Dance of the Ages: The love between God and man

By Dr. Michael Shepard

My journey began as a university student. Armed with a fresh encounter with God, I set out on my destiny. In fraternity with a few other like-minded men, I captured the vision of giving away what I had encountered. I had lived, primarily up to this occasion, for myself. I had unwittingly filled the insecurities, the holes in my heart, with pride and selfishness. Gaining approval and performance orientation were unspoken mantras in my life.

However, I was on a new trek! It was all about loving others, helping, serving, and reaching people. The Great Commission became my great obsession. My pursuit was vigorous, yet over time, it left me drained of vigor! I found myself in a strange, uncharted place within. I grasped for new vitality in my God-life.

I found and apprehended a new handle in my life. It was a new corridor! I found new energy in the quest of seeking after God and loving God. I became a God chaser. I saw the priority of being a God seeker rather than a people seeker. The flames of my God-life were fanned!

After several years of traveling this route, to my amazement, my flame began to burn out. The battery of my emotions and will were drained in a way I had experienced before. I wilted in the race of running with the Great Commission. I became heavy, carrying the weight of being a God chaser. Why was my soul gas tank low? Weren't these honorable pursuits? I had loved myself, others, and then God. How, then, shall I go forward with my God-life? Let's relook at the road map and recalibrate the compass. Come...take a journey with me!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543484311

Dr. Michael Shepard

Michael Shepard is currently serving as the Staff Pastor at Joyce Meyer Ministries. He has been in full time pastoral ministry for over 35 years. He earned his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College with majors in Math, History, and Religion. Michael earned his Masters of Ministry and Doctorate of Ministry degrees from Pillsbury College and Seminary with an emphasis in Expository Studies in the New Testament. The fire in his heart is a passion for Jesus and to raise up leaders after His heart. Michael has been happily married to his wife, Pennie, for over 35 years. He is the father of two daughters. Hannah Joy, along with her husband Mark and four sons, live in San Antonio, Texas. Leah Grace works for the Disney Co. and lives in Orlando, Florida.

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Copyright © 2018 by Dr. Michael Shepard.

Cover designed by Leah Grace Shepard

Library of Congress Control Number:      2018901772

ISBN:                  Hardcover                        978-1-5434-8429-8

                            Softcover                          978-1-5434-8430-4

                            eBook                                978-1-5434-8431-1

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Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. That means that you may freely copy it in any form, including electronic and print formats. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form, and currently being edited for accuracy and readability.

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Rev. date: 04/18/2018

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword - Love In All The Wrong Places

Chapter 1   The Lord of the Dance

The key of love

Chapter 2   Dancing with the Star

His lead of love

The ‘4 step’

The Biblical thread of His lead

King David and the Dance

Solomon…and the beat goes on!

The Song of Songs – Scene I

John, the dancing apostle

Chapter 3   He’s got rhythm

Responding to His lead

Taking our first step

David the dancer

The Shadow of the Wing

Highway to Zion

Song of Songs – Scene II

Did Paul dance?

The dance of marriage

Supreme Desire

I don’t dance!

Is it too late to dance?

Working but not dancing

Chapter 4   Tiny Dancer

Being confident in my weakness

The limp

The 3rd step of the dance of the ages

Questions posed

The Great Commandments

The Root of Security

The Holy Graille

The Chaser

Does Paul love himself?

Does David love himself?

How well do you love…you?

The Flow of the Dance

The Battle to stay in the Dance

What then shall we say…

Chapter 5   Group Dancing

Energy to love

The Greatest…

The power to be poured out

The initial human response

The second human response

Peter learns to group dance

I Cor. 13…Customized

Chapter 6   Dance Lessons

4 Step Flow

Lesson 1 – Step 1

Lesson 2 – See-do/ Do-see principle

Lesson 3 – Step 2

Lesson 4 – Step 3

A Short Memory

Mind the Gap

Self Speak

Lesson 5 – Step 4

Lessons for Step 4

Loving insignificance

Chapter 7   The Purpose of the Dance

Center Stage

The Family; Original Intent

Self/God

A Window into the Age to Come

The Father’s Romance toward the Son

The Son’s Romance toward the Father

A Holy Wrestling

Conclusion - Do You Wanna Dance?

DEDICATION

To God be all the glory!

To God, my Father, who has taken me by the hand and taught me this Dance.

To others be the credit!

To my wife, Pennie, who is the most secure person I’ve ever known. She has danced this Dance with the Father longer and better than I. Better, I am confident, than I ever will.

To my daughters, Hannah and Leah. You have allowed me to impart this Dance into you. You will surpass me as it should be.

To my mother, Sandra. You filled the gaps, settled, and secured me early on. You set me up to Dance.

To my spiritual fathers, Rev. Gentry, Dr. Cain, Rev. Vann, and Dr. Scarborough. You have modeled to me the love of the Father. You paved the way for me to Dance.

To me be the privilege!

Deserving nothing, yet honored to receive and pass on the legacy of the Dance of the Ages.

FOREWORD

Love In All The Wrong Places

M Y JOURNEY BEGAN as a university student. Armed with a fresh encounter with God I set out on my destiny. In fraternity with a few other like minded men, I captured the vision of giving away what I had encountered. I had lived, primarily up to this occasion, for myself. I had unwittingly filled the insecurities, the holes in my heart, with pride and selfishness. Gaining approval and performance orientation were unspoken mantras in my life. However, I was on a new trek! It was all about others. Loving, helping, serving, and reaching others. The " Great Commission became my Great Obsession ." My pursuit was vigorous, yet over time, left me drained of vigor! I found myself in a strange, uncharted place within. I grasped for new vitality in my God-life.

I found and apprehended a new handle in my life. A new corridor! I found new energy in the quest of seeking after God, loving God. I became a "God chaser. I saw the priority of being a God-seeker rather than a people-seeker. The flames of my God-life were fanned! After several years of trekking this route, to my amazement, my flame began to flame out. The battery of my emotions and will were drained in a way I had experienced before. I wilted in the race of running with the Great Commission. I became heavy carrying the weight of being a God chaser." Why was my soul gas tank low? Weren’t these honorable pursuits? I had loved myself, others, and then God. Get out the road map. Dust off the charts. How, then, shall I go forward with my God-life? Come…take a journey with me!

CHAPTER ONE

The Lord of the Dance

The key of love

I WAS TAKEN BACK! I began to uncover, for my own experience, a dimension of God’s character that had been previous foreign to me. There were sides to Father God’s personality that became missing pieces in the puzzle of my quest.

I knew of God to be stoic, transcendent, even interpersonal and compassionate. I wasn’t in touch with the experience that He enjoyed and was enjoyable. I searched history.

When the church, through the Middle Ages, began to be higher and liturgical there was an element who went lower and experiential. These ancient mystics and theologians, such as Athanasias and Tertullian, searched for divine energy to fuel their souls. They