As I was praying for my granddaughter, Halee, I had the prompting to say, "Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit". As I said, "Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit", I saw the Holy Spirit in the like of a clothed man from the shoulders down to the waist, he gave her a gift and then he turned and gave me a big beautiful red rose and I received it, taking hold of it.
Jesus calls Himself first, "the Rose of Sharon," and then, "the Lily of the Valleys." Let us consider what He means.
I. THE ROSE OF SHARON. Of all the flowers that God has made, the rose, take it all in all, is the loveliest and the sweetest. It has three things in perfection — shape, color, and fragrance. Indeed, we may call it the queen of flowers. Now, it is in its sweetness especially that the rose reminds me of the Lord Jesus Christ. His character was marked not only by manliness, but also with what we may call "sweetness," for he had all the firmness of a man and all the tenderness of a woman. I will give you another reason for the comparison of Christ to a rose. The rose is the most common as well as the most beautiful of all the flowers. You find it wherever you go, — in all countries and in all places. In fact, it is the universal flower: it belongs to everybody. And in this respect it resembles Christ, for Christ is the common property of all — of the peasant as well as of the prince; of poor as well as of rich; of the child as well as of the full-grown man. He belongs to all nations, too — to the dwellers in north and south and east and west; arid there is no one, whatever he may be, or wherever he lives, who cannot say, "The Lord Jesus Christ is my Saviour, and I claim Him as my own."
II. But the Saviour calls Himself in the text THE LILY OF THE VALLEYS, and we have now to consider what this second title is intended to teach us. Supposing that "the Lily of the Valleys" is the flower which we know by that name — you all remember how graceful it is, with pretty little white bells ranged in a row on a tapering stalk, and how it appears to hide itself modestly under the shade of its broad green leaves. Now, why is it thus chosen? Partly because the lily is of a beautiful white colour, and represents purity. And you know how pure the Lord Jesus Christ was. Never at any time did He think, or say, or do anything that was wrong. As a child, as a boy, as a man, He was absolutely free from fault. But the lily of the valley — because it has a drooping head, and retires behind the shade of its broad green leaves, instead of thrusting itself forward — may be taken as an emblem of lowliness or humility, and so will serve to remind us of the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. We will try, in conclusion, to APPLY THE SUBJECT TO OURSELVES, So that we may be the better, by God's blessing, for having talked about it and thought about it. We have the example of the Lord Jesus Christ proposed to us. He is perfect, and we can never hope to be perfect. But we may become, by the kind help of His Holy Spirit, more and more like Him every day. (G. Calthrop, M. A.)
History of Red Roses
The red rose began its illustrious symbolic history in Greek and Roman iconography, where it was tied to Aphrodite, or Venus, the goddess of love. Later, in early Christian times it became associated with the virtue of Virgin Mary. By the time Shakespeare rolled around it had already become a poetic standard that he, and later Gertrude Stein, both famously played with in their works. Throughout its long, storied history, the red rose still reigns as the ultimate symbol of passionate affection.
Our New Reality as Christians Is That We Are Born of and Walk by the Spirit
“In the beginning, man’s spirit was the dominant force in the world. When he sinned, his mind became dominant. Sin dethroned the spirit and crowned the intellect. But grace is restoring the spirit to its place of dominion. When man comes to realize this, he will live in the realm of the supernatural without effort.” ~John G. Lake
John G. Lake was a powerful healing evangelist who walked and lived by the Spirit. Lake and his team of “Divine Healing Technicians” were used by God to effect over 100,000 healings between 1915 and 1920. Following is an excerpt from John G. Lake’s article, "The Power of the Name":
Born of the Spirit:
“Unless one is born of…the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Receive the Spirit:
“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Live/Walk by the Spirit:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63).
Worship in Spirit:
“We are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
We Honor BOTH the Word and the Spirit
Logos
Greek word translated “word;” it means “the entire communication process.” One example of Logos is the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible is to be meditated on (Joshua 1:8) and treasured in your heart (Ps. 119:11).
Rhema
Greek word translated “word;” it means “when words leave one’s lips.” The Spirit’s voice in our hearts is one example of rhema, while verses leaping off the pages of Scripture and into our hearts is another example.
God’s voice
sounds like flowing, spontaneous thoughts that light upon our mind (Jn. 7:37-39). The Holy Spirit is sensed as a river which flows within.
Naba
Hebrew word translated “prophecy;” it means “bubbling up,” so when I want to prophesy, I see Jesus present in the situation (Acts 2:25; Ps. 16:8) and ask for His thoughts and speak forth the thoughts and words that are bubbling up within me.
Paga
Hebrew word translated “intercession” – God’s voice leading me in prayer. The literal definition is “to strike or light upon by chance,” or “an accidental intersecting.” Spirit-led intercession is sensed as spontaneous thoughts that light upon my mind while I am praying. I honor these thoughts as they have been sent by God. So I fix my eyes upon Jesus, and tune to flow and pray, being guided by the flow (Heb. 12:1-2; Jn. 7:37-39).
View more: Born of the Spirit
Prayer for a Spirit-Controlled Life
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made __________ free from the law of sin and death. His/her life is governed, not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. __________ is not living the life of the flesh. __________ is living the life of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God dwells within and directs and controls him/her.
__________ is a conqueror and gains a surpassing victory through Jesus who loved him/her. __________ does not let himself/herself be overcome by evil, but overcomes and masters evil with good. __________ has on the full armor of light. __________ clothes himself/herself with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and makes no provision for indulging the flesh.
__________ is a doer of God’s Word. He/she has God’s wisdom. He/she is peace-loving, courteous, considerate, gentle, willing to yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits. __________ is free from doubts, wavering and insincerity. He/she is subject to God.
__________ stands firm against the devil. __________ resists the devil, and he flees from him/her. __________ comes close to God and God comes close to him/her. __________ does not fear, for God never leaves him/her.
In Christ, __________ is filled with the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is his/her Lord!
In the name of Jesus, amen.
Scripture References:
Romans 8:2,4,9,14,31,37 amp James 3:17 amp
Romans 12:21 Hebrews 13:5
Romans 13:12,14 James 4:7,8
James 1:22 Colossians 2:10
Halee Nora Yvonne Evans
Born: February 19, 2014
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