Beloved, if it has not yet happened, it most certainly will happen, in the life of each one of us, that each one of us will arrive at a place in his/her life in which that one will desire, and long for, being in a Place of Refuge, in which that one will FEEL the Close Presence of THE ALMIGHTY GOD, YAHVEH.  Just as a child will yearn to take the hand of his/her parent, so that such a child will sense the love, safety, and security, of the strength of his/her parent, so each one of us will come to that place, and time, in which each one of us will long to sense The Sanctity of being within The Place of Security Wherein A LOVING GOD Can Be Found.

WHY does one have such feelings of need?  WHAT can one do about them?  WHAT should one do about them?  Should one be concerned, at all, about the answers to these questions?  Are there answers to such questions?  If so, where can one find them?

This Lesson is to be a Study in seeking to know more about that SECRET PLACE in which one can discover THE MOST HIGH GOD, YAHVEH.  HE Is THE GOD of our SALVATION, THE ROCK To Which we cling during the times of our great trouble and distress.  But, even more than this, HE Is THE ONE Upon WHOM we are to lean even in the best of times, when all seems to be going so well in our lives.  HE Is To Be our HABITATION, or daily DWELLING PLACE.  Let us take the time to explore the integral meaning of these statements, and more, as we delve into “WHAT IT MEANS TO DWELL IN THE ‘SECRET PLACE’ OF THE MOST HIGH”.  May YAHVEH GOD Grant us Insight to UNDERSTAND the nuances of HIS Word, so that we might LIVE Them within our lives, each day.   Amen.

And now, today’s Study.

LESSON:

Psalm 91:1  “He that DWELLETH in The Secret Place of THE MOST HIGH shall abide under the Shadow of THE ALMIGHTY.”

What a most appropriate place in which to begin our Study, today, Beloved.  This Teacher would have Students take notice of the fact that we are to DWELL, or REMAIN, within the State, or Condition, of being within this SECRET PLACE, and not merely to visit it from time to time.  One is NOT to be a stranger or visitor, to this Place but is to be one who LIVES there all day, every day, of one’s life.  But, even BEFORE one considers dwelling there, one must recognize that such a Place exists.  One must first recognize that this Place is NOT a fantasy, or the figment of someone’s imagination, but is a REALITY.  Each Believer MUST approach it from this perspective if one is to KNOW The TRUTH about this Place.

Next, we take notice of WHOSE Place this actually is: it is NOT originally the Dwelling Place of this Teacher, or any other Religious Teacher, or Leader.  This Place Belongs To YAHVEH GOD, and HIM, Alone.  All of this having been said, one is still left to wonder WHAT this Place is; WHERE this Place is, and HOW to find this Place.  We must begin the quest to know and understand.  Remember the words of Matthew 7:7-8.

Psalm 31:1  “In THEE, O LORD, do I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed: Deliver me In THY RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Beloved, let us look, closely, at these words, so that we might determine what is being imparted to us within them.  What we begin to discover is that the Psalmist points out that TRUST in GOD is ESSENTIAL for the one who would ask, and expect to receive, anything of this GOD.  One’s Trust is NOT to be in others or anything that is of one’s own ability to produce or make.  This verse points out that there is to be something BEYOND one’s own ability to effectuate the outcome.

When the Psalmist says:  “…let me never be ashamed…”, does this mean that the Believer will NEVER experience that which is hurtful to his/her life, reputation, and standing with others?  Is that what this verse means?  Not at all!  This verse deals more with the eventual OUTCOME of a matter, more than with the PROCESS of various developments.  Do you recall that the Psalmist, David, had a number of his own issues which brought great shame into his life? (II Samuel 15:4-6, 10-14, 16; 16:20-22).  Surely, he was NOT addressing the fact that NO shame should be a part of his life, but that YAHVEH Would NOT Allow such shame to remain unaddressed.  Otherwise, why would David ask YAHVEH To “Deliver” him because of YAHVEH’s RIGHTEOUSNESS?     

Psalm 31:20  “THOU Shalt Hide them In The Secret of THY Presence From the pride of man: THOU Shalt Keep them Secretly In a Pavilion From the strife of tongues.”

