I am mindful of the seasons of our lives, especially coming out of a winter season into the Springtime! God our Father and creator created the seasons specifically for signs and for our accounting of time in our lives.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: Gen. 1:14

In his creative masterpiece, God created seasons to mark time, to display signs and his miraculous provision, and to help us understand our work, our family, our relationships, our intimacy with Him.

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3     a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6     a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7     a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8     a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

If you look closely, you can see all four seasons of your life in these scriptures.

Spring might be a time to be born, a time to plant, life is good, young, full of promise and exciting with the possibilities. But then you start to live life and enter the summer of your life, you are free to make choices, but those choices have consequence and rewards attached to them, time to tear down childish thoughts, time to build, searching, scattering stones and gathering them, a time to love, to time to keep, to be silent… The fall or harvest season comes and we understand the true cost of our decisions, we see the fruit of our decision, and sometimes regret the flippant way we chose to live our lives and raise our families…a time to embrace…a time to refrain from embracing…A time to mend, a time to speak…a time to dance…a time to give up…a time to throw away… And then the winter season…a time to die…a time to embrace… A time to mend… A time to kill… A time to speak and a time to make peace…from the previous warring season… I believe there is something to be gained in each season, only be mindful of the season, and what is to be gleaned from each season.

A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.   Song of Solomon 4:2

Have you ever felt like you were in a season where you were shut up, and where you felt the revelation and the wisdom of God was sealed up in you? Even when you tried to share it with others, they didn’t connect with you, they looked at you like you were off your rocker, and you felt isolation and felt misunderstood? God revealed something to you, but it was out of its season, not released in its proper time, the perfect timing of God. Remember when you are a prophetic person, God may show you things well in advance, or it would not be prophetic, a foretelling of what is to come! So prophetic people are usually crying when others are rejoicing, and rejoicing when others are crying… You are out of time, or ahead of the natural timing of events..,when it is fully manifested in front of everyone. Vindication is never that sweet, only God’s grace through it all, and your gracious humility at its revelation.  As you can probably tell, I have lived many years in this particular season…

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Isaiah 42:9

I love this, there are no surprises to God’s people! Our Father can’t help himself, He can’t wait to delight his children and to show his gracious provision and delicious delights that bring joy to his people and reassure them of His Unfailing Love!

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Our God is so busy doing new things, not recreating old things! Even when He resurrects an old thing, it comes back in a new fresh form! We do not serve a boring God, but an ever creative and exciting God! I am always looking for the fresh new move of my God, He is ever unfolding His creativity. And we have not seen anything yet. So don’t conform to the traditions of man, the stale way things have evolved. Be ever hungry for the Fresh New Revelation of how incomparable Our God Is! I Am!!! God is more than enough to fill all of eternity with our ever awe stuck wonder of the Revelation of His Glorious Facets and Unparalleled Power!!!

10 My beloved spoke and said to me,

    “Arise, my darling,

    my beautiful one, come with me.

11 See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers appear on the earth;

    the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

is heard in our land.      Song of Solomon 2: 10-12

Whatever your winter season, the death of a loved one, the death of a dream or relationship! Know that Spring is around the corner! And so is Resurrection! From the gray landscape of emotional despair, God wants to bring a Spring in your step! From the dry twigs of once lush trees, God wants to bring fresh blossoms and beautiful fruit! Though you have endured the pruning of your branches, know that God is expecting to bring forth beautiful roses from your pain! Beauty from Ashes!!!

6 “Come, let us return to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces

    but he will heal us;

he has injured us

    but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;

    on the third day he will restore us,

    that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;

    let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises,

    he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,

    like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

What I have found in my walk with the Lord, is that He wants to move us from our busyness, our activities, and constant action, to a walk with him in the cool of the evening, from doing to being in His Presence… From singing about him, to singing to Him…

The Lord gave me a beautiful song, my signature song, called “A Lady and Her King.” What I did not realize at the penning of this beautiful love song, is that it would represent the seasons of my Love for Him. As I have traversed through each verse, I find myself singing the last verse to Him…Be swept away in His Love…return to your first Love, but in a deeper and higher response to His Holy Romance…

Bride Songs – A Lady and Her King, Written by Raelynn Parkin, Copyright (c) 2010 All Rights Reserved.

Verse 1:

How He moves me like waves upon the sea.

Rivers of peace and mercy.

His love engulfs me and I’m lost for a time

That’s when His heart joins mine.

I lose myself in His Love for me,

So tender and satisfying.

Just a lady and her King.

Verse 2:

Broken and bruised I come to Him.

With open arms He receives me.

Though I have nothing to give Him.

His blood, it covers me.

Through eyes of love, He calls me.

He wipes my tears and He shelters me.

Just a lady and her King.

Bridge:

Such Glory and Honor are His alone.

