Pittering away in silent dark
Among the loud calls from
Crickets, ribbits, scratchy, squeaky bugs
The call of July
The heat diffused by cover of the dark blanket of a new moon
The metro glow of ambient red upon the horizon
Bask in the glory streaking lights from flies blazing trails within the back yard
The glow bright in the shadows, dim in the house lights
Descriptive tongue through words typed paint the image of a night content with being night while attaining more than just putting the sun to bed
Attaining the composition of singing bugs upon the rhythm of night
--the rhythm of a summer night
God bless Your work--everlasting, glorious, hallelujah work!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
God Promises
I've been studying this week about Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Asa and the split of Israel after Solomon's reign. God kept His promise to Solomon to keep the line of David through the blessing of the autonomy of Judah even though Rehoboam did not please God at all.
I looked back at 2 Chronicles 7:14 at God's promise to Israel:
if "...My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Israel was splitting, hurting and in need of healing amidst struggles for power and control. Instead of humbling himself, praying and seeking God's face; Rehoboam rejected advice from the elders, had no recorded prayer life, and sought to elevate himself in declaring himself greater than his father, Solomon. Jeroboam did no better, appointing false priests to tell him what he wanted to hear, a prayer life that was not noteworthy and his glorification of idols instead of seeking God's face.
Israel was torn into the northern kingdom and southern kingdom...Samaria and Judah. Israel was broken from the most powerful and revered nation under Solomon to a people group split into two weak kingdoms with no repentance--opposed to God in politics, worship and daily living.
What is there to learn from this? Sounds a lot like America, but in studying and talking with God about things, I think there is also a personal application. Saving you seems more at God's heart than saving any political entity, though nations will definitely benefit from a revival of individuals in the body of Christ.
Looking at the original promise, my attention is immediately drawn to Jesus in baptism. He did not sin but followed through with baptism as an example for us. He humbled himself to allow a fallen man, John, to dip him in the water. Then, his conversation with God was heard by those witnessing the event. Prayer is talking to God, but not just talking to God. Jesus listened to God's affirmation of him as a son with encouragement to fulfill God's will. Jesus then sought God's face through fasting and prayer in the wilderness as he prepared for doing his Father's will. Then, he brought a call to repentance and redemption to the world, healing the physically sick as well as the spiritually sick.
He lived the example of God's promise and through Jesus, we are called to live such lives as well. We must give up our poles, our calves, our selves and turn to God through the Holy Spirit in prayer and worship to talk to Him about His will and our daily part in that will.
Matthew 7:7 covers the same expression through the admonition to Ask, seek, knock and find. James 1:6-7 instructs that we must ask with faith, but we are not naming "it" and claiming "it" as it refers to our idols, but we are praying in faith that God's will is what we desire and that He wants to reveal it to us.
We are all spiritually broken and in need of healing through the Holy Spirit. We must humble ourselves, come before God in prayer and seek His face in our daily lives. If we do so, the Spirit will heal us and turn us from our wicked ways to be whole in Christ. God promises.
I looked back at 2 Chronicles 7:14 at God's promise to Israel:
if "...My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Israel was splitting, hurting and in need of healing amidst struggles for power and control. Instead of humbling himself, praying and seeking God's face; Rehoboam rejected advice from the elders, had no recorded prayer life, and sought to elevate himself in declaring himself greater than his father, Solomon. Jeroboam did no better, appointing false priests to tell him what he wanted to hear, a prayer life that was not noteworthy and his glorification of idols instead of seeking God's face.
Israel was torn into the northern kingdom and southern kingdom...Samaria and Judah. Israel was broken from the most powerful and revered nation under Solomon to a people group split into two weak kingdoms with no repentance--opposed to God in politics, worship and daily living.
What is there to learn from this? Sounds a lot like America, but in studying and talking with God about things, I think there is also a personal application. Saving you seems more at God's heart than saving any political entity, though nations will definitely benefit from a revival of individuals in the body of Christ.
Looking at the original promise, my attention is immediately drawn to Jesus in baptism. He did not sin but followed through with baptism as an example for us. He humbled himself to allow a fallen man, John, to dip him in the water. Then, his conversation with God was heard by those witnessing the event. Prayer is talking to God, but not just talking to God. Jesus listened to God's affirmation of him as a son with encouragement to fulfill God's will. Jesus then sought God's face through fasting and prayer in the wilderness as he prepared for doing his Father's will. Then, he brought a call to repentance and redemption to the world, healing the physically sick as well as the spiritually sick.
He lived the example of God's promise and through Jesus, we are called to live such lives as well. We must give up our poles, our calves, our selves and turn to God through the Holy Spirit in prayer and worship to talk to Him about His will and our daily part in that will.
