Song of Songs 2:8-15.
A mysterious little Book in the Bible that most people regard as a love story or even as an erotic one, but is it really so?
On closer study of this Book we find that it is an account of the conversation between a girl, called
the Shulamite and her Beloved. Occasionally, in the account, some other people interject who are
bystanders or neutral observers. What does the message of the Book really tell us? It describes the relationship between Christ (the Beloved) and the Church or the believer (Shulamite), a relationship of Love, Christ's love for the Church.
As the story unfolds in the Book, we can trace Love in four stages:
1. Initial Love
2. Fluctuating Love
3. Growing Love
4. Mature Love
In the verses above, we see the Maiden after the Initial Love which is the stage that every believer should experience when they come to Christ. This is the warm love that fills believers with zeal and joy in the knowledge of the Saviour's touch upon the believer's heart.
Following this state, the Maiden or believer cools off and the Beloved or Christ tries to draw her
out from this frozen, lukewarm state. However, before moving on which is the desired next stage
for the believer small obstacles or problems in the heart have to be dealt with. The heart is likened to a vine, symbol of spiritual life.
Christ spoke of Himself as the True Vine. Here, the Vines are described as having tender grapes, a delicate stage in the life of the Vine. It is the time when fruit appears on the vine so we need extra care.
The danger here for the fruit of the Vine is spoken of as 'Little Foxes' that can damage the fruit.
Little Foxes are small animals that pose a threat to the fruit of the Vine, but they can cause great damage. These little things, if left unattended, can cause a lot of damage in the spiritual life of the
believer. These can be faults we do not usually consider as serious obstacles in our spiritual lives, things like a bad temper, unclean thoughts  that persist, "innocent" habits of all kinds, lack of discipline and many more can damage the Fruit of the Spirit in our spiritual walk with Christ.
Paul, the Apostle, in Heb.12:1 speaks of weights that can hinder us and make us heavy spiritually
so that we cannot run the Race of Faith effectively. Little things we do not normally consider as sins but we can carry, even from our old lives. Paul again, in 1 Cor.5:6-8, warns about the 'Old Leaven' that can inflate us and can delay us in our spiritual walk and progress.
We need to deal with the Little Foxes that can spoil the Fruit of the Vine. Treat the problem as Urgent, do not delay or leave it unattended as something not important. In verse 15 of Songs ch. 2 we have a Command 'Take us', take is plural, not singular. The term 'Take Us' suggests here that it is a joint effort, we are not left to our own resources alone to tackle the problem. God has sent His Holy Spirit to earth to be with us, to lead and to guide us, being a Comforter in every trial and Tribulation we face in this dark world in which we live. Take courage and be a man or a woman of God.

CLEANSING-1
The Ordinance for the Bronze Laver-Exodus 30:17-21.
Positioned between the Altar and the entrance to the Tabernacle-Exodus 40:7. A person would first come to the Altar of Sacrifice before proceeding to the Laver and then to the Tabernacle for
worship.
The Altar of Sacrifice speaks of the Cross where the sinner finds forgiveness from sin and makes peace with God. The Laver speaks of the need for the daily cleansing from the defilement a
person meets in the world.
The Priests had to wash their hands and feet before going in to minister to the Lord. Remember, we are made Kings and Priests to God. Kings rule over people and Priests minister and intercede.
Feet & Hands. They speak of our walk and relationships in this world. The need for cleansing from the daily defilement - John 13:10. If we rolled in the pollution of the world, that would be sinful.
Water in the Laver. Represents the Word of cleansing - Ephesians 5:25-26. We are called to minister from a cleansed heart - Revelation 1:5-6. 
The Laver was made from the mirrors of the women assembling before the Tabernacle -Exodus 38:8. As the Priests washed their hands, they could see their reflection in the water -the cleansing work of the Word upon us -John 15:3.
God made it clear that they should wash before sacrificing or going into the Holy Place to minister, 'Lest they die' . Failure to cleanse would bring death. A message of warning for us. We cannot offer sacrifices or serve our God from a heart not cleansed from sin or the pollution of the world-
Hebrews 13:15.

N.B.  Greek Text (Nestle) reads λυσαντι=loosed  in Rev.1:5.   