Do you see the highlighted portion of this verse, Beloved?  It speaks of YAHVEH’s PRESENCE, for It Is HIS PRESENCE That IS The SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH.  Comparatively speaking, very FEW people truly know how to gain access to This Secret Place.  YAHVEH Shares HIS Secret Place and Things With only those that love, honour, and obey HIM.   Let’s consider the following verse.

Deuteronomy 29:29  “The Secret Things Belong Unto THE LORD our GOD: but those things which Are Revealed belong unto us and to our childrenFOREVER, that we may DO ALL The Words of this LAW.”

As we observe, here, there are those Secret Things that Belong ONLY To The Knowledge of YAHVEH GOD, and He Will NOT Share Them With anyone UNTIL the proper time.  Do you remember Yeshua’s words in Matthew 24:36?  Look, closely, in this verse, at WHY Moses says The LAW of GOD Is Essential.  The LAW Provides us with the Spiritual Insight that is necessary to DO ALL that YAHVEH GOD Requires of us: It is a synopsis of how one is to live one’s life.  HOW LONG is this to be the situation?  Moses says that this is to be the situation FOREVER, which would most certainly do away with any notion that The LAW of GOD Is “Done away”.  We notice, too, that Moses is NOT convinced that this LAW CANNOT be lived, but expresses a view quite to the contrary.

Where is The Secret Place in which the Thunder resides when it is not rolling throughout the heavens? (Psalm 81:7)  Where does the Darkness go, or the Light, when it departs? (Job 38:19-20)  As it is with Electricity, Science might provide some portion of an explanation concerning its function, and how to use it, but the entirety of Knowledge concerning its structural origins, and the Fullness of Understanding concerning it, Belongs To YAHVEH GOD, Alone.  The complete Understanding of such Secret Things Dwells Within The Secret Place of THE MOST HIGH.

Isaiah 45:1  “Thus Said THE LORD To HIS Anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I Have Holden [Held], to subdue nations before him; and I Will Lose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;” 2  “I Will Go Before thee, and Make the crooked places straight: I Will Break in pieces the gates of Brass and Cut in sunder the bars of iron.”

Isaiah 45:3  “And I Will Give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, THAT THOU MAYEST, KNOW that I, THE LORD, Which Call thee by thy name, AM THE GOD of Israel.”

Students, why do you think that this Teacher has included these three verses within this Study?  It is to impart to us the REASON WHY YAHVEH Opens HIS Secret Place to Man-Types [Mankind].  YAHVEH Opens the Treasures of HIS Secret Place To whom HE Chooses, so that HE Might Share Some INFORMATION That Will Lead To greater Wisdom, and Understanding, on the part of the one receiving that Information.  In this particular instance, it is Cyrus, the king of Persia, whom YAHVEH Uses As HIS Arm of Vengeance (Isaiah 45:4-7).  The Secret Place of THE MOST HIGH Is That Place Out of Which YAHVEH Will Choose To Use whomever HE Will To Accomplish HIS Purpose, and which one of us will always recognize, or understand, WHAT HE Does, or WHY HE Does It?  Furthermore, which one of us can deny HIM The RIGHT To Do That Which HE Chooses To Do?

Each one of us HAS a Secret Place In GOD, Beloved; let this be clearly understood.  The issue will be whether that one will CHOOSE to enter into that Place in The Peace, Love, and Joy, of GOD, Wherein one will receive of HIS MERCY, and GRACE.  Or, will one enter into that Place under The WRATH of ALMIGHTY GOD?  The CHOICE is yours, this Teacher’s, and others’ to make.

Jeremiah 13:17  “But, if ye will NOT hear It [The Word of GOD], my soul [The soul of Jeremiah] shall weep in Secret Places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears because THE LORD’s flock is carried away captive.”

Jeremiah says, “When you refuse to listen to, and do, The Word of GOD, I will most assuredly weep when I enter into my Secret Place before my GOD in prayer, because you are prideful, refusing to honour YAHVEH.  I will cry for you, greatly, because you are blind and cannot see that GOD Will Send you away into captivity because of your many sins.”  

