RAINBOW SYMBOLISM OF PROMISE

The rainbow has such a significant symbolic meaning of promise! In my very first blog I shared with you my very first poem called Born Into A Cloud which I wrote three different blogs titled My First Poem giving you my testimony. In My First Poem, One of the lines in the poem I believe the Holy Spirit wrote Is, the rainbow God created you to be, when there seemed to be no hope the clouds are lifted by the winds of salvation. This poem moved me to do a study on the rainbows meaning in the bible which I will share with you now.

Here is the poem

Born into a cloud smothered into darkness
bringing rainfall in abundance
the deep fog keeps you from knowing who you are
Lightning strikes your person a lashing out in pain
the world is blinded by the dark cloud that covers
life hails in destruction leaving no hope or sanity
until a light shines from heaven revealing your true colors
the rainbow God created you to be
when there seemed to be no hope
the clouds are lifted by the winds of salvation
and you are born again by the love and mercy
of the lord Jesus Christ
whom brings forth truth in everlasting life.

Genesis 9 (New International Version)

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

He set a rainbow in the clouds as a promise to us, He will never flood the earth again. Which means when the storms come we will not be overtaken. The Rainbow is a hand painted piece of art by God displaying His heart and person in the beauty of salvation to those He loves. It Is one of His ways to say, I am Here and I love you!

Ezekiel 1 (Expanded Bible)

²⁵ A voice came from above the ·dome [vault; expanse; or platform] over the heads of the living creatures. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered their wings. ²⁶ Now above the ·dome [vault; expanse; or platform] there was something that looked like a throne. It looked like ·a sapphire gem [or la pis lazuli]. And on the throne high above was a ·shape [form; figure] like a ·human [man]. ²⁷ Then I noticed that from the waist up the shape looked like glowing ·metal [or amber] with fire inside. From the waist down it looked like fire, and a bright light was all around. ²⁸ The surrounding ·glow [radiance; brightness] looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. ·It seemed to look like [^LThis was the appearance of the likeness of] the glory of the Lord [^Chis manifest presence]. So when I saw it, I ·bowed [fell] face-down on the ground and heard a voice speaking.

In Ezekiel s vision He sees the presence of God and He described it as glowing metal with fire inside from the waist down it looked like fire, and a bright light was all around. ²⁸ The surrounding ·glow [radiance; brightness] looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day

. looked like the rainbow in the clouds!!!! Even Gods presence is like a rainbow in the clouds. Could it be when we see a rainbow we are actually seeing an image of God. An Image of His promise. Lets look at Moses!

Exodus 24 (Expanded Bible)

Moses Meets with God

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud [^Crepresenting God’s presence] covered it. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord [^Crepresenting his manifest presence] ·came down [^Lsettled] on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. ¹⁷ To the ·Israelite s [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] the glory of the Lord looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses went into the cloud and went higher up the mountain. He was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

I love this part because when Moses was called up the mountain what was seen was a cloud covering it. At the top of the mountain what the people could see was like a fire, a glowing fire inside the cloud on top of the mountain. Half of the way up the mountain was covered with the cloud, which means half the way up this very high mountain, Moses was without sight. Isn’t that like our walks with God? when we climb the mountain of God, we can’t see where we are going. When we get to the top we see the glory of God. I believe when Moses got to the top of the mountain the Glory of God was just like Ezekiel s vision. He saw what looked like a rainbow in the clouds. A consuming fire that looked like glowing metal.

Revelation 4

Expanded Bible (EXB)

John Sees Heaven

4 After the vision of these things I looked, and [^Llook; ^Tbehold] there before me was an open door in heaven. And the ·same [^Lfirst] voice that spoke to me before, that sounded like a trumpet [1:8], said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ² Immediately I was in the ·Spirit [or spirit; ^Ca state of deep spiritual communion with God; 1:10], and [^Llook; ^Tbehold] before me was a throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it. ³ The One who sat on the throne looked like precious stones, like jasper and carnelian [^Ca symbol of great beauty, purity and value]. All around the throne was a ·rainbow [or halo] ·the color of [or that looked like] an emerald.

Around the thrown encircling it was a rainbow. You see when you die and are face to face with God what you will see is amazing color of jewels and sapphires and rubies. There will be incredible light and the image you will see of His glory will look like that of a rainbow.  I would like to look at another symbol that represents the rainbow and Gods promise of son-ship, Royalty!