2 Kings 5:1-19
A delightful story with a great message.
Naaman-Represents the world and its power but sin-sick and incurable by itself. When in need  it turns to God and to His people to find healing and deliverance.
This is through the despised believer, the slave girl, the Church. God works through the Church and through His faithful people, His servants. The girl could have kept quiet at the
enemy's need (Naaman), but 'Love works no ill to its neighbour' .
Naaman went to the king of Israel, a type of the official Church that has no power to help, though it has the resources and makes a lot of noise, 'Having a form of Godliness but denying the power...', 2 Tim.3:5. Jesus condemned the Laodicean Church: the rich, lukewarm Church that claimed it had  need of nothing.
 However, God has His servants everywhere. Elijah thought he was alone in Israel but God told him he was mistaken. God's command to Naaman was unspectacular, 'We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block but to the Greeks foolishness', 1 Cor.1:23. To the unregenerate the Cross is foolishness. Ananias, when told to go and see Saul of Tarsus, thought that God was mistaken. Naaman was enraged when told to dip seven times in the Jordan, but his pride was handled wisely by his servants, a type of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
Not only was there a work of physical healing but also a work of Grace in Naaman's heart. Quite often people are only interested in the things they can get from God but do not want Him in their lives. But remember the jailer's  humble attitude at Philippi? 'What must I do to be saved?' Naaman got his priorities right, 'to God and to the King'. There was no condemnation from Elisha.
The story ends on a sad note -the servant. He is a type of the carnal believer who does not rejoice in the mighty work of God but focuses on the material, 'love not the world neither the things that are in the world....' .

Πως να απαλλαχθουμε απο τις Πικριες
Μια ουσιωδης αρχη της ζωης στην Βασιλεια ειναι η συγχωρηση των αλλων. Ενω το κεντρικο ελατηριο για να συγχωρουμε αλλους ειναι το γεγονος οτι εμεις οι ιδιοι εχουμε συγχωρηθει απο τον Θεο, υπαρχουν μερικα αλλα πραγματα που πρεπει να κοιταξουμε και που μπορουν ισως να μας βοηθησουν οταν αντιμετωπιζουμε αυτο το προβλημα.
Η αιτια που κραταμε εχθρες και πικριες ειναι ενας ευθικτος μη παραδομενος εαυτος. Να το θυμασαι αυτο-ισως να σε βοηθησει να χειριστεις πιο αποτελεσματικα το προβλημα. Το γεγονος οτι κραταμε πικρια δειχνει οτι εχουμε εναν εαυτο που ειναι υπερευαισθητος., γιατι δεν παραδοθηκε στο θελημα του Θεου. Γι' αυτο να μη ριχνεις το βαρος στο συμπτωμα- την πικρια, αλλα πηγαινε κατ' ευθειαν στη ριζα του κακου-τον μη παραδομενο εαυτο.
Εξετασε μηπως η πικρια σου η η απροθυμια σου να συγχωρεις εχει τις ριζες της σε μια φανταστικη προσβολη η εξυβριση. Ενα υπερευαισθητο ατομο φανταζεται οτι οταν δυο η τρεις ανθρωποι κλεινονται και συζητουν ιδιαιτερα, μιλουν γι' αυτον και ετσι βλεπει μεσα σε πραξεις και λογια πραγματα για τα οποια δεν υπηρχε καμμια προθεση. Ελεγξε τις στασεις σου τιμια και ζητησε απο τον Θεο βοηθεια για να αντιμετωπισεις αυτο το προβλημα μια για παντα.
Προσευχου για εκεινους που σε πληγωσαν και εθιξαν-καθε φορα που σκεφτεσαι καποιον που σε εθιξε η σε πληγωσε να μετατρεπονται οι σκεψεις σου σε προσευχη γι' αυτους. Απαξ και κανεις τον νου σου να καταλαβει αυτην την αρχη δεν θα εχεις εχθρους πια- γιατι δεν θα εχεις πια εχθρα.
                          Πραξεις

The Race of Faith  (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Notice that the above verses follow Chapter 11, The Heroes of Faith. Here in these verses, the
race is likened to a stadium where the athletes run to win an unperishable crown watched by a
crowd of spectators-the heroes of Faith.
The Apostle Paul in 2 Tim.4:6-8 says, 'I have fought a good fight....' . Our fight, as believers, is a good fight, as opposed to the fight of the people of the world.
Many enter the Race but not all finish well. It is easy to give up when beset  by problems and discouragement. Paul, writing to the Galatian believers when they were faced with many problems, told them, ' You ran well.....' .
The Aim of the Race. The finishing line. Keep your eyes on it. What is our Aim? JESUS, 'The Author and Finisher of our Faith' .Keep your eyes on Him, not on the crowd.
To run well and finish there are three conditions to be met (v.1).
1.Free from weights.  Not necessarily sins but usually small things in our Christian lives that can hinder our spiritual walk (bad temper, evil thoughts, habits, criticizing, and many more).
Eccl.10:1, speaks about small things that can spoil something expensive or precious,
1 Cor.5:6-8, warns about Leaven in our lives that can inflate us spiritually. We normally see the big things in our lives but not the little ones that can spoil our spiritual progress, 'Take us the little foxes that spoil....'.Song of Solomon
2.Free from Sin. Sin is usually more obvious; but not always so. There are often sins hidden in our hearts, even from our youth that were never dealt with which can spring up to trouble us. We need to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit so that they are exposed to His eye and receive cleansing, Ps.139:23-24. Sin will bring us down and end the Race for us. We shall be disqualified from the Race of Faith.
3.Run with patience. Impatience, the common cause for many workers for the Gospel.
King Saul was rejected by God because he failed on this point - Pride. It is illogical to run a race patiently. It is against the standards and logic of the world but God says in Is. 55, 'My ways are not your ways' .
We cannot conform to the world's ideas and standards and expect to be successful, 'We walk by Faith not by Sight'. Many Churches copy the world's ideas and they think they are progressing in the Faith.
Are you in the Race of Faith today? Keep your eye on Jesus The One who ran the Race before us
and finished Victorious.