Matthew 7:7 covers the same expression through the admonition to Ask, seek, knock and find. James 1:6-7 instructs that we must ask with faith, but we are not naming "it" and claiming "it" as it refers to our idols, but we are praying in faith that God's will is what we desire and that He wants to reveal it to us.
We are all spiritually broken and in need of healing through the Holy Spirit. We must humble ourselves, come before God in prayer and seek His face in our daily lives. If we do so, the Spirit will heal us and turn us from our wicked ways to be whole in Christ. God promises.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Dripping
Dripping from my throbbing head
thoughts and memories fading beyond history
into timelessness
never happened
happening
never will
Regret repeats drop upon drop
Drop
Drop
Drop
Drip upon drop
Drooping upon conscious below conscience
My limbs drooping
fingertips, willow strands kissing the ground
What am I worth?
Beans in the world
Rich in Heaven
My hands offer only dust
from tickling the earth, playing in the dirt
Love and hate of self of others
Love the King yet act in self
dripping
dripping
intentions circle the drain
praying for a plug
thoughts and memories fading beyond history
into timelessness
never happened
happening
never will
Regret repeats drop upon drop
Drop
Drop
Drop
Drip upon drop
Drooping upon conscious below conscience
My limbs drooping
fingertips, willow strands kissing the ground
What am I worth?
Beans in the world
Rich in Heaven
My hands offer only dust
from tickling the earth, playing in the dirt
Love and hate of self of others
Love the King yet act in self
dripping
dripping
intentions circle the drain
praying for a plug
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Praying for Others
I spent a week praying only for others, aside from asking forgiveness for my shortfalls. I anticipated a grand revelation, but each day, I met with a simple struggle to keep my mind off myself. People came to my mind that I would not have otherwise prayed for, and I expanded my recognition of God as creator and provider.
This all seemed pretty rudimentary, pretty average. Hey, what if that's the point? What if 'I'm average' is the point? Focusing on self was a natural bent for me. I had to fight every day to steer my mind in prayer from things I want to focus on the needs of others. I use 'me' and 'I' more in my prayers than Dr. Seuss used 'Sam I am' in Green Eggs and Ham.
Am I out of whack, self-absorbed, a narcissistic soul amidst the average benevolence of human nature? I seem to be average in every other respect. I'm average height, average weight, brown eyes, brown hair, and above-average intelligence, which is what the average person feels about ones own brain--whether verbalized or silent, most of us feel we are right in the way we think most of the time. Do you think I'm right?
I've handled grief in average ways defined by books and articles. I've experienced mid-life anxiety similar to the average middle-aged male.
I am average. So, perhaps the average human nature is to focus on self, which seems to be what I've done in this post. Depression exists and there are unhealthy expressions of self-loathing (could there be a healthy expression of self-loathing?) But, generally, we don't have to be told to love ourselves. Jesus told us to love others as we love ourselves. Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and love others as ourselves.
The world needs love--sacrificial love. We need God Who is love to indwell us to help us look outward beyond ourselves, to sacrifice our selfishness for giving time, money, thoughts--love to others.
This all seemed pretty rudimentary, pretty average. Hey, what if that's the point? What if 'I'm average' is the point? Focusing on self was a natural bent for me. I had to fight every day to steer my mind in prayer from things I want to focus on the needs of others. I use 'me' and 'I' more in my prayers than Dr. Seuss used 'Sam I am' in Green Eggs and Ham.
Am I out of whack, self-absorbed, a narcissistic soul amidst the average benevolence of human nature? I seem to be average in every other respect. I'm average height, average weight, brown eyes, brown hair, and above-average intelligence, which is what the average person feels about ones own brain--whether verbalized or silent, most of us feel we are right in the way we think most of the time. Do you think I'm right?
I've handled grief in average ways defined by books and articles. I've experienced mid-life anxiety similar to the average middle-aged male.
I am average. So, perhaps the average human nature is to focus on self, which seems to be what I've done in this post. Depression exists and there are unhealthy expressions of self-loathing (could there be a healthy expression of self-loathing?) But, generally, we don't have to be told to love ourselves. Jesus told us to love others as we love ourselves. Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and love others as ourselves.
The world needs love--sacrificial love. We need God Who is love to indwell us to help us look outward beyond ourselves, to sacrifice our selfishness for giving time, money, thoughts--love to others.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Salty Sacrifice and Holiness
Recently, I was reading a book regarding holiness, which ironically, pointed me back to scripture by pointing out Leviticus as a book devoted to holiness. Many times we search for answers ourselves while God directs us back to His word, so I found no surprise in finding a verse I noted years ago in my Bible:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." Lev 20: 7-8
So even before Jesus came in flesh, God instructed us to set ourselves apart, following His instructions, His law; but regardless of our efforts, it is God who makes us holy. Paul poses the New Testament question of if we should just forget about trying to obey God, so that God's grace can be even greater. The answer is absolutely not, and James expanded that answer to write that faith without works is a dead faith.
