Returning to the house of wine...

"My beloved responded and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. 'For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 'The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines (or Lit. the sons) and the voice of the turtledove (Lit. singing) has been heard in our land.

'The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!' " "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock (Lit. The house of wine), in the secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely."

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom."

My beloved is mine, and I am his; He pastures his flock among the lilies. Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether."
-Song of Solomon 2:10-17

These verses are packed full of prophetic voice for Jacob's Well. As I have been sharing them and praying them and studying the words and phrases, I have been richly blessed with unfolding light. Many words of past seasons have come together in the above passage and though it is all purely voice of the Spirit to the immediate situation and not historical, it has been potent with the fragrance of life.

I want to share a little light that I have been getting from the Lord in these verses and I pray that it will illuminate the path ahead for others too.

First of all, the word of the hour for us has been: Arise!
It is the time for movement, for awakening, for coming out of slumber or complacency. It is a divine moment of action not hesitancy, we must face fear and the unknown with bold faith not timidity. It is time to strike the ground more than just three times.

Second: winter is past, the rain is over AND GONE, a changing of season has ushered in, the signs of LIFE are here. You can see the unfolding signs all around, prayer increasing, stirring up of peoples spirit, the call of the Holy Spirit to fresh levels of faith and obedience, an increase of prophetic flow and anointing.

Third: a time of pruning is here. The sons or vines need pruning at the beginning of the signs of life in order to redirect the flow of life to the branches that will produce the fruit for the season. The natural mind has a real hard time with pruning. Mercy gifts have a hard time with this season too. It seems crazy to chop a tree to bits right when you start to see signs of life returning to a long dormant tree. When spring is awakening on a tree, most people don't want to take an ax to it's tender beauty but if you really want LIFE and FRUTIFULNESS than you must go through the process of pruning. It is hard but necessary.

Fourth:  God is releasing a new song again in the land. If you have ears to hear, you can hear a new sound. Those who have not sung in a long while are starting to sing again. Joy is returning to sorrowful and tired souls.

Fifth: figs are on the tree. Fruitfulness is returning, food will be on the table and delicious delights are being served to hungry souls. No longer will you find signs of life but no fruit in this season. Disappointment will not be found when you reach up expecting to find food under the leaf.

Sixth: If you want the wine, you must traverse the “steep pathway” to the House of wine that is located in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place. The wine is free for those who will go to the house of wine. You must “come along” to where He leads you. Your wine is in your house. Don't be fooled into thinking that there is no steep pathway to your house of wine. Sometimes like Jonathan and his armor bearer you may have to climb on your hands and knees to get to live out the place of your victory. We all still have to obey the call to “follow Me”.

Seventh: The Lord wants to see the form of the body as he intended it to be. The church, the bride is a beautiful vision to behold. The Lord loves to see her arise in all her beauty. He wants to hear the many voiced voice. He is looking for you to become visible, come out, show yourself, be not ashamed, arise and walk freely and visibly and proudly for your Beloved calls you.

Eighth: Let God catch the little foxes that ruin the vineyards. Don't be fooled into thinking that there is no snake in the gardens of God. They are always small things that can be so deadly. It usually is the venom of the mouth that ruins the vineyards. Don't speak poison, speak life. Don't begin to chew on the vines but eat the fruit. Too many people gnaw the vines and ruin the vineyard with their mouth. They dig up and tear up the roots instead of simply eating the fruit in its season. Wisdom is proved by its fruits. Let the vineyard grow and in time wisdom will be vindicated.

Ninth: God will pasture His flock among the lilies. Let Him lead us to a place of lilies. A lily is a sign of a new season, of new life, of spring, of resurrection, of life instead of death. LIFE is the focus of this season. He is pasturing His flock in the fields of His Life not in the fields of division, backbiting, negative conversations, gossip, critical finger pointing etc. Turn from the barren fields of death and start to eat in the lily pastures again.  Do this and you will find the place of communion with God that will be fresh again, like the cool of the day. Shadows will flee and reality will be revealed. You will step into the sun and out of the shadows. You will walk in the kingdom that is at hand, that is here among and within us.

Shadow land is living for something that isn't yet. In Christ there is on shadow but the light of LIFE! Gone are the days of catching shadows or striving to run after the One casting them. We have apprehended the One or better, we have been apprehended by Him! He is fully embraceable now. And as you turn from waiting and shadows to reality in Christ you will ascend in your thinking, your praying, your living and your spiritual passion. Mountains that used to be unable to climb will be scaled in Him.

These are the days of good news because of Christ and His finished work. Rejoice that the winter of the law is past and the fragrance of LIFE is flowing in the land of God!

Arise and come along church!