Genesis 37 (Expanded Bible)

³ Since Joseph was born when his father Israel [^CJacob’s other name] was old, Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves [^Ctraditionally a multicolored robe]. ⁴ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak to him ·politely [^Ccivilly; ^Lpeacefully].

The robe of many colors. This robe is the same robe in the Prodigal Son that the Master has His servants get to put on him. It represents royalty son-ship. I also believe this is Gods covering, a rainbow covering, meaning promise!

Exodus 28 (Expanded Bible)

28 “·Tell your brother Aaron to come [^LBring near your brother Aaron] to you, along with his sons Nada b, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ·Separate them from the other Israelites to [^L…to] serve me as priests. ² Make holy ·clothes [garments; vestments] for your brother Aaron to give him ·honor [glory] and ·beauty [splendor]. ³ Tell all the ·skilled craftsmen to whom I have given wisdom [^Lthe wise of heart whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom; ^Cwisdom here is a practical knowledge, a skill] to make ·special clothes [garments; vestments] for Aaron—clothes to show that he ·belongs to me [is consecrated/set apart/ holy] so that he may serve me as a priest. ⁴ These are the clothes they must make: a ·chest covering [breastpiece], a ·holy vest [ephod], an outer robe, a ·woven inner [or checkered] robe, a turban, and a ·cloth belt [sash]. They must make these ·holy [sacred] clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests. ⁵ They must use gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen.

The Holy Vest

⁶ “Use gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen to make the ·holy vest [ephod]; ·skilled craftsmen are to make it [skillfully worked]. ⁷ At each top corner of it there will be a pair of shoulder straps tied together over each shoulder.

⁸ “·The craftsmen will very carefully weave a belt [^LThe embroidered waistband] on the ·holy vest that is [^Lephod will be] made with the same materials—gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen.

⁹ “Take two onyx stones and write the names of the twelve sons of Israel on them, ¹⁰ six on one stone and six on the other. Write the names in order, ·from the oldest son to the youngest [according to the order of their birth]. ¹¹ ·Carve [Engrave] the names of the sons of Israel on these stones in the same way a person ·carves words and designs on a seal [engraves a seal/signet]. Put gold [^Lfiligree] around the stones to hold them on the ·holy vest [ephod]. ¹² Then put the two stones on the two straps of the ·holy vest [ephod] as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. Aaron is to ·wear [bear] their names on his shoulders in the presence of the Lord as reminders of the sons of Israel. ¹³ Make ·two gold pieces to hold the stones [settings of gold filigree] ¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold, twisted together like a rope. Attach the chains to the ·two gold pieces that hold the stones [^Lsettings].

This is the clothing for priest of the Kingdom Of God, it continues on if you want to go back and read more. Notice again it is a robe of many colors and full of jewels. Now this is old Testament, today we Christians are all considered to be a Kingdom Of priest and a holy nation. I believe this is our spiritual robe to be worn as a child of royalty and purpose. The anointed of God. This spiritual robe is Gods presence which if you remember it is that of a rainbow in the clouds. His presence is on us like a cloud, a consuming fire of glowing metal, a rainbow in the clouds of this world. We are His rainbows of promise to the lost.

Revelation 1:6

Expanded Bible (EXB)

⁶ He made us to be a ·kingdom of priests [or kingdom and priests; or kingdom, that is, priests; Ex. 19:6] who serve ·God his Father [^Lhis God and Father]. To ·Jesus Christ [^Lhim] be glory and ·power [dominion] forever and ever! Amen.

May God clothe you in rainbows of blessing and purpose, and full of promise as the children of the living God.

Please visit our store www.fullofrosesinspirationals.com

FAITH

Faith, what we as Christians strive for. When times are not working as we planed, it is much harder not to question God. The scope of things are much bigger than you and I can understand. God has a bigger plan. Fifteen years ago, God launched me into ministry. After seven years of preaching to hundreds. The ministry got cut short and I was sent in a different direction.

I went through a testing period of about five years. What was taking place in me for those five years? I believe I was being prepared for something much greater. God seems to have no since of time like you and I. God knows us better than we know ourselves. When you give your life in service to God and His purposes, no matter where it takes you, we must hold on to faith. Faith is the rudder steering our course, the wind upon our sails.