Precious Hearts, can you not see that Jeremiah is doing exactly that of which Yeshua will speak many centuries later? (Matthew 6:6)  Do you not understand that when you PRAY, you actually enter into that Secret Place?  This is WHY Prayer is NEVER to be a sham; it is ALWAYS to be of genuine purpose and content (Matthew 6:7-8).

Ezekiel 7:22  “MY Face Will I Turn Also From them, and they shall pollute MY Secret Place: for the robbers shall enter into it and defile it.”

YAHVEH Now Speaks, Through the Prophet Ezekiel, Of one of the more significant PURPOSES of the Temple, Church, or Meeting Place, of the Believers: it is to REPRESENT The Secret Place in which one MEETS with GOD.  In this instance, invaders will enter into the Temple, and defile it.  Because of its PURPOSE, Yeshua makes the statement that is read in Mark 11:17.  This is WHY he does what he does in Luke 19:45-46.  The Temple was to REPRESENT that Secret Place into which a man could enter to talk with GOD: ANY OTHER use was to act as a DEFILEMENT of its true PURPOSE and was NOT to be allowed.  This is WHY your Teacher continues to contend that it is WRONG, and SINFUL, to perform ANYTHING within the Church, today, that is other than PRAYER and WORSHIP of YAHVEH GOD.  There are to be NO Funerals, NO Rummage Sales, NO Bazaars, NO Christmas, or Easter, Pageants, NO Political Campaign Events, NO Health Fairs, NO Job Seminars, or ANY other such events.  There is simply to be PRAYER and WORSHIP of THE HEAVENLY KING and HIS Righteous Son carried out within THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH.

Daniel 2:22  “HE Revealeth The Deep and Secret Things: HE Knoweth what is in the darkness, and The Light dwelleth with HIM.”

Now, we are presented with the REASON WHY we CANNOT discover, through Scientific means, the location of Light, once it has departed from our view: it goes back to GOD From WHOM it emanates, where we CANNOT go (I Timothy 6:16).  The Darkness is simply the RESULT of the departure of light and DOES NOT come from GOD (I John 1:5).  This is the REASON that those of us who Walk in The LIGHT is NEVER to act according to the deeds of Darkness (Ephesians 5:8; I Thessalonians 5:4-5).

Romans 16:25  “Now To HIM [YAHVEH] That Is Of POWER To Stablish [Establish] you according to my GOSPEL, and the Preaching of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Ha Meshiach], according to The Revelation of the Mystery, Which Was Kept Secret since the World began.”

What is this SECRET of which this verse speaks?  What is this SECRET that Paul Preaches, and Yeshua Preached, while he was with us upon this Earth, and how does it factor into this Lesson, today?  In order to find the answer to this query, let us turn to the following verse.

Colossians 1:26  “Even The Mystery Which Hath Been Hid[den] from ages and from generations, but now Is Made Manifest To HIS Saints:”

As we begin this portion of our study, we see that there is something referred to as a “MYSTERY”, which was NOT previously made known to ANY of Man-Types [Mankind].  Paul tells us that now this Mystery Has Been Unveiled To TRUE Believers in Yeshua Ha Meshiach [Jesus The Messiah].  What is this MYSTERY?

Colossians 1:27  “To whom GOD Would Make Known what is The Riches of The Glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ [Meshiach] IN you, The Hope of Glory:”

Ah-h-h!  Here we have our answer to the question: YESHUA HA MASHIACH WILL COME TO LIVE WITHIN EACH BELIEVER, which was NEVER before done.  It is a part of The NEW COVENANT, for The Glorified Yeshua, Who Is the living Word of GOD, REPLACES the physical TEN COMMANDMENTS, which are to be in the hearts/minds of those that love GOD, By Making Them REAL within the hearts/lives of Believers.  In line with this thought, let us consider some other verses, shall we?

John 6:57  “As THE LIVING FATHER Hath Sent me, and I Live By THE FATHER: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.”

