Gospel Rant

There is something in the direct unaverted gaze of Jesus that initially causes us to look away, to close our eyes. There is shame, there is fear of seeing disappointment, or his notice of some ugly that we haven’t been able to wash away. But the secret working of the Holy Spirit is to make us look direct into his eyes. It is life changing. Come and see what happened to the Queen when she does. Help us get the word out. This could change the lives of so many Christians. 

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Bill is reading from his modern screenplay of the Song of Songs, Movement 4: The Novella. No ancient Hebrew poetry, just Movement 4 in plain clear English. Enjoy.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It's the summer of pink. The blockbuster movie scored $330 million in the first weekend alone. It could be nominated for up to 10 Oscars. So this is a special Gospel Rant. I hope you enjoy it and pass it on. If you benefited from it please FOLLOW. We will get back to the last two movements in the Song of Songs on Sunday.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hopefully you have been following the last 4 shows on this very important Movement 4 of the Song of Songs. There was the shocking betrothal of the Great King and this very unworthy emotionally shredded bride with a secret shame. Then the great marriage procession, likely following two aborted processions, the original runaway bride. Then the public proclamation of the King’s love for her in front of friends, family and dignitaries—and of course the consummation, the yichud, the event that she had been terrified of from the beginning. Why? Because, there, her dark private secrets are going to become public. And she is right. Except that the love of this King does its best work with unsuitable brides, unworthy brides. In their consummation, his reputation is not soiled by her or her uglies. Her reputation is raised up by his glory. We have never seen anything like it.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Here’s where we are in the central movement of the Song. The Queen is betrothed to the King. He has come for her to complete the marriage process in a grand marriage procession. Arguably twice she has left him hanging at the altar—in an ancient Mideastern context. She wasn’t ready when he came for her. Something is wrong. Now the wedding celebration has at last begun. He has toasted her with an amazing worship poem, a wasfs—in front of all of the esteem guests in the land and told her that she is so, so beautiful in his eyes. She is beginning to believe it—but in moments, her past mistakes, her dark secrets are going to be publicly exposed which could lead to immediate divorce, immense public shame for her and her family and maybe even her death. 

Now what? And what difference does it make in my life, your life today? We’ll see.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

After Jewish wedding feasts, the couple disappear into the chuppah for the marriage to be at last consummated. Usually it is a time of great joy and celebration. The Queen suspects that this will not be one of those times. Her dream romance is about to crack up. Is there anything that can save her story from becoming a tragedy? 

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We are deep in Movement 4. Now the Queen is thrilled by the expectations of the final part of the marriage ceremony, but she is also terrified of her dark secret being discovered. There is nothing she can do. She is in too far. What will happen? 

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If the Song of Songs is the greatest presentation of the gospel in the Old Testament, Movement 4 is the greatest gospel presentation in the entire songs. When I do a Kiss of God weekend, this is Saturday afternoon, the mic-drop moment, that talk that ties it altogether and changes lives. It's not just about exegeting a great piece of ancient Hebrew poetry, it is really seeing what God is doing with those of us who have been so shredded, abused, dismissed and lost in this falling groaning creation. Not heaven, but even now, a little or a lot. Don’t miss this one and the next four.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Movement #5. Christian men and woman are longing for real intimacy—we are tired of fake it til you make it, or your role is this and my role is this—just do it, or there are no roles, that should work. Worthy of ongoing dialogue, but the priority is that we, both sexes need healing. On paper, I get it. In the bed and in the heart, they are not working. The SOS shows us why. 

“Sex can’t be intimate if you feel like you don’t matter.” The Great Sex Rescue, p. 28

Movement 5 is parallel to Movement 3. It is brilliant poetry. But we get to see an aspect of the Queen that she can no longer keep hidden. When the King Groom finds her, she cannot be vulnerable. She can’t be loved. She can’t love. She can’t have great sex. She can have intercourse—sure, but not the intimacy and closeness that she wants. The watchmen on the wall will not let her. 

You can give her a book to read about intimacy, about sex, about true love. But she can’t. She needs a transforming power that rewires her beat up brain. 

Point? This is where the King’s love finds all of us. We are so shredded emotionally and relationally we just can’t get there. Until…

Bottom line? Man, woman, do you want great sex—not just more intercourse? Check it out. In this movement and in particularly in Movement 4, we will show you how to get there. 

No shame, no working harder. That is not the core problem. You may be surprised. You need  healing. 

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you tired of just intercourse? Wouldn't you rather intimacy? Looking at Movement 5, the parallel to Movement 3 of the Song of Songs.  The Queen’s problem is not that she is crazy, or disrespectful, or unsubmissive. She needs healing. From year 1, her midbrain has been beat up by disappointing relationships. When the King finds her, and me and you, she cannot be loved, or love in return. There is only one power fstat can begin to heal her issues. The Song shows us what that looks like.

Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.