READINESS   Matt.24:42-51.

'BE ALSO READY' . The Command of Christ concerning His Coming.
There is great delusion in the Church of Christ. Many believers think that when Christ appears again to Rapture His Church, they will automatically be taken to Heaven.
The command in these verses above leaves us with no doubt that this is NOT so. We are told plainly to be READY. The Greek word in the Text implies Preparation. We have to consider Two statements in Christ's command.
1. God does not need to get Ready.
2. The believers need to get Ready for His coming.
What does it mean to be Ready?
It means to be in a state of preparedness for the greatest event in the history of mankind so that when Christ comes He will find us fit for Heaven.
What does this Readiness involve?
Keeping a constant watch so that when Christ appears we shall be snatched out of this world of evil and taken to Heaven. Those whose lives are tied up with this world and love the world will find it difficult to disengage from the world and its affection. Remember Lot's wife?
People often say, when you confront them with the question about not loving the world, 'I do not love the world' but they do not admit that they desire the things of the world and what the world offers. Where does our allegiance lie? What are our priorities in our Christian lives? Will the pull of this world with its involvement be too heavy on us to suddenly pull off its yoke at that moment when Christ appears?
In Luke 21:34, the Lord gave a solemn warning. There are three conditions we need to watch closely:
1. Carousing/Surfeiting.
2. Drunkenness.
3. Cares of this Life.
'Take Care', Christ warned, that your hearts are not overcharged by any or all of these three states.
CAROUSING: Heavily involved in the affairs of this world.
DRUNKENNESS: Taking an intoxicating substance that will control my life and actions. Abundant involvement in the things of this world can do the same as an overdose of alcohol does in my life. I lose control of my actions.
CARES OF THIS LIFE: Everybody has some kind of Care, some small, some big, old or young, important or unimportant. We cannot afford to let cares overtake our lives, however good they may be. They act as poison in our systems. Remember the words of Christ in Matt.6:25-34? Cares can kill our spiritual life by distracting us from the more important issues of life, if we do not watch.
Following His warning in the verses above (Matt.24) the Lord goes on to deliver more serious warnings about the neglect of Readiness in the Church.
The servant who mistakes His Lord's delayed return resorts to misbehaviour and neglect of duties. We are accountable to God for our conduct in the Church. Paul, the Apostle, in 2 Cor.5:10 warns about our responsibilities in our Christian lives, a subject we are often uncomfortable with.
Peter, the Apostle, also warns about the same subject in 1 Pet.4:17.
Finally, we cannot avoid the message of the Parable in Matt.25:1-13 the five unwise virgins whose foolish way of Christian living cost them a place in Eternity. We cannot afford to live our Christian lives carelessly. The coming of Christ is a far more important event than the pleasures of this life. Don't miss it!
We read of Moses that he 'Esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt....' Heb.11:26.
WATCH AND BE READY.

