor would first approach a young woman’s father. If the father and the girl agreed, then the couple would sign a marriage contract. The moment the couple signed the marriage contract, they were considered husband and wife. However , the Jewish custom was to not to live together until they had the wedding ceremony and communally celebrated their marriage.  This living apart phase was generally for a year. During the wait period, the suitor would return to his father's house and prepare a wedding chamber. Like the Jewish wedding tradition, salvation is  two-part with an interim period. Jesus died for our sins in the first part.  He then returned to his Father's house to build a home for us. Now the Church awaits his return during this current intermediate period. In the last part that's coming soon, Jesus will come again and give every believer a new glorious body (Hebrews 9:28).

    At the end of the age, the Church will be unveiled as the wife of the Lamb. In that day her beauty and worth will be known to all.  Jesus will make her enemies who fight her daily bow at her feet and acknowledge that he has loved her (Revelation 3:9).  As for our now, if you have believed in Jesus, enjoy your status as his Bride, though no one around you may know your true worth. If you haven't believed, believe so that you too can become the most glorious "woman" on Earth. Believe so that you too can enjoy the priviledge of belonging to the King of Kings.







[1] Ephesians 5:31-2 NIV

[2] Ephesians 5:25-27 NASB

Turning Tears to Wine

     God turns tears to joy-----mourning to dancing . What a boundless God he is. Lately he's been giving me much revelation from the Psalms. The Psalms are the human heart made poetry; they run the gamut of emotion, from fear to frustration all the while managing  to honor the Lord with every verse. In Psalm 58, verse 8, David was especially sorrowful. He notes to God "You have kept count of my tossings." You maybe familiar with his next words "Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?" (ESV)

  Of this bottle I'd always envisioned a tiny vial. Perhaps crystal, with  swoops of color across the  curve.  Today God corrected this image. In the tiny notes of my NIV translation Bible, was an alternate translation of "bottle." The NIV suggests the word  also be translated as "wineskin." God's bottle for our tears is a wineskin-----bottleshaped skin that holds the drink that makes us glad. 

  
   Didn't Jesus turn water to wine and aren't our tears as salty water? God promised through several prophets to make new wine overflow. New wine, as you may have guessed, is fresh and it was also known as "sweet wine"[1].  Sweet, new wine was also highly inebriating.  Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit(Eph 5:18). When God pours out his Spirit in the New Covenant, he brings joy and sweetness to his people that is intoxicating (Acts 2). This morning God gave me a greater picture of his tear-bottle. Perhaps he turns those tears into the wine of the Spirit. Maybe when we are heart broken, he empties out that wineskin of pain, then pours the happy mixture over us.  He gives us the Holy Spirit and intoxicates us with the joy of his love.


   [1] "Strong's Greek: 1098. γλεῦκος (gleukos) -- Sweet New Wine." Strong's Greek: 1098. γλεῦκος (gleukos) -- Sweet New Wine. Accessed August 02, 2016. http://biblehub.com/greek/1098.htm.

A Word for the Weary

 Lately I've been buckling under the load of unbearable weight. The stresses of life have deadened my limbs, work has wearied my back, delayed promises from God have slown my feet; and I 'm tired. Week after week I've been weak. As an introvert I tire easily,  and have a job where I'm constantly around people, some who demand much from me.

On top of this all , I haven't been taking care of myself, getting little rest and eating unhealthily. The sorrow  of the world sags upon me. Everything has piled up and suddenly I'm crashing. In the midst of all this, I've heard Jesus speak

" I know you have little strength"

This sentence has replayed in my mind throughout the weeks of my stress. Although I knew it came from the book of Revelation, I paid little attention to it. Until today.  This morning I decided to look up the verse in it's entirety and am shocked at what I've found.

All you need is Love

Jesus said these exact words in a letter to the church of Philadelphia.  Here's some background information about the letter: Over the course of 2 chapters, Jesus addresses 7 churches. (Some Bible scholars believe each church represents the actual 2000 history of Christianity ) Jesus praises 6 of the churches and rebukes 6. Out of all the churches, Philadelphia is the only one Jesus  doesn't rebuke. Why is this?  In terms of church history, Philadelphia represents the modern evangelical church; Philadelphia is home to those who are born again and genuinely believe. (Though the other churches have genuine believers within them, only Philadelphia represents the church in it's purest form) Because the Philadelphians believe in Christ, God does not see their sin. Moreover, the name Philadelphia also means "city of  brotherly love", perhaps because the believer's genuinely love with Christ's love . Thus because love covers a multitude of sin, Jesus does not mention the sin of the church(1 Peter 4:8).