With Splendor and Majesty on His Throne.

How could He love me as His own?

He says, “Child, don’t you know the truth?

I loved you so much I died for you.”

Verse 3:

How You move me like waves upon the sea.

Rivers of peace and mercy.

Your love engulfs me and I’m lost for a time

That’s when Your heart joins mine.

I lose myself in Your Love for me,

So tender and satisfying.

Just a lady and her King.  Just a lady and her King.

 

See you in the Throne Room,

Raelynn, His Bride, His Esther…

What is Soaking?

To soak or soaking has numerous definitions and connotations, but I will mention a few of my favorites that are relevant to our teaching. Soak is defined as:

• To make or allow (something) to become thoroughly wet by immersing it in liquid.
• To place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly.
• To wet thoroughly, to saturate or drench.
• To permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.
• To heat a piece for reworking.
• To permeate, to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings.
• To extract or remove by soaking, or to remove something by immersing it for a period of time.

Other synonyms of soak or soaking are as follows:

Immerse, steep, submerge, submerse, dip, dunk, bathe, douse, marinate, souse.

Let that sink in for a minute!  Ponder the meaning and relevancy of soaking as we consider the context within scripture to gain understanding of this concept in worship.

Let us consider the first example concerning Jesus, recorded in all four Gospels. Many have argued that this is a different woman presented in these four accounts, but I believe they are the same woman, and each eyewitness brings to light different perspectives of the same event. Immerse yourself in this story.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26: 6-13

In Matthew’s account, she anoints the head of Jesus with her expensive perfume, which points to Jesus as the Head of the Church as well as His Kingly Role. Jesus recognizes that this soaking of perfume was to prepare him for the sacrifice and the death he was about to endure. I believe soaking has to do with the preparation for death, death to self, death to the cross we are commanded to bear, death to our sin nature, and the price and the cost of the destiny and fulfillment or our God Given purpose in the earth. Salvation is free to those who believe, but our destiny will cost us everything! Incidentally, as women were considered property in Jesus’ time, she did not give of someone else’ property, she gave of her own, and her most expensive gift to adorn Jesus! Are we willing to do the same? Let’s visit Mark’s account for additional insight.

³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14: 3-9

Again Mark records that this woman came with her very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. Interesting that he records the purity of her gift. She anointed his head, but Mark notices that she had to break the jar in order for the purity of the expensive perfume to be poured out. Sometimes the breaking must occur for the purity of our worship and the most expensive gift to be poured out. Jesus also emphasized the beauty of her gift and that she poured out her perfume on him before his death to prepare him for it.

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  ⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. ⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”  ⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. ⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7: 36-50

Luke’s account emphasizes that this woman was a sinful woman and she anointed his feet with her tears and with her hair, as she stood behind him. Jesus revealed her great love for him as she was forgiven much, and her sins were forgiven. Do you remember the last definition of soaking, “to extract or remove by soaking, to remove something by immersing it for a period of time?” Jesus forgave her sins, it was not by extreme overcompensation of good works, but this simple act of love and adoration! This act of soaking in the Presence of the Lord, this immersion for a period of time! Maybe instead of running from the Lord and beating ourselves up in shame and condemnation, we could just sit at his feet, and allow him to so beautifully and gently wash us with the Power of His Word?  Do you remember the woman who sat at Jesus feet, immersed and saturated by the words he spoke to her? Mary, the sister of Martha…

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  ⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”   ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  ⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”  John 12: 1-8

No wonder Martha was a little put out with her sister Mary, after all Mary was probably the shame of their family, while Martha was always doing the right things and probably lived an exemplary life. The reason why Judas was upset by her expensive gift for Jesus was that he was a thief and used to taking a portion of the proceeds and pocketing them, skimming off a portion for himself. He withheld his gift toward Jesus, will you? Or will you be like Mary and lavish him with your expensive, costly worship that produces such a fragrance that fills the room and the nostrils of He who is worthy to receive it all! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain for us! Jesus would not ask more of us than what he willingly gave us through his death on a cruel cross! And where he was left all alone, he will not leave us nor forsake us in our dying times of sacrifice! What a savior!

Soaking in this instance, relates to the death of our Lord, and relates to our preparation for the death to self, our own agendas, our own will, our own sin and sinful ways, taking up our cross and following as Jesus led the way. It also emphasizes the purity, the breaking in order for the fragrance to be released, and as that fragrant worship is released, it not only honors and lavishes the Lord, but it releases a fragrance that permeates the room,  immersing everyone, as that incense transcends our earthly realm and is received in Heaven! I also love that this woman’s testimony is recorded in all four gospels and stands for all eternity! What is your testimony that crosses over into eternity?

Just in case you were wondering why I share so much scripture when I teach, the Lord spoke to my heart when I was writing my first book, “Leave my Word alone! There is much Glory within it!”   May you bask in the Glory of  his Word!

