The Holy

You are the Holy.

You reside in the Holy of Holy.

Holy Father over Creation, You are Holy!

Holy, Holy, Holy! All Heaven shakes in awe!

The Temple of Heaven echoes in angelic praise.

“The whole earth is full of His glory,” the four Living Creatures proclaim!

Smoke billows and thunderous voices fill the heavenly court.

“Woe to me!” They’re Isaiah’s words and my plea! I’m undone in Your presence Lord! “Woe, for I am wicked in flesh and bone!” I cry.

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY,”  the four Living Creatures' words echo and sustain.

Hidden and veiled, the physical hides the spiritual. Our day goes about and we never see the angels and demons all roundabout. Warring in Heavens realm they fight about a war that’s already won.

Our undone state is true, true, true! They wept in Heaven long ago, and we see that picture now. In blinks here and there, I see the negatives of that seen in the heavens. All Heaven wept until the Lamb of God broke the seal and crushed the head of that enemy and deceiver of old.

The promise of the ages Jesus, offered His blood at will; at the will of the Father, Christ gave it all. Gleaming and glowing and whiter than snow, our Lord--the glowing coal touched my lips. My woe and undone state brought me to this place. Admitting my need, a seraph comes in answer to my plea. Pleased with my request, the Father sent Jesus. Jesus burned in an ever bright light beyond my eyes of flesh could see. The coal of Christ’ loving act of Calvary touched my lips!

A cleansing clarity burns out my fear; stunned here I sit. Burning now within, there arose a single voice rose that hushed the angelic praise. Beyond the still small voice, beyond the oceans roar, beyond any sound ever heard the Fathers voice shakes the foundation of Creation!

Our attention now in place, focused and clear, we hear. We hear these words of old, “Whom shall I send?” The Father asks.

In my usual impulsive way, I raise and proclaim, “Here I am, send me!”

His plan of action is in His word. It is the Gospel. This is His plan from eternity past. He sends His call to all, “who will come to me?” Only a few answered this call, His beloved Israel stumbled over Christ. The simplicity of Christ, the wise of the earth reject. 

Still, He calls. He calls His children out of the mire of this earth. Those called, He calls to call others in all ways, places, and times. Yes, out of love the Father gave. He gave beyond the hurt of our imagination. He gave beyond what we think is required. He gave His all. He gave His Son.

I preach at you and you preach at me. But who will preach in love to our neighbors?

Jesus! Just joy!

Perfection pursued peace.

Righteous Ruler rules,

Almighty? Among all?

I’d identify, indeed!

Savior satisfies soul!

Ecstatic eternal existence!

God gifted grace.

Ordinance offense: overruled.

Divine deliverance, delight!

"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
 Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and flute,
 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord."  Psalm 150 NIV1984

Rusty's Shake

The waiting pain will last just a season.

Seasoned and seared simplicity is gone.

This simpleton’s weary.

Weary and warlike, I hold on.

Holding on, I realize I must let go.

Realization: I need my light hearted wife.

While I deep in thought and ready for the next line, my ornery wife passes by. She lightens my mood and breaks my shell of thought. Fearing Rusty’s stench, she takes a little sniff—Rusty’s our little mutt. Lynn’s overactive olfactory sense despises odor, especially dog odor. After that sniff, Rusty passes the stink test. Her rye smile comes on : )

“Come here Rusty, bath time!” she says.

Rusty shakes and turns and cowers in fear. There’s no where to run. Our little dog hates bathing. The mere mention of the word and he’ll run into the other room. But this time he’s already in the other room. He’s cornered.

“Come, Rusty! Let’s get your bath!” she snickers.

In a lighthearted laugh she ends the ploy. Rusty relaxes and I do too!

I heard a favorite bible teacher of mine say this, “We take ourselves too serious and don’t take God serious enough.” I think he is right.

 Lighten up, live, laugh, and love those good gifts from God!

Beloved

Propitiation or abomination…?

Love or lie…?

Abide or cast aside…?

Confess or regress…?

Perfect or reject…?

Reading 1 John 4 tonight, I started thinking and pausing. Yeah, I over thunk again! (My wife says I'm never funny--true!) 

If this were in a Psalm, I would put a Selah after each simple phrase. (That's why I put  the dots in, it made the spell/grammar check stop going off.) 

Selah

Really no one seems to even know what Selah means today--biblical scholars, as I looked for the definition, everywhere said, "unknown.".  I've heard it suggested that it means: stop and meditate. In context, It think it's right, pause the music and song. Just wait.

I started to get all musically technical. That would show off my ignorance. So, perhaps Selah is musical and is comparative to breaks in music phrases. It’s like that uncomfortable wait time in music where a conductor holds back a whole symphony in anticipation of the music starting again. But that doesn't seem right.

There is a difference in that we stop and let the words sink in; let them melt in your mouth and seep into your mind. Look for the connections and pause. Meditate on the words of God you just heard!

Try to figure out what is being said, below the surface, but don't ignore what is on top.

If Selah means stop and meditate or sit and reflect awhile, we should do that with all the passages that grab us or convict us. We can easily read over the letters and words. Yet, how do the words relate to you? What are you going to do about it, Gordon? How are going to live it out? How are you going to love one another?

(Here is a rant of explanation, for the opener)

Are we going to accept the propitiation of Jesus work? It’s a big word isn't it? My memory isn't what it used to be, so I looked it up. In short order, simplified for me, (as I interpret this) it means: Christs' act of removing our sin, which makes us acceptable and approved by the Father.