God hasn’t abandoned us. As Moses climbed the mountain, the mountain was covered in clouds the bible says, which means Moses had to climb at least half the way without seeing. It must have been quite the journey. Once He reached the top He saw the glory of God. Which was described as glowing metal, a rainbow in the clouds. God has made us to be rainbows in the clouds, as in my first poem. We are the ones God has asked to climb the mountain of faith, isn’t that wonderful? We get the blessing of climbing without seeing, to be the Shepard of the flock God has put us in charge of.

We are called to climb the mountain covered in clouds, and with our faith lead the way. Not one of us do this perfect and it seems we stumble more than we climb, yet Christ gets us there. We might even ask Christ where is there? He would answer, “to the glory of God!” Saints we are on our way, don’t loose faith. Stand strong, for He is faithful. His plan is bigger than our plan. Remain in Him, push out the lies that want to get in the way of your path, hold strong and lead up the mountain by your faith. See the Glory of God.

God bless you, be the rainbow in the clouds, trust Him, you will get to the top.  Faith can be purchased at our store. http://www.fullofrosesinspirationals.com

BORN INTO A CLOUD (PART THREE)

This part of my testimony will touch on the vision God has given me for the ministry of www.fullofrosesinspirationals.com and Face To Face Ministries.

After God gave me the miracle of the lizard in the post ( MY FIRST POEM PART TWO)  I had all I needed to walk through whatever I had to walk through to serve Christ. I started a Bible study at my house that lasted two years. The bible study grew to be very large but we all squeezed into my small living room. Just thinking about those days brings so much joy in my heart. The training ground that It was for me, the relationships that were built and all the wonderful things God did during that time. After the bible study’s first year God moved me to also do poetry reading every Friday night at Barns And Nobles. The poetry reading was a challenging time because I had the fear of public speaking.

Every Friday night I would go to Barns And Nobles and I would have severe cotton mouth and my hands would shake like small trimmers. Every Friday night I would pray for it to stop and there I was shaking and barely able to talk. Faithfully about forty to fifty people would show up. There were all types of poets some very dark poetry and then mine. During that time I did feel like I was a lamp in a dark place. That experience was life changing. after a year of doing that, Barns And Nobles closed their poetry night. It was three days later that I received a call from my church telling me that Acton Rehabilitation Center had an opening for someone from our Church to go and teach. I was asked If I was interested. I said yes of course. Acton Rehabilitation Center is a very large government owned Rehabilitation Center where people would come from all over the place. It housed three hundred people male and female. Every ninety days It would change over and there would be a new group that would come in.

In preparation to go there I needed a worship leader and I had the perfect Guy in mind from the singles ministry Paul Montgomery. I saw Paul driving away from Sunday church service and I flagged him down. I asked him If he would lead worship at Acton. He looked at his newly wife and she looked at him like they couldn’t believe what was taking place. You see just prior to that they were in the church service and the message was on getting involved in some type of service. Paul had said to his wife inside that church that the message was speaking to him and that he needed to get involved somewhere and then there I was.

Our first night at Acton Rehab, I was preparing for the night, setting the poetry hand outs on the table, Paul was tuning his guitar, then Paul looks at me, points to one of my poems and says “can I”. In front of everyone, Paul belts out a song from my poem Face To Face. This happened with all the people in the room. It was incredible, Paul had never done that before. After that we got together purposely to see what God would do. Twelve songs later we had a very powerful ministry taking place. The ministry there lasted seven years. In MY FIRST POEM (PART ONE) I had told you I changed jobs and that ended our seven year run.

Paul went on to build his music website which doesn’t include our music yet. I struggled through some things during the five year period I had spoken to you about. Last year God began to move me in the direction of this ministry fullofrosesinspirationals. God had spoken to me in the beginning years about what he was going to do but I truly could have never guessed it would be this. There is another side of the ministry called Face To Face ministries which I haven’t introduced to you until now. I am currently working on a Youtube Teaching message that will bring us Face To Face. The name Face To Face came from the miracle of our first song. Our vision is to reach as many people as we can and bring the message The Sinner Can Walk With God.