The church of Philadelphia was suffering great persecution. yet they patiently endured thier trial. I have also felt tried these past few years and especially past few months. I look around and see that I'm not alone. The world groans beneath the oppression of sin and it seems we've all been relentlessly hit with tales of tragedy, violence and hate. But to those who belong to Jesus, he says:

See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

A Word 

This is a word for the hour. I realize that my struggles aren't always about me alone. Sometimes I suffer for the sake of others...sometimes the Church suffers together as a Body so that we may comfort others who hurt.  All of Revelation 3:9-11 is for me,  and for the whole Bride of Christ. I believe the Lord says the time for vindication and reward has come. What has been lost, the Lord is about to restore. Even your enemies, betrayers, and persecutors are about to see you exalted. They will fall at your feet and acknowledge that God has loved you. Bride ,you have had little strength but your Bridegroom is coming. Because you have honored him and have clung to his name despite attacks, God will reward you.

 The signs of the times say Jesus is coming soon (Matthew 24). The hour of trial known as the the 7 year tribulation will spring upon the earth(Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:21; ) but the Church will not be a part of it because we aren't appointed to suffer God's wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9)[1]. Soon Jesus will come to take us where he is, as well as fix our earthly problems now. He has good plans for each of us. Yes, he will open doors to your dreams, as well as doors to heaven. On the earth, what you have longed for, God will soon give you.  Get ready Church----the Lord comes. He comes to bless you, restore you, increase you and give you favor now, and in heaven. He will come into every dry area of your life and water it afresh. This will all happen soon, says the Lord. 

[1] For more information about the tribulation, see this excellent resource:
https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/seven-things-you-have-to-know-to-understand-end-times-prophecy-part-1/

2016, The Year of Success

My new favorite word  is Tsalach (t-saw-lakh) I first heard it over five years ago while listening to the gospel singer Eddie James' song of the same name. I liked it then but forgot about it until now. I  didn’t listen to the song again until recently. What prompted me to listen to it again was probably God. While reading a topical bible on prosperity, I stumbled across tsalach. Spurred, I listened to Eddie's song again, which further led me to study the definition. I’m glad I looked it up.   God has given me a beautiful prophetic word based on Tsalach.


    Tsalach has two primary meanings: to be sent and to advance. Strong’s concordance states “to push forward, in various senses ...-- break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable, (cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper....”


     The first definition refers specifically to the Holy Spirit being sent , and coming upon someone suddenly. The second definition, which we'll focus on,  means a successful journey, to advance, to move forward. Joshua 1:8 is a good example: " This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."


   Tsalach is the Hebrew word most translated to prosperity in the Old Testament. Another word, which you may be more familiar with is shalom and it means wholeness and peace, needing nothing.  It is likely what most people think of when they hear the word prosperity. Many have focused on the financial or health benefits of prosperity. These are all good things but they are not the highest definition. If Tsalach means to advance or progress, then true prosperity is to be successful and make headway in God's purpose for your life.


   Tsalach essentially embodies the apostolic, a word that means to send , a word that means to advance the Kingdom of God.  Hearing Tsalach excites me because I"m ready to advance  in God's plan for my life:  I'm ready to break through to my destiny. God's word tells me how:


   For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10)


  As we walk in God's ordained path for our lives, we will progress. Walking in any other path will cause us  to circle through the wilderness, treading the same ground and seeing the same things; we will not advance in life if we don't walk with God.  If we  commit our way to him, even the path that leads through the desert will ultimately take us to the promised land.

  We're on our way to the promised land but first we must make it through this desolate land. We can be sure of this:God will make a way in the desert. Streams of life and refreshment will pulse through us. Lush fruit and vegetation will spring up. Through dry and difficult times, God  will push us , carrying us in the river of his grace. With the concept of Tsalach we will find ourselves brimming, bursting forth into our land of promise like water breaching a dam. God has so many exciting things for us, just waiting to be discovered. He is doing a new thing in 2016! Seek him to find that new thing in your own life. Won't you press through and see it? Won't you ride the waves of his incredible life and grace? It is time to advance. It is time to make progress in God's plan for you. Time to break forth. 2016 is a year of entering the promised land. Tsalach-----let's move forward.

