Joseph Tishkevich palace
Scripture says that “everything is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.” Today, being in this place, we have these two ingredients – to sanctify the place and the land – not only buildings, but the whole land and ourselves – this is prayer and the Word of God.
The Song of songs describes a certain mystery of love. We can imagine how the artists described love: most likely they all penetrated into the relationship and revealed the feelings of those who love from the inside. The relationship shows the heart, the essence of love – its nature; and here it is between the Bride, the Shulamite, who symbolizes the Church of Christ, and between the Bridegroom – Christ.
You remember Abishag the Sunamite, who was given to King David to serve, to warm him in his old age, how one of the sons of David decided to ask to take her for himself, for which the wise King Solomon executed him. Because, in Solomon’s view, it was a treacherous desecration of his father’s memory. Solomon said that until that time he had forgiven him, but for this he would not forgive his brother. Solomon executed him. He was such a powerful and awesome king. This is wonderful. These are high concepts.
According to legend, Solomon released Abishag – back to the fields, to the valleys. She returned home when she was young, but Solomon, in order to win her love, disguised himself as a shepherd boy and went to her country. Abishag doesn’t know he is the king, and thus he wins her love.
I don’t know if this is true or not, but it’s beautiful.
“Oh, that you were like my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I should find you outside, I would kiss you; I would not be despised.” (Song of Solomon 8:1), she says from her heart.
Her soul’s desire is to worship without people’s control. That is, she says that she would kiss Him in the street and no one could control her. There is nothing dirty here – everything is holy. And she says she would like to worship more and more openly. That is, actually, is important for us – so that we can express emotions, not be embarrassed, not ashamed. And for the heart – that love is not restrained. The main idea is that she wanted not to hide her love, not to withhold it.
Her heart is such that she can worship without being controlled by anything. Probably, this is not just her desire, but the desire of a worshiper. I would call it, indeed, a trance in worship.
And then she continues: “I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother. You would instruct me, and I would cause you to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.” (Song of Solomon 8:2).
See, it’s all worship. Many of us are called from the Gentiles. We didn’t know anything like that. We didn’t actually have gods, except for internal ones. We are not taught to worship. How to perform the holy of the sacraments of the offerings? – We are simply taken from the “blood”. As He says, “Live in your blood”!
Here the Lord teaches us His culture – how to communicate with Him in worship. The bride says she would take Him to her mother’s house.
Yes, today we bring Him into the house – we bring His presence, we invite Him: “Come to us!” See what else she does: she doesn’t want to win Him, but she wants to learn from Him.
We spoke about whether God possesses you. This is a very important question. But do you possess God? It’s even more difficult. And she doesn’t want to possess him.
Remember that all the previous chapters she wanted to possess Him. And He always slipped away somewhere. Because such an approach to God – to have Him for yourself – is impossible. And she wanted to find him – it’s deeply indecent.
Many people torture others with their love, but don’t release them. And in the end she understands Him and says these words: “Make haste, my beloved; and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!” (Song of Solomon 8:14)
Because He loves to run, because He has other sheep not of this fold. And He is not only yours. You don’t have to lock Him up in your house and throw away the keys. These are rough images, but nonetheless, it is admirable: she would bring Him into the house and not “strangle Him with her love,” but would give Him spiced wine to drink. That is, she would do her thing, and He would do His.
This is royal culture. That’s why Ahasuerus fell in love with Esther – it was surprising for him, because he met such a young woman for the first time. She asked only one thing: that he come to her, that she would give him.
She invited the king to a feast. This is not the way it’s done in the world.
And here are our prayer meetings – picture it, when no one would ask for anything. Why the such meetings? To give – give praise! And this is what we are here for.
We are the Singing Bride. We just began to sing to Him. We gather at night and sing to Him. We want God to look at us and see that our church simply sings to Him. She doesn’t ask. She sings to Him how she loves Him.
