The Spirit of Judgement [storms and heavy rain] and fire is coming to cleanse. Those who are left will be holy, set apart. The Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious. His glory/ presence will rest as a protective covering/ canopy over His people who have prepared a holy habitation. A beautiful place of refuge and rest.

Prepare your hearts, prepare a holy habitation, a dwelling for the LORD -- a temple to be filled with His glory ...

***

My Handiwork is about to open eyes ! -- Jeff Kingshott
http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=16466&a mp;PN=2

From the above thread --

Zech 4:14 (AMP)
Then said he, These are the two sons of oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, the two anointed ones] who stand before the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed instruments]. *

*
The oil used in anointing symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). The combination of priest and ruler points ultimately to the Messianic Priest-King (Ps. 110; Zech. 6:13; Heb. 7). 

Joshua -- Jesus the High priest and Zerubbabel -- the royal priesthood --

Haggai 2:23

Just as Zerubbabel and Joshua look forward to a Messianic rule -- King-Priest rule -- the rebuilding of the temple looks forward to the rebuilding/ restoration of a future temple(s) ... : )

***

Flee to Zion -- Christine Beads
http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=16642&a mp;PN=3

From the above threads:

A Holy temple is being built -- cleansed by fire & storms ...

1 Peter 2:5,9
... you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

***

The Branch is a familiar title for the Messiah (Isaiah 4:2 and 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15). The Branch is associated with fruitfulness and life. Jesus used the same image when He said that He was the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5).

Zechariah 3:8
Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

Zechariah 6:12
Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.'

O LORD
I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells ... (Ps 26:8)
One thing I ask of the LORD
This is what I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life
To gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and
To seek him in his temple
To be kept safe in his dwelling
Hidden in the shelter of His tabernacle
Set high upon a rock
There I will sing with joy and make music to the LORD ... (Ps 27:4-6)
For the LORD is my rock and fortress
The rock of habitation to which I may continually come ... (Ps 71:3)
Our dwelling place in all generations ... (Ps 90:9)
Eternal God, our dwelling place
And underneath are the everlasting arms! ... (Deut 33:27)

John 14:21, 23
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'

Right now God is building the temple: it is growing to be a holy habitation of God by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 19-22
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

What will happen when this temple is finished??

Exodus 40:33-35
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Philippians 3:8-9
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Do you really believe the above scripture? Is knowing Christ Jesus greater than possessing great wisdom, revealation, strength, wealth? Is seeking a deeper personal relationship with Jesus greater than any gift He gives? Greater than speaking in tongues? Greater than the gift of prophecy that can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge? Greater than the gift of faith that can move mountains and show many signs, wonders and miracles? Do you love knowing Christ Jesus more than glorying in the supernatural?

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

The Greatest Gift

Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord
the greatest gift of all
Knowing my Jesus
Jesus I love You more ...

more than an eagle loves to fly with the wind beneath its wings
more than the waves long to roll into the shore
more than the fish love to swim in the sea
more than the desert longs for rain
more than the flowers seek to open to the sun
more than the deer pants for the streams
more than the song bird loves to sing

more than the gifts You bring.

Jesus my treasure
My pearl of greatest price
To know you more
The greatest gift
My heart's delight.




Ephesians 4:1-16
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

______________________________________________________

More
Brian Doerksen

More than oxygen, I need Your love
More than life-giving food the hungry dream of
More than an eloquent word depends on the tongue
More than a passionate song needs to be sung

More than a word could ever say
More than a song could ever convey
I need You more than all of these things
Father, I need You more

More than magnet and steel are drawn to unite
More than poets love words to rhyme as they write
More than the comforting warmth of sun in the spring
More than the eagle loves wind under its wings

More than a word could ever say
More than a song could ever convey
I love You more than all of these things
Father, I love You more

More than a blazing fire on a winter’s night
More than the tall evergreens reach for the light
More than the pounding waves long for the shore
More than these gifts You give, I love You more

The Blue Bird of Hope
Karen Holland ... 6-12-07

Winter of the heart
Biting cold
Dark disappointment
Threatening clouds
Frost scattered like ashes
A frozen hardening
A heart stricken, wounded.

To everything there is a season
And a time for every matter or purpose under the Son ... (Ecc 3: 1)
Take heart, be strong and wait for the LORD ... (Ps 27: 14)
Remember the blue bird of hope
After winter, spring always comes!