The grace of Christ offers that covering, that perfecting work of Jesus is what makes us acceptable to our Father in Heaven! 

The opposite is the abomination. It’s that spirit of anti-Christ saying, “Jesus didn't really come in the flesh.”  That spirit lies through out the world saying, “Jesus isn't the only way to God.” Or it says, “You’re a good person.” It says. “There are many ways to heaven. Jesus isn't the only way.”

The spirit of anti-Christ tells us we are self-sufficient; we can do good works and get into Heaven. And in our day, it just tells us, “There is nothing else, we just die and it’s over. There is no heaven.” 
L I E S!

Various versions of the lies of anti-Christ flood our world and seep into our minds everyday. All of them led back to the lie that Jesus didn't need flesh. The lie says, "Jesus' spirit is here, but not with a  body. He didn't really suffer and die."

The love or lie? Are you going to accept that God loves us so much He offered His Son? He offers forgiveness and the removal of our sin, will you accept this love? Or are you going to believe the lie?

Why do I preach to the choir and myself so oft'? I need the reminder and I let anyone who will listen come along.

" Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God.Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

1 John 4 ESV

Whistling Woe

Whispering whimsy,

Whistling woe,

Waking wacky, what?

Whilst we wait,

World’s wastes,

Witness … whoa!

Witness… we, when?

Would won’t!

Whispering whimsy, weird, wow!

More than 150,000 people die every day, according to  wiki.answers.com.

How many heard the Gospel, at least once?

How Could?

When I was lost, You drew me in.

When I was found, You took me in.

How could I live without You Jesus!

How could I go about the day!

Please forgive me… I've sinned again.

You are faithful and just and You draw me back again!

My ups and downs Lord drive me insane!

My double minded ways toss me to and fro.

Mixed up again? You bring me back from sin.

I’m lost without You Jesus, there is no other way.

Your love is patience and You are with me.

Your love is kind and You are with me.

Your love always protects me.

Your love trusts me to come back around.

Your love always hopes I will someday fully live it!

Your love always preserves my faith, even when I’m low.

You teach us not to envy and seek useless things.

Your love never boast’s and You teach us we should never boast just the same.

Your love is not proud, so forget about living loud.

Your love isn't rude, forgive right away, please!

It isn't self-seeking, wow we are.

It it’s not easily angered, am I?

It last but not least, keeps no record of wrongs, ouch!

In love we not going to delight in evil, but well rejoice in the trust that we are free to live in Christ’s love. It is called walking in the spirit.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV1984

Love never fail!

Forgiveness

Over the last several days I didn't feel well and I skipped writing. When I write a certain freedom comes; it gives me that little shove to keep moving. This is when I pick up a pen and move these fingers. I crack open the bible and laptop and just type. Here I unload my burdens to Jesus and move.

It's then I envision a guard following a group prisoner’s, gently “tapping” the straggling prisoner—as seen in old fashion Westerns, of course! It’s that in-your-face kind of drill instructor from boot camp, any boot camp! It's that thud of pride falling and I get moving. Moving forward in life is not simply a choice; time moves on come what may. With that I’m pressed forward, like it or not. 

It's times like this that out of a 1000 songs on my Ipod, Third Day's, 'Otherside' comes on--a song about moving on. Coincidence? I think not.

In opposition to the freedom of Christ, I feel stalled, spiraling at times; I get lost within my soul. There are times when words escape my fingers; these lost words cling to the roof of my mouth or get stuck inside my fingers. I just want to shout or scream, yet something suppresses all of this  

Usually, these are time when I’m either sick physically, spiritually or both. If it is only of a physical nature, depending, on its severity, I will call a friend and pray over it or go to the church elders. The spiritual sickness of sin is far more deadly and often veils itself in pride or shame. In moments the I blow it the most, I compound sin and multiply its evil by lying to cover the offense. It’s shameful to even say.

This is just stupid! It is self-righteous pride. We try to hide our flaws from others, though some are too great to hide and our sin is evident anyway. Perhaps James, the brother of Jesus realized this and the Holy Spirit prompted him to include confessing our sins to one another.

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:13-16 NIV1984

Even knowing this, have you ever noticed, some “Christians” are either too ashamed to admit their sins (unless caught) and others are too holy to hear them? I guess we forgot about forgiving 70 times 7. We've forgotten a basic of our faith: confession and forgiveness.

Jesus laid out the simple basics and told Peter (seen below). If confession to our brothers and sisters in Christ became truly followed, it would probably put Christian counseling businesses, out of business. Or, at least leave them to counsel those that don’t know Jesus.

Here is the verses with Jesus’ powerfully merciful words.

^“… Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV1984

I didn't want to take up too much space here or go on an on. Though I did want to encourage us to read the parable Jesus stressed (Matthew 18:22-35) after He told Peter these remarkable words.

These things get me. Jesus love goes beyond! It goes beyond our struggles with sins of any kind. It goes beyond our petty differences and unites us in the love of God. It goes beyond all human reasoning and gives us the heart of God and the mind of Christ. He wants to forgive us and have us forgive each other. Forgive what?  Forgive us and each other of any and every sin.

“O how He loves us!” Take time and read over what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer.”(Matthew 6) It’s really our model of how to pray, not what to pray. Pay special attention! Look intensely at the section about forgiving debts or trespasses--a trespass is a willful defiant sin, against God or fellow humans.

Read a few more verses after this and you’ll see why.  

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthews 6:14-15 NIV1984

Forgiveness, it’s an essential of Christ and Christian living. How and why do we forget this?