Bride's Song

Isaiah 60: 1-2 The Passion Translation “Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned,   and Yahweh’s glory now streams from you! Look carefully! Darkness blankets the earth,      and thick gloom covers the nations,      but Yahweh arises upon you      and the brightness of his glory appears over you!   Nations will be attracted to your radiant light      and kings to the sunrise-glory of your new day. It was Sunday morning, November 28, 2021 and my husband and I were headed for Sunday worship.   The headlines were filled with news of a new COVID threat along with all the bad news one could imagine.   I looked forward to a time of worship with fellow believers and a time to silence the noise of the enemy in my world.   The church attendance was less than expected with many ill and others attending virtually.   Honestly, I was discouraged a...

  On September 5, 2021, during Sunday worship I had this impression that Jesus was walking down the aisle by me with a lion at his side.   I began working on this painting.   I never know quite what will happen when I paint.   I thought the lion I was to paint would be majestic and wise looking but the lion instead was youthful, with eyes of anticipation.    I knew the painting wasn’t finished so I kept seeking Holy Spirit for what belonged in the fore ground.   The following week in Sunday worship I had the impression that Jesus was handing me a container of oil.   As I pondered many ways to depict oil in this painting an ancient oil lamp settled into my spirit.   This painting was emerging during the Jewish feasts of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.    I sent this painting out to my tribe, Incense Rising to see if they had any insight as to the meaning of this painting.  I certainly had my thoughts but I knew the richness of God...

 “We’ll Come Running” is a song based on Hosea, Chapter 11.  This song written by Len Douglas and June Schuldt parallels the journeys of Israel and the United States of America.   Israel, God’s chosen nation and America who chose God.  America chose God when the Puritans came to the shores of North America and established covenant in this land with the settlers and with God through the Mayflower Compact in 1620.  Both nations have a stormy history of numerous times falling away and then returning to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.    This song takes the narrative of God’s relationship with Israel as expressed in Hosea, Chapter 11 and develops a dialogue between God and His people.  It is a dialogue of history, intent and question.  It is a dialogue that requests an answer from God’s people.   In Verse 1 Israel/America is called by God.  God has a divine destiny for these nations and as a result the enemy has plans to d...

In 2004 I was serving in Albany at the Capital Region Prayer and Healing Center as a worship leader and the founder/director of Bride’s Song.   During the years I was there 2001-2007 I met the most amazing Christian servants from all walks of life.  Susan Castell was one of them.  To me she was an Anna in the house of the LORD.  Anna was in the temple continually interceding for the coming Messiah and God rewarded her faithfulness by bringing her into the temple while Yeshua was being dedicated and letting her see the fruit of her intercession.  Susan said, that the Lord revealed to her that before Yeshua returns, there will be a corporate "Anna" ministry that will be interceding for His return.  Susan was an individual who knew how to wait before the LORD and listen to His heart, His voice.   Susan was a wonderful mentor to many and continues to share the heart of God where ever the LORD sends her.  Susan and her husband Billy were ma...

Heavens/Heaven Shamayim / Shameh   H-8064   Strong’s# The root of this Hebrew word comes from the root meaning, “to be lofty.”   As a noun it means, “heavens, heaven, sky, aloft and air.” The ancient root means, “breath” and “a place of the wind.”   Heaven often appears as plural in the Old Testament because the Hebrews understood the great expanse and vastness of heaven.   The plural form emphasized this point.   Heaven also referred to God’s dwelling place.   LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.   1 Kings 8:23 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all it is this day.    Deuteronomy 10:14 Worship opens the door to heaven.   Worship creates an atmosphere where earth and heaven meet.   Perhaps we can compare it to Jacob’s ladder...

Incense Qatar (Strong's # H-6999)    Qatar as a verb means, “to smoke, to turn into a fragrance by fire, to kindle and to burn.” The noun form qetorith means, “incense or perfume.” You shall make an altar to burn incense on;    Exodus 30:1 Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.   And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.   Exodus 30:7-8 These were the instructions given to Moses regarding the altar of incense.   The incense offered twice a day to the LORD on the altar of incense symbolized the prayers offered to God;   the intercession of the priest in the morning and evening for the people of Israel.   The altar of incense was in the Holy Place just in front of the curtain that concealed the Holy of Holies.   As the priest physically offered incense to burn upon...

In the Old Testament, in most translations you will notice that the word Lord will appear in all capitals, LORD or with the first letter capitalized and the following letters in lower case, Lord .    The translators have done this to delineate between the two Hebrew words translated as, Lord.   The later is a general title and the other is the personal name of God revealed by God Himself to man.     Yahveh/Yehovah   Strong's #  H- 3068        The Hebrew word for LORD first appears in Genesis, Chapter 2 just before the creation of man.   Prior to that time the name Elohim was used.    In Genesis, Chapter 2 the writer uses the name LORD God or Yahveh Elohim .   Some Christian writers will attribute this change in name to the creation account being pieced together from many sources.   The more traditional Christian and Jewish view is that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible or Torah and there is...

Elohim (Strong's # H-430) is the first name of God that appears in scripture in Genesis 1:1.   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Elohim is translated as God.    The name Elohim comes from the root, elah or el meaning, “strong or mighty.”   Elohim is associated with the idea of a “strong creator.”    The ancient meaning of El is “one who holds authority over others.”     The ending added to the word elah or el makes this word plural yet it is used with singular verbs and adjectives.    Elohim is plural but used as singular thousands of times in the Old Testament.   When elohim is used in the plural sense it is usually in reference to pagan gods and not referring to the God of Israel.  From a Christian perspective we can see the trinity expressed in this name (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) but the corporate Godhead was also part of the Hebrew understanding from the Tanakh (Old Testament Scr...