The LORD sends forth His word
A heart cry "Seek His face!"
"Your face LORD, I will seek!" ... (Ps 27: 8 )
His breezes stir and water flows ... (Ps 147: 18 )
His beauty captured in a gaze
A heart stills and melts
A thirsty heart drinks
A heart filled ready for utterance, ready to bubble up
Ready to spill forth as an overflowing fountain
To speak of things made touching the King
A shout of joy, a sacrifice of praise
A heart sings.

Living water flows from the fountain of life
Lifted high upon a Rock
Safe in the shelter of His tabernacle
Safe beneath the shadow of His wing
Exult in the hope of the glory of God!

A hope that does not disappoint
An anchor for the soul
Beauty for ashes
The oil of joy for mourning
The garment of praise for heaviness
A captive set free
Darkness turned to light
A heart healed.

Remember the blue bird of hope singing for spring
A song bubbling forth made from touching the King.


Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

Psalm 27:4-6, 13-14
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 15:13 (AMP)
May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

.
Isaiah 11:1-2, 10 (NKJV)
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
{and from his roots a bud shall blossom (NAB)}
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
.
And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.

.
Jeremiah 1:11-12
The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"
"I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.
The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."
.






The Watching Tree


Almond tree, almond tree
First to bud first to see
Ever wakeful eyes
Open thru the night as though it never sleeps
Watching, watching for His dawn
For it's in His light we see.
.
The watching tree
I AM ready to perform my word
The great I AM watching to see
The first, the last,
Who is and was
Who is to come, the Almighty
The great I AM watching to see.
.
Aaron's rod, Root of Jesse
A Branch
A bud
A blossom, flowerlike cups opening to be filled
Bowls fed with a ceaseless supply of golden oil
Oil to keep the flame alive
Burning bright
A beautiful sight
A golden lampstand burning with might
A banner for the nations raised for all to see.
.
Light of the world
Your bud will blossom with wonderful perfume
The scent of life
Heavenly fragrance from above
Anointed oil
.
Not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit
.
Hearts tried, refined, beaten gold, made pure
Hearts that have made room
Empty bowls set upon a lampstand
Watching, waiting, to be filled
Watching, waiting, to perform His word
.
A ceaseless supply of golden oil
Keeps the flame alive
Let your light shine
God's glory will be revealed
Every eye shall see
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden!
.
Almond tree, almond tree
First to bud first to see
Aaron's rod, Root of Jesse
A golden lampstand, a branch, a banner shining for all to see
The watching tree.


***

Psalm 60:4-5(NASB)
You have given a banner [standard] to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.

Zech 4:2-3
And said to me, What do you see? I said, I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it, and [there are] seven pipes to each of the seven lamps which are upon the top of it. And there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side of it [feeding it continuously with oil].

Zech 4:6-7
Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.

For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it!



Jeremiah 1:17-20
Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Flowers are beautiful and I love them! They are works of art each carefully designed by the Creator God Himself. Just looking at fresh flowers can change your attitude and lift your spirit.

But flowers eventually fade, they don't last forever. Fleeting beauty that can not be preserved.

This is in contrast to God's word. God's word stands beautiful forever, unfading, unchanging, preserved for eternity! THANKS BE TO GOD!

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.

 

While there is an Old and New Testament, the Word of God is neither 'old' or 'new'
it's eternal!

John 20:3-10 (Message)
Peter and the other disciple [whom Jesus tenderly loved, the Beloved disciple] left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus folded the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to better understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the master and servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!

In light of this it seems most likely that it was the presence of the graveclothes, not scattered at random about the tomb but arranged in an orderly manner, which led the Beloved Disciple to realize that a resurrection had taken place.

It is also significant that the grave clothes of Jesus stayed in the tomb. Compare this to:

John 11:44 (Amp)
And out walked the man [Lazarus] who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, "Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go".

When Lazarus came forth from the tomb, he was still wrapped in his graveclothes. He would need them again, for he would die a second time. When Jesus came forth from the tomb, he left his graveclothes behind, because he would never need them again. Death no longer held any power over him.

He is not finished yet -- He is coming back!

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (The Message)
But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:
... Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
... Who got the last word, oh, Death?
... Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!