The Soul Goes Slowly

The Soul Goes Slowly

(“Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32)

The ego races to every spotlight to show off
its jeweled watches it won in the last skirmish.
The soul goes slowly, walking through the rain,
feeling the widow’s pain, taking it all in and standing
in the quiet of a Dream imagined before the world began.

The ego is a laser, burning off every resistance until
they are hollow, deaf and dumb.
The soul opens fully, hearing the stories of days
when nothing happened and knowing there was
substance in even those silent hours.

The empire land grabs sovereign entities, claiming
them and spilling blood. It will pay any cost for its victory.
The dream invites the newly arrived to enjoy a
slow summer day,
and puts burgers on the grill. The dream cannot imagine
a world without warm bonfires and warmer conversations.

The empire occupies the highest hill, overseeing its
next conquest. It is ready to alienate anyone who thinks
the world is not centered on their pronouncements.
The dream looks for the next person sleeping on the street
and gives them food, gives them hope, gives them room
to become. And so the dream is unseen. The dream is
not boisterous. It is subversive.

The dream is a gift,
empire is a theft.

The Resurrection Puzzle

The Resurrection Puzzle

“They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth ‘rising from the dead’ meant.” Mark 9:10 (The Message)

Jesus had taken three disciples, Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. While they were with Him, his appearance changed, before their eyes. They saw the glory of God’s kingdom as even Jesus’ clothes shimmered, sparkling white, far whiter than any bleach could make them. While the disciples rubbed their eyes, mumbled without knowing what to say, Elijah and Moses appeared, talking with Jesus.

Peter blurted out, “Let’s build some shelters, quick! Three of them; one for You, Jesus and one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He actually had no idea what to say.

It all happened right before their eyes. This was no hallucination; the three disciples experience the same thing and heard the same words from God: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.” (Mark 9:7) And then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over. The three men and Jesus stood alone high upon the mountain.

It is on the descent back that Jesus asked them to keep quiet about the experience. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After I rise from the dead, you’re free to talk.” Jesus was always cautious not to incite overly excitable crowds to try to crown Him an earthly king, or to revolt against the current rulers. But this is when the disciples really scratch their heads.

They believed in the rising from the dead, the just didn’t believe the Messiah would have to suffer and die. It is easy to forget that the first requirement for resurrection is death. Wouldn’t it be better if the Messiah appeared in kingly glory, marched right into Jerusalem and pulled the throne right out from under Herod, the present Jewish king?

Things weren’t much different then than they are now. Certainly Jesus could have whipped the crowds into a unified frenzy. Calling for Jerusalem to be inhabited only by Jews from now on, you could hear the crowd’s applause. “Believe me”, they hoped He would say, “We’re going to tear down the current scheme of things. Those career Pharisees and Sadducees need to be brought down to size!” Oh how Jesus could have played on mob mentality and led a revolt against the corrupt Jewish King and the ungodly occupying regime in Rome.

But Jesus would have none of that. This is a big reason the three disciples were so puzzled when Jesus talked about “rising from the dead.” Unfortunately, even his crucifixion, death and resurrection were not enough to rid the disciples of their desire for a political victory. Forty days after His resurrection, after spending time with them, and instructing them, Jesus prepares to ascend back to the Father.

Together for the last time the disciples ask, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel now? Is this the time?”

“You don’t get to know the time,” Jesus responded. “That’s the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:6-8)

Eventually the disciples understood and began to share the Good News across the land. Though persecuted, sometimes imprisoned by their own people, other times attacked by Roman rulers, they continued to talk about Jesus who rose from the dead. They did not try to overthrow the current regimes because they were now members of a brand new kingdom: The Kingdom of God.

Is it possible we miss the same boat? Are we just as mistaken about how Jesus the Messiah runs His kingdom as they were? When Jesus rose from the dead, He did not summon His followers to march into Jerusalem to take down the government. Instead, He spent six weeks teaching His followers about the New Kingdom, exponentially different than any kingdoms on earth.

He pleads with us today, in the same way He did then. To state it as simply as possible, there are two primary “rules” of Jesus’ kingdom. Rule #1. Love God first, with every part of your being. Rule #2 is like it; Love your neighbor as yourself.

Stop and think about everything people are arguing about in today’s political environment. If you want to be a Jesus-follower, run every “cause” through these two filters, 1. Does this sound like truly loving God with all my being. 2. Does this sound like loving my neighbor as I love myself?

If anything, the resurrection of Jesus Christ demands we consider these questions. Come, Holy Spirit, create a new resolve among your people to love our God first and always, and to be known as people who sincerely love our neighbors, no matter their background. That is the way God’s Kingdom works!

Come, Creatures of Heaven

Come, Creatures of Heaven

(“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57)

Come, creatures of heaven, children of the light,
stand upon this earth with your damages uncovered.
Let the sun and the rain knit and unstain your holy wounds;
the breeze hides your sobriquet the Father has called you by
from moments before He spoke the first spark to begin
solid and liquid, gaseous and ethereal; material and spiritual.

He has called you the pet name above all names.

Walk; see the bent age of the longer follow,
watch the quick step of the newly graced,
and measure your own pace by the Hand of Him
who knows the words the world has pierced you with,
and replaces epithets of jealousy with mercy’s signature.

