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http://www.michellebenthamcreates.com

Please visit me at REDEEMED...RESTORED...RELEASED: One Woman's Story of Living Free to read more about what God is doing in my life and how He is working those things to set me free. Thanks so much for following, visiting, reading all about it and supporting me as you have done so many times these last few years. If you follow my other blogs, the posts from all three of my blogs are going to be transferred to the new digs for one big blog about our journey to restoration and freedom in Christ.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

A New Jerusalem... Installment #2

Well, I've pretty well broken down the first verse of my Vision Quest Scripture:

Jeremiah 33:6-9 (AMP)
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Behold [in the future restored Jerusalem] I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reversed and will rebuild them as they were at first. And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against me. And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security and stability I provide for it.
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Again: I want to insert a strict disclaimer - THIS IS NOT A DOCTRINAL THESIS. It is a Scripture God has given me to develop a vision for my marriage and my family - if it is useful to you then please glean from it all you can. But do not construe this as a foundation for doctrine. God's Word is living and active, it brings forth His plans and His purpose. Now... On with the vision.
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First of all - the Symbolism:
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This was written from God's perspective and spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah toward a Captive Israel.
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From the moment I read the first line of this verse I knew God was doing a new thing. I stopped, turned to my husband and read each word out loud. As I did, the picture began to form. Pieces of a puzzle falling into place:
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Jerusalem. This was not only the place of worship for all of Israel, the home of the tabernacle. But, it was also the Heart of the Promised Land - For me this represents our marriage. The heart of our promised land is a healthy, restored and prosperous marriage relationship. Restored not only to one another, but fully reconciled with God as well. Our marriage should be where worship and relationship with the Lord eminate in our home. It will be just as God has described it in verse 6.
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The Captivity of Judah and Israel. Two Houses of this nation: This represents our two families blended into one. Our lineage, strongholds and bondage to sin and predisposition to willful transgression - all the ways we sin against the Lord.
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I hear God speaking this promise is His own voice over us...
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VERSE 6:
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Behold... "Look, I have something here I want you to see and remember. Take it in with your senses and experience it fully."
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[in the future restored Jerusalem]... Jerusalem became the heart - the place where all of Israel worshipped and met with God -the domicile for the Tabernacel. Jerusalem had been utterly destroyed when Jeremiah penned these words. Much like my marriage to Scott was set for destruction. Our walls, like the walls of Jerusalem, have been reduced to rubble, our hearts have been taken captive by the lies of the enemy and scattered away from one another. Jerusalem, like my marriage, was a mess.
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Jerusalem represents The Heart of our Marriage and Family. (Scott's Heart and My Heart beating in one accord)
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The promise of redemption is a new Jerusalem, a new heart.
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A PROMISE OF THINGS TO COME = "Future Restored."
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I will lay upon it health and healing... The full restoration of our marriage will result in a healthy relationship and complete healing of our hearts and wounds.
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"Lay Upon It..." He will cover and protect us until we are whole.
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I will cure them... Not only will we be healed for this season, but we will be CURED. Once the work of this season is over we will be free of all the associated pain, patterns of behavior, broken places, time lost and transgressions - All of this will be COMPLETELY REDEEMED AND RENEWED - MADE NEW AGAIN.
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and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth. There will be GREAT revelation that delivers MORE THAN ENOUGH PEACE, MORE THAN ENOUGH PROVISION, MORE THAN ENOUGH SECURITY, MORE THAN ENOUGH STABILITY, AND MORE, MORE, MORE TRUTH - MORE OF JESUS AND HIS PERSPECTIVE IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. SWEET FREEDOM!!
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Tomorrow, I will break down and relate VERSE 7. Until then... Be blessed!




3 comments:

Michelle V said...

I love when He speaks to us through His Word and you just know that He is giving You a personal message through it!!

Blessings
Michelle

luvmy4sons said...

I think you are listening well.

Chel said...

I loved the comparison to marriage! Well said and very enlightening! Oh Sweet Promised land an intentional reflection of our Sweet Beulah Land!