The Website www.fullofrosesinspirationals.com is for the purpose of putting Gods love in your homes through pictures with words and to fund our ministry. I am not pushing you to purchase, If God places it on your heart the website will be open in a couple of days. What I will ask of you are your prayers because when a believer moves into a place of ministry like this where it has potential of reaching many unbelievers and feed strong believers, it will be under attack. We love you and thank you for all your prayers and support. God be with you, may you be encourage and challenged to be all you can be in Christ.

BORN INTO A CLOUD (PART TWO)

To begin telling you my story and how the poetry began I must tell you, I believe the messages in this poetry is a direct word from God, not only to me but to you as well. You see Born Into A Cloud talks about coming to Christ and who we are in Him. Our identity as the rainbow God has called us to be. The second poem Full Of Roses is what I named this ministry because I realized It is Gods call on our lives to plant roses. Planting the truth in other believers and coming along slide of them to help them blossom in The Lord, our marching orders.

I had told you I memorized the first poem and shared it to everyone for a year until God gave me the second poem a year later. During that time I was in sales selling home security systems which led me to the living room of a pastor and his wife. The moment I walked in and sat on their couch the presence of The Lord came in. The pastor and His wife looked at each other in awe of God then the pastor’s wife looked at me and said “God has a significant call on your life”. We talked for a few, I made my sale and left.

I was confused by what she prophesied over my life. I thought about it everyday. Honestly I struggled because I didn’t understand or know what to do. So I was calling on God what seemed like every second. One night I asked God to confirm what the pastor’s wife said, I asked for a shooting star and He gave it instantly. Doubt entered almost immediately and again I struggled. The next night I asked again for another shooting star and again He gave it. Again I doubted and struggled. Someone told me there was a meteor shower that night. The third night I asked again for a shooting star and again He gave it but this time it came with a discomfort to my head, I felt an uncomfortable pressure. I believed it to be God telling me to stop doubting.

Sorry to tell you I still struggled. I was new to this thing called faith, and I surely didn’t understand having a calling. A few weeks later I decided to have a party at my house to honor God. I had used my house for the wrong kind of parties and I wanted to offer up my house to God. I Invited the singles group over and I catered a really nice afternoon gathering. There was a pool table in the garage, darts in the house, ping-pong table under the patio and horseshoes in the backyard. Everyone was having a really good time. A guy named Robert came over to me and brought my attention to a very large grey lizard on my wall that was doing push ups. Everyone gathered around to look at it, when it darted off two or three houses down out of sight. I asked Robert if he thought it lived in my wood pile, and he said ” no that thing is long gone”. We finished up a very wonderful day, prayed over my house then called it a night.

Several weeks later I was in my backyard where I spent most of my time reading the bible and praying to God. I continued to have this strong feeling I was supposed to be doing something but I didn’t know what. So I was walking around my back yard talking to God, telling him I would do whatever He wanted but I needed answers. I asked Him again about what the pastor’s wife said and so I asked Him, “do you have plans for me, I need to know”? I told God whatever it was, I would serve Him. I needed to hear from Him, I needed something. The lizard came to mind. I said to Him “yes, the lizard, bring the lizard out and I will know”. I stood there in front of the wood pile for twenty to thirty minutes believing if God wanted to, He could do it. The thoughts in my head were I had already asked God for three shooting stars, He gave them to me and the last one, the discomfort I felt. Here I was asking for another sign. I felt really stupid and shameful, so I turned around as to go back to the house when I heard a rustling of leaves coming from behind the wood pile. I felt anxious, a little shocked, maybe even a little scared. I could hear the sound getting higher, when I saw its head pop up from behind the wood pile. The lizard walked forward, started doing push ups, then looked right at me. I fell to the ground in shock and in awe of God.

The reason I am sharing this story with you is certainly not to give you the idea I think I am special or anything of the sort. The reason I am telling you is because of how important I believe testimony is. God is the same God today as He was yesterday. He still moves, heals, speaks, and does miracles. God knows our hearts, He knew mine when I asked for the miracle. He knew I wasn’t playing games with Him, He knew I was serious and the commitment I was ready to make to Him. God will reveal himself to us when we are ready, really ready to answer His call!