Πως να αποκομισουμε τη Μεγιστη ωφελεια
απο την Αγια Γραφη.
Πως μπορουμε να χρησιμοποιησουμε την Βιβλο ωστε να αποκομισουμε τη μεγιστη ωφελεια απο τις σελιδες της; Προσεγγισε την με προσευχη. Καθως παιρνεις την Βιβλο στα χερια σου να θυμασαι οτι ειναι εμπνευσμενο βιβλιο και ακριβως οπως χρειαστηκε Θεια εμπνευση για να φραφτει, χρειαζεται Θεια εμπνευση και για να γεινει κατανοητη.
Επειτα, πρεπει να τη διαβαζεις χωρις βια. Οσο κι αν ειναι περιορισμενος ο χρονος σου, η μελετη της Βιβλου (αν ειναι να αποφερει πνευματικο οφελος) πρεπει να γινεται χωρις βια. Δεν θα  κερδισεις τιποτα αν διατρεξεις βιαστικα ενα κομματι απο τον Λογο του Θεου και αμεσως μετα περισπασεις το μυαλο σου σε κατι αλλο. Καλυτερα ενα εδαφιο χωνεμενο χωρις βια παρα ολοκληρο κεφαλαιο περασμενο βιαστικα.
Επισης πρεπει να τη διαβαζεις με ερευνητικο πνευμα. Να κανεις στον εαυτο σου δυο βασικες ερωτησεις. 'Τι σημαινε το κομματι της Γραφης την εποχη που γραφτηκε;' και 'Τι σημαινει αυτη τη δεδομενη στιγμη;'. Μερικες φορες βεβαια οι δυο απαντησεις θα συμπιπτουν. Αλλες φορες η απαντηση στην πρωτη ερωτηση μπορει να μας διαφευγει, ενω η απαντηση στη δευτερη θα εχει βαθεια επιδραση πανω μας. Η συνηθεια να ανοιγουμε την Γραφη στη τυχη και να παιρνουμε την πρωτη λεξη που διαβαζουμε σαν προσωπικο μηνυμα εξ ουρανου, πρεπει να αποφευγεται. Μερικες φορες οταν η καρδια μας ειναι πολυ αναστατωμενη η εξουθενωμενη ο Θεος μιλαει με τετοιο τροπο, αλλα αυτο ειναι εξαιρεση μαλλον παρα ο κανονας. Ο Θεος καθοδηγει επι το πλειστον αυτους που μελετουν τον Λογο Του στο μεγιστο βαθμο.                             Σκεψεις

Joshua 3:2-17.
CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN
The second time the Israelites had to cross a water obstacle since leaving Egypt on the way to Canaan. The FIRST obstacle a deep sea and the SECOND a flooded flowing river. What are the lessons drawn from this passage?
1. The Faithfulness of the priests bearing the Ark.
2. The obedience of the Israelites to the leadership of Joshua.
The Israelite Nation, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, are poised to enter the Promised Land encamped on the plains of Moab. They are faced with a formidable obstacle - the flooded River Jordan. To enter the Promised Land they have to cross the River.
This is the time of harvest and the river overflows its banks making the crossing full of danger. There is no bridge, no boats, or any other means by which to make the crossing possible but God commands that they cross the river. It is God's way of doing it and the Ark has to lead the way for the people. For this to happen the Priests are involved. God's command to the Priests, 'Take up the Ark....cross over the people' . The Ark led the way, clearly visible to all the people making sure that it was safe for the people to follow.
 Is is God who leads us and shows the way to follow on our earthly way-Is.48:17. He leads us and guides us and we must not presume that we know the way. He has the means to do so.
Throughout their journeyings to the Promised Land the Ark went before them and they followed, not the other way round. But for this to happen there was a vital element -The Priests who carried the Ark. They were the ministers of God's Grace to the people. Without them the Ark would be stationary, unable to lead the way forward. We are now the Kings and Priests to God, ministering to His people and leading the way.
The Priests had an awesome responsibility before the people and God. They had to carry the Ark and walk ahead. They stood in the water and trusted God to do what He had promised. They believed what God had said and moved in Faith. They were between God and the people. A picture of Intercession.
What was the result of this situation? The river parted and the waters stood still to open the way for the people to cross over. In spite of the obvious risks that the Priests faced they pressed on. They stood firm without murmuring and objections. Not like us. It is a good thing to desire a ministry and serve God but we must realize that this carries a responsibility before God and the people. It calls for Faithfulness and Obedience.
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness we see a clear change in the attitude and behaviour of the new Israelite Nation. The generation that cane out of Egypt perished in the wilderness. We see a new obedient generation ready to move on and obey God. The great leader Moses bore the brunt of a rebellious and adverse behaviour of that generation but he pressed on as 'seeing the invisible' . In the end he was excluded form entering the Promised Land only to be succeeded by another great leader, Joshua the son of Nun, the faithful servant of Moses.
God endorsed the leadership of Joshua clearly. We hear of no objections or murmurings against Joshua..People recognized that he was God's choice to lead them to the promised Land. A Godly
leader in the Church is a comfort to the people.
There were mistakes from Joshua and the Israelite leaders, like there are in any Church, but these were remedied when they turned to the Lord for answers and guidance. A congregation  should be spiritually alert to recognize such problems and rally to the aid of the leadership in the Church in difficult situations. Did God reprove Joshua and the leaders severely? No, He encouraged them to put matters right and press on.
What is our attitude to mistakes in the Church? How spiritual are we when problems arise? How do we face them? Do we move forward with Grace or back in shame?
The Israelites found that under the leadership of Joshua they could overcome problems and move on to conquer the Promised Land. Joshua remained a man of God and a leader of the people till the end. Let us hear his words at the end of his days, ' As for me and my house we shall serve the Lord' .
Contrast the people when a new generation arose, 'In those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in their eyes' .