There, march upon this earth, between the paths of mere man,
the footprints of liberation, whose bruises are their badges,
whose tears are their trophies, and whose pain for the Name
most precious leave breathless those who have chosen the
easier way.

Unsettled Scores

Unsettled Scores

(“But no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory.”)

("The Lord has spoken." Isaiah 54:17)

The fury arose from mudpuddle words; the heart froze and fist closed
around another granite reason to put someone in their place, to lay them
in the dirt, to equalize and measure out the lies and twisted words upon
the scales of justice.

But rage and roundhouse do not deal out judgment charily; as if
measuring ingredients for cakes and pies. The laboratory of vengeance
is smeared with flour, caked with butter, and blood flows invisibly from
sink to counter to floor to the

Next encounter to settle scores the have no sudden death playoff.

Where did it begin, this singeing we call equality? Where does it stop,
the expanding cycle, the stingy air that suffocates us all.

Why do I fret, the skies are full of angel shields. Why does worry
upend the smile upon the offer of walks with Jesus from morning’s
warble until
slumber’s placeholder for the dawn?

I am Your servant; You are my Father. I am no further from home
when the crude throats accuse or when the smooth lips whisper.
You speak softer, and as truth is truth, more often, then the
repeats and rewinds of people who have run out of new words;
they spit old, worn out words and dare me to learn the same vocabulary,
and send them back doubly swift and tear the rift so much wider.

Let the fury sink below the arrow’s target; leave measurements to
someone with better sight. Open the fists numbed by now;
drop the stones to the ground from which they’ve grown,
and learn the Words or keep the Silence; hear the Harm
caused by Violence, and leave the battles behind.

A Revolution of Goodness

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

I have loved watching the Olympics since I was a child. I enjoyed everything from boxing to kayaking in the Summer and slalom to figure skating in the Winter Games. Every participant is among the cream of the crop in their sport. Over 10,000 athletes participated in 2012 at London, proudly representing 204 nations.

It is Finished!

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

When I was in my early twenties I worked as a hod carrier for a bricklayer. Typically, that meant that I would be carrying bricks, twelve at a time, to keep my boss’s supply stocked. If we were working with cinder blocks, I would carry two at a time, weighing 20 pounds each. Between carrying loads, I would mix the mortar and wheelbarrow it to him as well.

Inquire of the Lord

“When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold…so David inquired of the Lord.” 2 Samuel 5:17, 19

David actually been anointed king years before by the prophet Samuel when he was much younger. After years of being chased down by King Saul, David is finally anointed by Israel itself. Saul has committed suicide and the people are ready for a godly leader to take his place.

Don't Forget

“So Midian was under the rule of Israel; they did not cause trouble anymore. And the land had peace for forty years, as long as Gideon was alive.” Judges 8:28

Mr. Gideon was a farmer who God picked out to defend his territory and hometown Ophrah from the Midianites. The primary portion that has crept into everyday language from this narrative is the idea of “casting fleeces” before God. You can read it in the preceding couple of chapters in the book of Judges.

Secure

Secure

“The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from Him.” John 10:29 (The Message)


Someone recently commented to me that he felt the devil was getting stronger and stronger. He thought Satan was winning more and more people over, and making it harder to serve God as he got older. I sympathize with his personal struggles and observation of life surrounding him, but the conclusion he draws just won’t hold water.


Jesus is explicit here concerning those who are under His care. Our wonderful Heavenly Father is “so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief.” Yet, even with Jesus’ words of truth and comfort I continue to hear believers worry about how “strong” Satan seems to be.


They fret over their own standing with God. They see nothing but the world going to hell in a handbasket. They attribute everything they don’t like to Satan’s increasing effort and strength. But this sort of thinking us unreasonable and unscriptural.


It is unreasonable because it attributes greater strength to the devil than it does to God. They see a world where God has either given up His authority or is somehow powerless to keep the devil in his place.


It is unscriptural if by virtue of this verse alone. Jesus’ conclusion, based on the Father’s great power over Satan is that “no one could ever get them (believers) away from Him (our Heavenly Father.) Jesus is clear: “no one!” That includes the devil and any snarky pals he wants to recruit.


The devil is real, he does roam about seeking whom he may devour, but does not have absolute power. And, if you want to compare he power to God’s, there simply is no comparison. God’s power is infinite, meaning there is no end to it at all. It is immeasurable. No matter Satan’s power, God’s is infinitely greater.


So, stop the looking for Satan’s evil schemes in every hardship. See the Father’s strength instead. Stop expecting doomsday and expect victory instead. Stop fearing what Satan might do and start loving what the Father wants to do in your life.


Jesus said that no one can take us away from the Father. Trust Him. Take Him at His word. Walk confidently that the Father protects, provides and enables you, even when the devil tries his hardest.


Father God is on your side, and He is greater than any opponents you will encounter. Accept His strength; accept His promise to keep you in His hand, no matter who may try to take you away.


Father, thank You for the strength I have in You. I am confident that You will keep me close to You even in the times when it seems evil is winning. In those times, let me speak of Your great care rather than the opponent’s dreary attempts at power