I think this will have to be continued. I am here for you, to encourage you, to walk along side of you and share this amazing journey we share together. God be with you, encourage you and give you the strength and faith you need!

www.fullofrosesinspirationals.com

BORN INTO A CLOUD

I began writing Christian Poetry when I was 31 years old, after I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. It all started when I went up for prayer in church one Sunday. There were two older women who were waiting as I walked up for prayer. After praying for me one of the ladies suggested I go to a singles retreat that was taking place In the mountains near my home in a few weeks. I wrestled with the thought for most of the week. My heart was pretty sure it was Gods desire for me to go. The problem I was having was I had just got out of a bad relationship. The last thing I wanted was to meet someone new. I really needed some time to build my relationship with God when It hit me! I would go on the singles retreat to focus my whole heart in getting to know my Lord and Savior.

I had spoken to the pastor after my three-day weekend retreat was over, he clarified to me a lot about what I had experienced those three-days. He explained to me that a school of ministry was on break during the three-days of the retreat. He said a retreat was treated much different from a school of ministry. Just as Sunday church is treated different because of the level of maturity in Christ. Leaders and those studying leadership Is approached much different. God moves different. God is not in the business of scaring people. He is not in the business to show off his power. When a person is mature enough to handle it many things can take place in the power of God. A school of ministry is built up of inspiring leaders and God equips them. This is not to say God doesn’t move in church or retreats. I was at a pastors conference once and I can tell you by far it was different from regular church but let me not get off track, back to the retreat.

Our first night there, all 45 of us gathered in the sanctuary where we would hold our services during the weekend. They started worship when suddenly everyone noticed God’s presence very powerfully. This was my first experience of that. It was a matter of seconds and all 45 of us were crying heavy from the overwhelming love we were experiencing. The staff was caught off guard and found themselves trying to tend to and pray for each of us during this unexpected move of God. Afterwards we all unpacked in our cabins and went to bed in awe of what had happened. I was eager for what was to come. The pastoral team gathered in a meeting to discuss what had taken place. The conclusion to their meeting was that this was no retreat this was a school of ministry.

The rest of the weekend was just as powerful. God moved and I fell in love with my Lord and Savior. Everyone of the 45 people of the retreat-school of ministry became leaders of one sort or another in the church. The Sunday morning I returned home I began to unpack and unwind from the weekend. Funny thing though I had this nagging thought running through my head. Over and over like a song stuck in my head “sit down and write” “Sit down and write”, repeatedly like a song stuck in my head. I tried to get rid of it, ignore it but it wouldn’t go away. When I realized It might be God. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and sat at my kitchen table. Instantly I could hear word for word what to write as I wrote it, not really knowing what I had written until I read it once I was done. Here is the Poem

BORN INTO CLOUD

born into a cloud smothered into darkness
bringing rainfall in abundance
the deep fog keeps you from knowing who you are
lightning strikes your person
a lashing out in pain
the world is blinding in the dark cloud that covers
life hails in destruction
leaving no hope or sanity
until light shines through from heaven revealing your true colors
the rainbow God created you to be
when there seemed to be no hope
the clouds are lifted by the winds of salvation
and you are born again by the love and mercy of the lord Jesus Christ
whom brings forth truth in everlasting life
Amen

I couldn’t believe what I had just wrote, But it gets better the next day in my daily bible reading this is what I read out of Ezekiel 34:

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

I was blown away how the scripture went hand in hand with the poem. Notice how the scripture says I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. This is talking about when we come to the saving knowledge of Christ out from the clouds into the light of truth. The blessings and promises that are in Christ. How God searches us out in our darkness. Once He has searched us out and we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior, we considered His words, we are His flock that has been scattered by darkness. He searches us out. Then in verse 17 He discusses how He judges between us and says in verse 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

If you can picture flying in a plane and you look out the window at the ground, what you see is squares of land connecting to one another. These are squares of pastures. So in the scripture He is talking about the squares of pasture we have walked in our lives, in the days of clouds and darkness. Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? What He is saying here is the ground we have walked in our sin. Our past and where we have walked in our lives is muddy. Those who walk behind us only have muddy pasture to eat from. As we walk out our salvation the ground should become les and less muddied.

Full of roses inspirational’s, christian poetry, inspirational photography,framed art and yearly calendars. I am pleased to be writing my first christian blog. If this has been a blessing to you please share this website with others and follow my blog by subscribing with your email address. Thank you, and may the Lord bless you.

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sincerely, Ken Hernandez