Yeshua presents the Talmidim [Disciples] with a Great TRUTH, which so many Religionists, and their religious followers, completely overlook:  Yeshua states, “…I LIVE BY THE FATHER…”  Do you recall what this Teacher told you is the MEANING of this statement, Students?  Yeshua is saying that HIS LIFE, or Existence, DEPENDS Upon YAHVEH, as does the life of EVERY OTHER part of YAHVEH’s CREATION.  But, HOW can such be?!?  Doesn’t Yeshua Have ETERNAL LIFE?!?  Isn’t he the SAME as GOD?!   Isn’t he an Equal Member of the “Trinity”, as so many Religionists contend?   NOT at all!   Yeshua MEANT exactly what he SAID at the time of this statement: he LIVED At The WILL, or BEHEST, of THE HEAVENLY FATHER, just as the Holy Angels of HEAVEN continue to do.

This Teacher understands that some will call this statement heresy.  Some will contend that this Teacher has lost this Teacher’s mind.  Some will say that this Teacher is NOT one who Has Been “CALLED” By GOD To Teach HIS TRUTH.  They are so bent upon supporting the teachings of their own various denominations’ theologies that they WILL NOT, or CANNOT, see The TRUTH of Yeshua’s words.

Let us take a few minutes to remind ourselves of this TRUTH before we continue with our discussion of the meaning behind THE SECRET PLACE.  Let us turn to Hebrews 1:4, and begin there.

Hebrews 1:4  “Being MADE so much better than the Angels, as He Hath, By Inheritance, Obtained A More EXCELLENT NAME Than they.”

The questions are:  “How is it that Yeshua has to Be ‘MADE so much BETTER than the Angels’?  Is he not already BETTER than they?  WHO Makes him ‘Better’?”  Clearly, something different takes place, in The Life of Yeshua, from that which so many are taught over the pulpits of the churches they attend, or this Scripture would be meaningless.  There is something that takes place That Provides Yeshua With A NAME That Is To Be Exalted ABOVE EVERY NAME (Ephesians 1:18-23).  

5  “For unto which of the Angels Said HE [YAHVEH] At any time, ‘Thou Art MY Son, THIS DAY Have I BEGOTTEN Thee’?  And, again, ‘I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, and He Shall Be To ME a Son’?”

As this Teacher has asked, before, “WHEN does this take place, that Yeshua Is MADE To Be The Living Son of GOD?  When is the ‘THIS DAY’ of which this verse speaks, in which Yeshua Is ‘BEGOTTEN’ As YAHVEH GOD’s Son?  Is it WHEN he is born of Mary, the virgin, into this earth realm? Or, is it BEFORE that monumental event?”  The ANSWER is the latter: it was EONS BEFORE Yeshua ever came into this Earthly realm; LONG BEFORE TIME ever existed.  He Was MADE To BE The SON of GOD While He Was WITHIN The HEAVENLY Realm, By The Spoken Word, or Declaration, of YAHVEH GOD, Just As The POWER of GOD CAUSED Things To BE When The Words Were Spoken, “Let there be Light!”  The Glorified Yeshua [The LOGOS/Living Word of GOD] Was BEGOTTEN [Came OUT of GOD] BEFORE the Angels, and the World, existed.  Read, with UNDERSTANDING, the following verse.

John 8:42  “Jesus/Yeshua said unto them, ‘If GOD WERE your FATHER, ye would love me: for I PROCEEDED FORTH AND CAME FROM GOD; neither came I of myself, but HE SENT me.” 

As this Teacher has said, it is important that we recognize that there are TWO SEPARATE, AND DISTINCT, THOUGHTS being expressed within this statement.  As Students of the Great Grace Bible Study Group should know, and remember, the phrase “Proceeded FORTH” refers to the fact that Yeshua Came OUT OF GOD, or was BEGOTTEN, in a Spiritual Manner, similar to what occurs in the biological function of a father in this Earthly realm; whereas the statement “Came FROM GOD” refers to the fact that Yeshua was SENT, and came INTO the World.  Do NOT overlook the Conjunction “AND” that connects the TWO separate thoughts, in some ill-advised attempt to conflate the TWO INDIVIDUAL THOUGHTS!  Now, Students, let’s look at something more that Yeshua states for our edification.