Getting back to Leviticus and holiness, how does this work if God does the work, but we are supposed to play an active part. Isn't playing an active part, in essence working?
If I do not lie with a man as a man lies with a woman, will God make me Holy? What about if I avoid taking my wife's sister as a rival wife? Or not mating different kinds of animals? Or not eating blood, making sacrifices correctly, burning mildew? What do all these laws mean?
Leviticus runs through a ton of instructions to give further detail from God's greatest instructions as applied to the Israelites. Much discussion can be had on what those instructions meant to them at that time in relation to modern times on this side of the cross--but as a general look, it seems that the point of all the instructions was laying out things that would sever relationship with God, setting us apart from God instead of setting us apart for God.
How do we set ourselves apart for God?
"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Lev 2:13
We must make an offering to God. We don't make grain, or fellowship, burnt or guilt offerings today as they were prescribed back then, but this description given of the grain offering means everything compared with the offering we are asked to give today. Jesus told us to sacrifice ourselves by taking up our cross daily to follow Him. Paul describes the Levitical instruction in greater detail in Romans 12:1.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
And when we offer our bodies, we should be applying plenty of salt. Does this mean we should shower each morning in saltwater? I don't think so, but Jesus referred to us in Mw 5:13 as the salt of the earth. We don't want to lose our saltiness, so should be bathing in the light of Jesus each day to salt our living sacrifices in the Spirit.
We can't produce the salt ourselves. From where does it flow?
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Lev 17:11
This verse referenced the restrictions of eating blood given to the Israelites, but we can see God's message that becomes clearer this side of the cross. It is the blood of Jesus that makes atonement for our sins. Jesus is THE salt of the covenant. That is why we must salt our lives with Christ. He makes us holy, set apart, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." Lev 20: 7-8
So even before Jesus came in flesh, God instructed us to set ourselves apart, following His instructions, His law; but regardless of our efforts, it is God who makes us holy. Paul poses the New Testament question of if we should just forget about trying to obey God, so that God's grace can be even greater. The answer is absolutely not, and James expanded that answer to write that faith without works is a dead faith.
Getting back to Leviticus and holiness, how does this work if God does the work, but we are supposed to play an active part. Isn't playing an active part, in essence working?
If I do not lie with a man as a man lies with a woman, will God make me Holy? What about if I avoid taking my wife's sister as a rival wife? Or not mating different kinds of animals? Or not eating blood, making sacrifices correctly, burning mildew? What do all these laws mean?
Leviticus runs through a ton of instructions to give further detail from God's greatest instructions as applied to the Israelites. Much discussion can be had on what those instructions meant to them at that time in relation to modern times on this side of the cross--but as a general look, it seems that the point of all the instructions was laying out things that would sever relationship with God, setting us apart from God instead of setting us apart for God.
How do we set ourselves apart for God?
"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Lev 2:13
We must make an offering to God. We don't make grain, or fellowship, burnt or guilt offerings today as they were prescribed back then, but this description given of the grain offering means everything compared with the offering we are asked to give today. Jesus told us to sacrifice ourselves by taking up our cross daily to follow Him. Paul describes the Levitical instruction in greater detail in Romans 12:1.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
And when we offer our bodies, we should be applying plenty of salt. Does this mean we should shower each morning in saltwater? I don't think so, but Jesus referred to us in Mw 5:13 as the salt of the earth. We don't want to lose our saltiness, so should be bathing in the light of Jesus each day to salt our living sacrifices in the Spirit.
We can't produce the salt ourselves. From where does it flow?
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Lev 17:11
This verse referenced the restrictions of eating blood given to the Israelites, but we can see God's message that becomes clearer this side of the cross. It is the blood of Jesus that makes atonement for our sins. Jesus is THE salt of the covenant. That is why we must salt our lives with Christ. He makes us holy, set apart, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Running
Running invites the thrust of youth.
Age pushes back with pain and pounding ferocity.
Yet heels will pound ferociously against the wind.
The breath of age, the breath of discouragement, the very breath of the Enemy--
damn that breath, that wind, those lies!
Run free in the power of the Spirit!
Though knee gives pain, gut upheaval, carry on to defy opposition.
Cannot catch the fleet feet,
but the goal is not to catch feet.
Catch the breath of God, His Spirit driving, pulling, pushing, encouraging, disciplining!
Drive for Him, in Him and with Him.
Run, run, run,
run free!
Age pushes back with pain and pounding ferocity.
Yet heels will pound ferociously against the wind.
The breath of age, the breath of discouragement, the very breath of the Enemy--
damn that breath, that wind, those lies!
Run free in the power of the Spirit!
Though knee gives pain, gut upheaval, carry on to defy opposition.