Here I find consonance with the Song of Songs. I think that He would not even “instruct” her, but empowered her more, enriched her with Himself. Probably, in this sense, he would “instruct”, and not just give information. Why do you need information if you are in love?!
Revelation
“It was shown how an angelic man dressed in a white Lithuanian costume led the man of God to an ancient spring in Lithuanian land. It was a spring that once gave pure healing water from the depths of the earth and watered this land.
The spring was beautifully framed with iron decoration, but had long been locked and welded.
The man of God began to release his voice to this spring. A bright white beam, similar to a laser, cut with power through the metal, which covered the spring, and the purest water flowed from it again.
The angelic man showed the man of God three directions in the land so that the water from the spring would flow further along them, watering this land. Then the man of God, releasing his voice with a bright beam coming from his mouth, made three paths in the land, indicated to him by the angelic man. Water from the spring flowed along these paths, watering the land.
From the healing effect of water from the spring, rare flowers bloomed in this land that had never bloomed here, and the land was filled with fragrance.
If a unique flower appears in this land, I won’t be surprised! But it’s not even necessary. It’s already on the way. I think that one of the interpretations – a flower that has never been – perhaps this is our church, which will surprise the Lord with her decision not to possess Him, but to surrender to Him.
How can you possess someone if you haven’t given yourself? Why should anyone give themselves first? But Jesus gave Himself on the cross for us.
Love is the most important thing. We raise the banner of love here. This is the most sacred thing.
The highest that can only be on earth and in heaven is the banner of God’s love. There is nothing higher than this and never will be – because God is love. Here in this count’s place, it is about love that we must speak.
And I will also speak, using the example of David, about new achievements. David was a shepherd, but he was from the tribe of Judah, it was a royal family, he was a descendant of Judah. When Jacob gave prophecy to Judah, he said things that none of his brothers received. So David was a shepherd, but a royal man.
We, too, can be from ordinary people, our profession can be simple, but remember that you are from the royal family. It is not the profession that makes us, but the Spirit that comes upon us and that we receive, our lineage.
David knew that he would be called, and although he got into intrigues, he had to wander through the caves and fight with enemies – he thus was advancing to the throne, he always won new platforms.
Today on this platform I would like to talk about new challenges for us. He changed his profession, and some of us need to learn a new business, perhaps study – think seriously of this. I see many of our people who have simply been obedient to the revelation, and today they are prosperous. Revelation raised them up.
David had to become a warrior. He overcame severe trials. This was not a simple man. Then he became a sweet singer – he had to play, he cast out demons out of Saul, then he took instruments of praise from the enemies, he established praise in Israel. And, not being an architect, he even made a drawing of the temple.
When Solomon rose to power, David completely handed over to him all the treasures, all the preparations, workers – he did everything, Solomon only needed to obey. And he gained such wealth!
How could he achieve this? In all this was his heart, mind, spirit of the mind.
At first he consulted with Samuel, but then he began to instruct priests and prophets himself. He was constantly engaged in new activities, again and again he captured and mastered new territories.
He transited from a shepherd – and became king, was seated on the throne of Christ. Christ said, “I will sit on the throne of David.” And the tabernacle that David made is an image of the church.
Conquer new grounds for Christ. The Lord said that “he who doesn’t gather with Him – scatters.” Some people hold to things in order to keep them, not to lose, and thus waste time, lose chances, opportunities, mental and physical abilities. And time goes by. He may return the mine, but he has lost all the possibilities. Where are the gains? Where are the conquests?!
Therefore, I would like to put up such a sign – so that we push off from here, put up a path mark – that we leave the old places where there is no water anymore. Do not be afraid. Even, perhaps, new cities, new countries, new challenges. And of course, what David achieved is a new way to God, because the throne of Christ is called the throne of David. David so pleased God that the Lord called him a man after his own heart, a sweet singer of Israel.
I want to declare that we are birds of passage, and not those who hibernate, that we fly high and far, that we take new and new peaks.