John 8:16  “Verily, verily [of a certainty], I say unto you, ‘The Servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is Sent greater than HE That Sent him.’” 

Yeshua takes the time, and opportunity, to make this statement, which SHOULD serve to dispel any idea, for those who sincerely look for TRUTH, that Yeshua Has ANY type of an Equal Roll, or Part, in what many call a “TRINITY”, With YAHVEH GOD.  He makes it quite clear that he, and THE HEAVENLY FATHER, Are in NO WAY Equals, As THE FATHER Is SUPREME In ALL things.  Yeshua confers this understanding, to the Believing, by saying that THE FATHER SENT him to the Earth because THE FATHER Is THE GREATER ONE (John 10:29; 14:28), and ALL THINGS Belong To THE FATHER (I Corinthians 15:24-25).  Notice the Message, in the following statement, regarding Yeshua: “He must Reign, [UN]TIL…”  Do you understand the significance, here?  It indicates that Yeshua Will NOT Retain Ultimate Authority of the Universe, but Will one day RETURN the ENTIRETY of The Authority of the Universe Over To YAHVEH GOD, for it was CREATED For HIM in the very BEGINNING of TIME.  At that point, YAHVEH Will Be ALL IN ALL, Even To The Glorified Yeshua Ha Meshiach (I Corinthians 15:28).  WHERE is the EQUALITY, in which so many choose to believe, when ONE Is Able To SEND The Other, and One Is To Receive From THE OTHER ALL THINGS?  Yeshua is actually saying that YAHVEH GOD Is LORD and GOD Over Him (Hebrews 1:9), just as Yeshua is Lord over all other living, and inanimate, things.

John 13:3 “Jesus/Yeshua knowing that THE FATHER Had GIVEN ALL things Into his hands and that he was come from GOD, and went to GOD.”

Do you realize, by reading this verse, that THE HEAVENLY FATHER GAVE EVERYTHING To Yeshua: Power, Authority, Rule, and Dominion, for He DIDNOT Possess Such POWER of Himself.  Yeshua was able to do the Wonderful Miracles that he did THROUGH [Through The Existence of] YAHVEH’s POWER.  This is WHY he makes his statement in John 14:10-11.  In Verse 11, Yeshua is requiring that persons acknowledge that NO MAN could ever do the calibre of Righteous Works that he did on that person’s own, without The Presence of YAHVEH’s POWER Being Within him.

Beloved, let us always endeavour to allow The Holy Scriptures to speak to us, and resist ALL temptation to interject our words, or thoughts, into what is stated.  This will prevent us from allowing any teachings from our pasts, and the leanings of various former denominations to taint our viewpoints.

John 14:17  “Even THE SPIRIT of TRUTH; WHOM the World CANNOT receive, because it seeth HIM not, neither knoweth HIM: but ye know HIM; for HE Dwelleth WITH you, and Shall Be IN you.”    

23  “Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my FATHER Will Love him, and We Will Come Unto him and Make OUR Abode With him.”

This Teacher would like for Students to recall what this Teacher has shared regarding the reality of The SECRET PLACE as BEING IN GOD, which comes through embracing The TRUTH of GOD’s Word and being OBEDIENT to HIM through honouring HIS Word.  The World will NEVER do any of this because it cannot physically SEE YAHVEH, and, therefore, it will NOT believe in HIM.  The World believes, so often, in only what it can SEE, but FAITH is NOT composed of what one can initially SEE (John 20:27-29).  The paradox is this:  IF the World COULD SEE YAHVEH, then the World would still dishonour HIM because it WOULD be able to SEE HIM.  HE Would Become commonplace and ordinary to the World, and the World would try to take HIM For Granted.  Yeshua makes the statement that FAITH IN, and OBEDIENCE TO, GOD, Will Cause YAHVEH, and Yeshua, to Come To LIVE WITHIN the heart/mind of the Believing party.  This BELIEVING, and OBEDIENCE, is, in each case, an integral part of dwelling within that SECRET PLACE of THE MOST HIGH.