The Need for Supernatural Experiences

Hungry or Just Greedy?

     Often I find myself longing to experience God in a new way.  I've always been an imaginative person, wishing for more to happen than just the mundane : wake up, eat, go to school or work, come home,  eat , go to bed.  Through being a Christian I've learned there is much more to life than just what I can see. There is an entire spiritual realm waiting to be explored. I crave spiritual adventure and ever since my first taste of it,  I've been ravenous for more. On the day I surrendered my life to Jesus, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit via a heavy weight that pinned me down to my bed.  I then heard the voice of God for the first time, speak "You are dearly loved my child, dearly loved".  After that I daily heard his voice, felt his presence. I experienced the supernatural realm in  a way I never had before.  After such a heritage, how could I  ever settle for any activity devoid of God's power?   However,  I quickly learned it was not everyday I experienced something fresh and exciting. With time even my new supernatural experiences became routine. I learned  I could not ever be complacent. Even with spiritual matters I had to continuously seek MORE. I've had mixed feelings about seeking "more" though. I'd heard many Christians warn not to seek the "gifts" but the giver.  Of course, there is always the danger of idolizing supernatural experiences, of putting such  experiences ahead of God.  At times I seemed to have fallen in to that trap. I yearned for new experiences or for God to show me great and hidden things I did not know,  but did that make me an idolater,  a chaser of experiences rather than God? After three years of pondering this I believe I finally have the answer.  It is not wrong to strongly desire spiritual experiences or any kind of gift. The sin lies in wanting the gift MORE than God. Our desire for spiritual experiences can be strong but our desire for God must be stronger. So how do you know if you are desiring gifts more than the giver?  An easy way is to ask God to show you and then examine yourself. As the last two verses of Psalm 139 express,

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (ESV)

Would you still love God, even if you never had another supernatural experience? Could you wait infinitely for him to bless you and at the same time bless him infinitely? If you experienced nothing but suffering could you still be thankful to him? If you can say yes to all of these, then you know your heart is right and can pursue supernatural experiences with a good conscious. If you find yourself saying no to any of these (which I have) repent and ask God to help you stay focused on him. Then, continue to patiently ask him for the desire of your heart because he doesn't want you to completely stop seeking. He delights in giving good gifts and actually wants us to hunger for his gifts so that he can fill us. We have not simply because we ask not, or ask with the impure hearts. But "Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door will be opened to you. " (Luke 11:9-10 NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. If what you ask for is according to his will, you will be sure to get it. 

(1 John 5:14, NIV)

Now Show me your Glory

Perhaps the biggest justification  for seeking spiritual experiences comes from the book of Exodus.  One day God highlighted this story to me. In Exodus 33 Moses says to God "Now show me your glory".  I've always wondered what that meant. On one hand it seems he's asking God to show him something "amazing". When I think of glory, I think of something astounding or mind-blowing. However in Hebrew the word for glory used is  "kabod" and it means "weight"[1] . It signifies the inherent , intrinsic worth of something. God's glory is so tremendous that at one point his priests could not stand to minister under it (1 Kings 8:11). Moses had seen much of God's miraculous power, especially his parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) yet he asks God to show him his glory. Interestingly God responds to Moses' request to see his glory by proclaiming his attributes to him.

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”.......And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”( Ex. 33:19-23,  34:5-7 , NIV)

 God shows Moses his glory by proclaiming his goodness and righteousness to him. Its as if God said " When you ask  to see my glory you are really asking to see my face: you are asking me to show you who I am."  Notice before God could reveal himself to Moses he had to  "hide him" in the cleft of the rocks, in what is also known as " a secret place". I believe this place of intimacy in the cleft of the rock points to the protection from God's wrath that we find in Christ; as Christians we are hidden in Christ in God (Colossians 3:4, NIV) Moses could not see God’s face, which was the ultimate sources of his glory,  because under the old covenant he was not fully righteous before God. God is so holy that he dwells in “unapproachable light” (1 Tim 6:16 NIV) and no one can see his face without being destroyed by his brilliant holiness. However in  Christ, the veil of separation between us and God is torn away and we receive Christ's righteousness. Therefore Christians can come boldly to God's throne of grace and see God’s face  (2 Corinthians  4:6).