A Living Sacrifice

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

Soaking prepares us for our offering of ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, but it also allows our minds to be saturated in His Presence, allowing the Word of God to transform our minds, our thoughts, our soulish ideas, so that we know what His Perfect will is for us! As a musician, I understand most musicians, worship leaders, and singers spend most of our time learning how to sing properly, to memorize the words and inflections of phrases, and how to be technically proficient with our instrument. As is my experience and many others, we don’t necessarily spend enough time in His Word! I encourage you to delve into His Word more, eat of it, and savor its changing properties within you!

One more aspect of soaking as relating to worship and why we should consider soaking as part of our worship experience is revealed in the story of Esther. I will not recount her entire story but just relevant scripture here.

⁸ When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susaand put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. ⁹ She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

¹⁰ Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. ¹¹ Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹² Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. ¹³ And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. ¹⁶ She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. Esther 2: 8-18

Esther was already gifted by beauty, but she obeyed and submitted to her authorities’ instructions, thereby gaining additional favor. In her prescribed 12 months of beauty treatments, Esther was soaked, bathed, immersed in the oils of myrrh (relating to the oils of the Holy Spirit) and then six months of perfumes and as the King James Version records, these were days of purification. Esther humbled herself and won the favor of everyone including the King. These months of soaking prepared her for her entrance with the King! If we would dress in our absolute best to be presented to an earthly king or queen, how much more should we be prepared to be presented to the King of Heaven, the King of Kings?   Just a thought for you to consider….

We have hosted monthly soaking worship nights since 2006, where anyone regardless of their church denomination or affiliation, race, position, etc. can come and be immersed in the Living Waters of fragrant worship. Please join us at one of these, you may come one way, but you will leave changed, refreshed, saturated, and immersed by His Fragrance! Check our calendar on Facebook/Bride Song Ministries, page or group, or at our ministry website at www.bridesongministries.org

See you in the Throne Room,

Dr. Raelynn S. Parkin

Bride Song Ministries / Worship Houston

Bridesong.wordpress.com

What is Third Day Worship?

Many people wonder what is third day worship and how does it correlate to the modern church. In the pattern of the tabernacle, the entrance to the courtyard, known as the outer court, then progressed to the Holy Place, the inner court, then to the Most Holy
Place otherwise known as the Holy of Holies. All the people were permitted to enter into the tabernacle courtyard or the outer court, and many of the sacrifices and rituals were performed in the Holy place or the inner court, by the priesthood. The Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies was only visited once a year by the High Priest with the threat of
death if not deemed worthy by a pure and repentant life. So we see the masses in the outer courts, and the select priesthood in the inner courts with only one allowed in the Holy of Holies where the tangible Presence of God resided.

Another way to look at this is in our physical body, the Tabernacle or Temple of God. If we are the Tabernacle of God, the outer level would be the flesh, the inner level would be the soul (the mind, will, intellect, and emotions) and the third level would be the spirit. Consider this next verse.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

We also might think of the first day in context of the Church as the joy of our salvation, the second day as the workings and giftings of the Holy Spirit and the third day as entering His Presence and into the realm where His Glory manifests. Many first day worship songs are about the salvation experience and the Cross of Jesus. I believe the second day worship enlists the workings, giftings, and leading of the Holy Spirit, including the prophetic song of the Lord.

1 “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
3 Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

According to this scripture, the second day he will revive us. And the third day is about restoration that we may live in His Presence. I believe third day worship is about the very Presence of God upon the worship and Worshippers as well as entering the realm where His Glory is tangible, fresh, and fully manifesting. This is where I believe the people come into true, deep worship and personal encounter with the Lord. Third day worship is about the Holy of Holies, where few dare to enter, and it is about the Throne Room of Heaven where He resides, in essence, worship on earth as it is in Heaven.

This worship is not prepared in the limelight of the people, but in the secret hidden place to the Audience of One. Instead of the art and the act of worshipping the Lord, it is more about being in the Presence of the Lord, being not doing. And in this place, He will appear…he will come to us… This is about personal encounter and visitation.
One last thought…

8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.   11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.   Exodus 33:8-11

When Moses went into the Tent and the glory filled the entrance of the tent, the people stood in the entrance of their tents and worshipped the Lord. Moses met face to face with the Lord as a friend. Maybe the people are not worshipping because the leaders are not going into the Glory of the Lord and meeting face to face in personal encounter with the Lord? I believe as this revelation of third day worship goes forth to not just leaders but the Church, there will be another atmosphere filling the Church, that of Heaven on earth! This lesson is not exhaustive but begs further study and pursuit for the hungry worshipper who knows there is more!

See you in the Throne Room!
Dr. Raelynn S. Parkin, Bride Song Ministries
BridesongMinistries.org
Worship Houston Project