Proverbs 3:32  “For the froward is abomination To THE LORD: but HIS Secret Is With the Righteous.”

Is this verse plain enough to you, Beloved?  No matter what a man/woman might claim, no matter how much he/she asserts that he/she is a “Child of God”, this verse says that ONLY The Righteous One’s Will Be Allowed entrance into that SECRET PLACE In Which YAHVEH Shares The Hidden Things With them.  Keep in mind that the froward man/woman is that person who dares to think that he/she can decide, for himself/herself, what will be The Standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS, rather than accepting YAHVEH’s Standard.  The Glorified Yeshua Is Calling for EVERY man/woman/boy/girl to ascribe to the same standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS [Right-Living].  YAHVEH GOD CANNOT Allow us, as individuals, or corporate groups, to be all over the map in determining what will be RIGHTEOUSNESS because our ETERNAL LIVES depend upon knowing and embracing The RIGHT Standard.

Revelation 3:20  “Behold, I Stand At the door, and Knock: if any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I Will Come INTO him, and Will Sup With him, and he with Me.”

Each minute, of each day, presents one, who has not already done so, with the opportunity to allow The Glorified Yeshua Ha Meshiach Entrance Into one’s heart/mind.  He Stands, Patiently Waiting, for that one to answer the door.  Unfortunately, far too many treat Him the same as they treat the members of a certain religious group when they come knocking at their doors: they ignore Him, or simply pretend that they are NOT at home.  The Glorified Yeshua Desires Entrance so that He Might Share The Secrets of The SECRET PLACE.  He Will Dine-In our hearts/minds, and Share With us The Bread of Life.

John 6:58  “This Is That Bread Which Came Down From HEAVEN: not as your fathers did eat Manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this Bread shall live forever.”

Within The SECRET PLACE of the heart/mind, following the opening of the Door of the Heart, The Glorified Yeshua Ha Meshiach Enters and Begins To Share The Bread of ETERNAL LIFE With us, Which Is The Beauty of HIMSELF.  There, within the Bonds of Love, and Assiduous Care, He Imparts The Wonderful TRUTHS that ONLY those that love, obey, and keep His FATHER’s COMMANDMENTS, can ever truly know.  It is HOW, in The SECRET PLACE of the Heart, one sits to “EAT” of The Glorified Yeshua Ha Meshiach, Who IS The BREAD OF LIFE.

Psalm 91:1  “He that dwelleth in THE SECRET PLACE of THE MOST HIGH shall abide under The Shadow of THE ALMIGHTY.”

THE CONCLUSION:

Precious Hearts, what a wonderful blessing it is to ABIDE in THE SECRET PLACE of THE MOST HIGH, wherein so many of The Wonderful Things of GOD Are Shared.  There is NO other place like this Place, in Which YAH [THE HEAVENLY FATHER and Son] Are Present To Impart To us The LOVE, PEACE, MERCY, GRACE, WISDOM, TRUTH, INSIGHT, KNOWLEDGE, and UNDERSTANDING, so vital to the True Believer, today.  It is here that one can find SOLITUDE and SOLACE.  It is here that wounds Are Bound, broken hearts Are Mended, sight Is Given, ears Are Opened, and lives Made New.  It is here that the Cares of this World are Lifted, and smiles of Joy Are Restored.  It is here that life’s effervescence Is Revitalized, and one’s steps are Rejuvenated.  In this Place, one is Taught to mount up on wings as an Eagle flies, and to soar to the loftiest of heights.  One learns how to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.

The Invitation is Extended to ALL so that whosoever desires to do so might come and partake of The BREAD OF LIFE without measure.  The WATER OF LIFE Flows freely to quench the thirst of every parched soul, and the longing of every heart Is Satisfied.  There is room for one more at The Table in The SECRET PLACE of THE MOST HIGH.  Won’t YOU come, sit down, and dine?

Until next time, Beloved …

MAY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE BE WITH YOU IN THE SECRET PLACE?

AMEN