  Often the reason I want to have these encounters is not so that I can feel good or experience something new but because I know that each encounter draws me closer to God. I learn something new about him with each revelation. I crave these experiences because I want to more deeply understand God and interact with him.   Below is an experience I had with God several months ago that allowed me to learn more about him: Starving for more of God, I had been debating whether or not to go on a missions trip with a well known revivalist. Ultimately I decided it was not the right time for me to go but I still in pangs to experience God more deeply.   I asked him , in Moses moment, to show me his glory even though I couldn't go on the trip.  Amazingly, he honored this request sooner than I expected. As I retired for the night, I felt the weight of his glory, more so than I'd ever felt. I was plastered onto my bed and even think I saw smoke or mist around me.  Then I heard his voice say  "I want you to know who I am". My eyes felt like they were burning out of my sockets and I was  afraid. He was so holy that it hurt, I felt like I was falling apart, like I was going to die. I was literally undone and it hit me that God is much bigger than I knew. I  learned afresh we probably don't experience even a 10th of what God is worth in our day to day life. He masks so much of his glory and  after experiencing a small taste of it, I'm certainly glad to be in Christ.  I experience God's presence deeply every day, but even what I experience is no where close to the level of himself he revealed to me that night. It was humbling to be reminded of his greatness, but in order to experience it I had to ask. At times it is hard for me to admit my hunger to know him and hard for me to have faith to expect more , but he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him(Hebrews 11:6 NIV) . I'd been asking God for such an experience  or 3 years, not very long in the grand scheme of things, but long for me. God has shown me that I , like Moses, can ask to see his glory and longing to see his glory is really longing to know more of him.


Wise Seekers 

 With supernatural experiences, we can see God's glory, his inherent worth.  We see from Scripture that is right and proper for us to ask for such experiences. God is Spirit and he desires worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. As unbelievers we were unable to connect with God but now that we have believed, we have been seated in heavenly realms and now have access to the spiritual world (Ephesians 2:24-6, NIV).  With that being said, we must responsibly seek spiritual experiences.  Responsibly seeking means to test the spirits and see if what we have is from God  (1 John 4:1 NIV) Satan is a deceiver and a counterfeiter; he will disguise himself as "good" and try to give you false experiences in order to lead you away from God. It is also possible for your experiences to be a product of your own imagination. Therefore you need to properly discern the source of your encounters (  Is it from God, devil or self?).


 The Bible is the only infalliable resource you have and should be the measuring stick by which you judge your encounters. Your experience should not contradict what is in the Bible or go against the gospel. In the case that your experience is not  explicitly in the Bible, examine the fruit. Does the experience draw you closer to Jesus or match God character as revealed in the Bible? Supernatural experiences are often referred to as prophetic experiences because they are inspired by the spirit of prophecy, who is the Holy Spirit. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ. So if your experience is a testimony of Jesus Christ then it is likely from the spirit of prophecy, who is the Holy Spirit. If an experience exalts Jesus, supports the gospel and does not contradict key aspects of the faith (namely those revealed in Hebrews 6:1-2) then it is likely of God. You may also want to consult with other believers and weigh their counsel. However, keep in mind only you fully know what you have experienced. Listen to your own discernment in addition to that of others.  Some well meaning believers, who are suspicious of spiritual encounters (either because of pride or fear)  much like the Pharisees, will misjudge what is of God and could talk you out of an experience that is from him.  If possible, find someone who is mature in the faith like a pastor or older Christan with a great deal of experience in the supernatural. If you use all of these methods together instead of just one, your chances of successful discernment will  increase.  Even so, a certain level of faith is required in order to pursue supernatural experiences. Ultimately you must believe more in God's ability to keep you from deception than in satan's ability to deceive you. We must worship God in Spirit and in truth . Spiritual experiences happen through the Holy Spirit and they can look like many things, from visions, to dreams, to visits to heaven or visitations to your home from God and angels. You could even encounter God through the pages of the Bible. f you are in the word of God and you ask God for the Holy Spirit , you can have confidence God will not give you a stone or a snake. Believe that our good God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him  (Luke 11:13, NIV).


[1 ]http://biblehub.com/hebrew/3513.htm