Cannot catch the fleet feet,
but the goal is not to catch feet.
Catch the breath of God, His Spirit driving, pulling, pushing, encouraging, disciplining!
Drive for Him, in Him and with Him.
Run, run, run,
run free!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dealing with Pain and Struggles
We are studying Luke 17:3-4 and the need to forgive those who have sinned against us--those who have caused us pain and struggle.
Luke reads: "So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
This is a powerful section about Jesus' instructions for approaching sin in others and the power of forgiveness and repentance in our Christian relationships. We all fall short of the glory of God, so we will find ourselves both on the repentance and forgiveness sides of our relationships; and Jesus is calling for us to set ourselves apart from they way the world handles pain and retribution. "Don't get mad, get even," is a common ideology from the world. Jesus is commanding us: "Don't get mad, forgive; Don't get even, repent."
Jesus calls us to be holy--set apart from the world. In studying this week's subject, I read through 1 Peter 1:15-16 as well:
"But as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
When I read "...for it is written..." I searched for the references from where 'it' was written. I found the command in an Old Testament book that loves commands: Leviticus. God commands this multiple times in chapters 11 and 20, but chapter 20, verses 7-8 resonated most with my study and the scripture from 1 Peter. The Holy Spirit directed my attention:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy."
In this brief scripture, God says much on the combination of faith, works, grace and forgiveness.
First, He commands us to be holy--set apart for Him. If we are to be in communion with His Spirit, our spirits need to be set apart from the pursuits and logic of this world.
Secondly, He explains why. He is the Lord our God, but He isn't our God if we are setting up idols and alternative thrones here on this earth. The world preaches to place ourselves on the throne and seek to be served. God commands that we serve and worship Him on His throne, recognizing Him as the giver of life and creator of all matter, anti-matter; seen and unseen.
Third, He explains the definition of a holy life. A holy life is keeping God's decrees and following His ways. We can try with all our might, but no man has proven to be able to follow all of God's commandments wholeheartedly with perfection.
So how can we follow His decrees? How can we forgive those indebted to us? How can we seek true repentance?
In verse 8, God states that He is the Lord, "who makes you holy." God does the work! Way back in Leviticus, God alludes to the power of the Gospel and His everlasting grace! How cool is that? Through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sin debt is paid. Through His resurrection, He conquered death, which was our debt to sin. Through our trust placed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we repent and are baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit then indwells our spirit, resurrecting to life our formerly dead spirit! God in us then goes to work, setting us apart, guiding us to forgiveness, to repentance and growing us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, now and forever! AMEN!
Luke reads: "So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
This is a powerful section about Jesus' instructions for approaching sin in others and the power of forgiveness and repentance in our Christian relationships. We all fall short of the glory of God, so we will find ourselves both on the repentance and forgiveness sides of our relationships; and Jesus is calling for us to set ourselves apart from they way the world handles pain and retribution. "Don't get mad, get even," is a common ideology from the world. Jesus is commanding us: "Don't get mad, forgive; Don't get even, repent."
Jesus calls us to be holy--set apart from the world. In studying this week's subject, I read through 1 Peter 1:15-16 as well:
"But as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy because I am holy.'"
When I read "...for it is written..." I searched for the references from where 'it' was written. I found the command in an Old Testament book that loves commands: Leviticus. God commands this multiple times in chapters 11 and 20, but chapter 20, verses 7-8 resonated most with my study and the scripture from 1 Peter. The Holy Spirit directed my attention:
"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy."
In this brief scripture, God says much on the combination of faith, works, grace and forgiveness.
First, He commands us to be holy--set apart for Him. If we are to be in communion with His Spirit, our spirits need to be set apart from the pursuits and logic of this world.
Secondly, He explains why. He is the Lord our God, but He isn't our God if we are setting up idols and alternative thrones here on this earth. The world preaches to place ourselves on the throne and seek to be served. God commands that we serve and worship Him on His throne, recognizing Him as the giver of life and creator of all matter, anti-matter; seen and unseen.
Third, He explains the definition of a holy life. A holy life is keeping God's decrees and following His ways. We can try with all our might, but no man has proven to be able to follow all of God's commandments wholeheartedly with perfection.
So how can we follow His decrees? How can we forgive those indebted to us? How can we seek true repentance?
In verse 8, God states that He is the Lord, "who makes you holy." God does the work! Way back in Leviticus, God alludes to the power of the Gospel and His everlasting grace! How cool is that? Through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sin debt is paid. Through His resurrection, He conquered death, which was our debt to sin. Through our trust placed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we repent and are baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit then indwells our spirit, resurrecting to life our formerly dead spirit! God in us then goes to work, setting us apart, guiding us to forgiveness, to repentance and growing us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, now and forever! AMEN!
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