Tuesday, December 31, 2013

A bit o' observation


There is nothing angrier nor easier to provoke nor more willing to be distracted than a man waking to yet another day of a futile life.  

Monday, December 23, 2013

And the walls came down.

Full Bum of them???
A Christmas thought.

If someone is just a person you have to buy a gift for... don't.  You aren't actually giving them anything.   Your fulfilling a social contract.  Gifts are about love.  Social contracts are duties you pay so people will think well of you or so you can think well of you.  To justify yourself as a good person.

Jesus did not fulfill a social contract when he lived the life you could never live.  Jesus was not worried about what you would think of him if he didn't die for you.  He was thinking of the Glory of his Father.  He was thinking of how much he and his Father wanted to save his children.  He was thinking of you.  He didn't count the cost.  He didn't worry about what you might get him in return or whether or not you deserved it.  He wasn't trying to buy your affections.  He was thinking you would go to hell if he didn't.  He was thinking he wanted you, right beside him, on his throne, forever.  The Father gave His best.  The Son just gave.  Everything.

And just like any time someone goes all out for you and gets you something you could never repay and they had no business spending the time or resources on, all you can give in return is your humble gratitude.  Merry Christmas!


Friday, December 20, 2013

This little light of mine...

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth— Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness wasover the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God caused there to be a separation between the light and between the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." Gen 1

"And it happened, as the sun went down, then a deep sleep fell upon Abram and, behold, a great terrifying darkness fell upon him." Gen 15

"And Yahweh was going before them by day in a column of cloud to lead them on the way and by night in a column of fire to give light to them to go by day and night. The column of cloud by day and the column of fire by night did not depart from before the people." Ex 13

"And on the third day, when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain and a very loud ram’s horn sound, and all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out from the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke because Yahweh went down on it in the fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a smelting furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And the sound of the ram’s horn became louder and louder, and Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice." Ex 19

"Then the earth shook and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains trembled,
and they staggered because he was angry.
Smoke went forth from his nose,
and fire from his mouth consumed.
Burning coals blazed from him.
So he bowed the heavens and came down
with a thick cloud under his feet.
And he mounted a cherub and flew,
and he swooped down on wings of wind.
He made darkness his hiding place;all about him his covering
was a darkness of waters, thick clouds.
From the brightness before him
his clouds passed overwith hail and coals of fire." Ps 18




"But there will be no gloom for those who were in distress.
In former times he treated the land of Zebulun and Naphtali with contempt, but in the future he will honor the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
    light has shined on those who lived in a land of darkness." Is 9

“Arise, shine! For your light has come,
    and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you.
For look! darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples,
but Yahweh will rise on you,
    and his glory will appear over you.
And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the bright light of your sunrise.
Lift up your eyes all around and see!" Is 60

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." John 1

"And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened, and they began chewing their tongues because of the pain. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and because of their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds." Rev 16

"And I did not see a temple in it, for the Lord God All-Powerful is its temple, and the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, that they shine on it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will never be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. And every unclean thing and one who practices detestable things and falsehood will never enter into it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb." Rev 20

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

AHA!

And i don't think their singing, "Take on me."

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Monday, December 16, 2013

i sense a theme...

"“This saying is hard! Who can understand it?” But Jesus, because he knew within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?" John 6

"I continued watching in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion without end that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed." Dan 7

"And after he had said these thingswhilethey were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him from their sight. And as they were staring into the skywhile he was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood by them who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand there looking into the sky? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven like this will come back in the same way you saw him departing into heaven!”" Acts 1


"O Yahweh my God, you are very great.
You clothe yourself with splendor and majesty,
you who cover yourself with light as with a garment,
who stretch out the heavens like a tent curtain,
the one who sets beams in the waters for his upper chambers,
who makes clouds his chariot,
who rides on the wings of the wind,
who makes his messengers the winds,
his attendants a flame of fire." Ps 104

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and the one seated on it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and makes war. Now his eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many royal headbands having a name written that no one except he himself knows. And he was dressed in an outer garment dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies that are in heaven, dressed in clean, white fine linen, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it he could strike the nations. And he will shepherd them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the wine of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. And he has a name written on his outer garment and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”" Rev 19

Friday, December 13, 2013

And this is judgment

"For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in God."  John 3

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Who dat?

Revelations one makes it clear who Jesus is.  He is God.  He is the ruler of all the earth, ruler over all the kings of the earth.  He is our great high priest who needs no covering for his head like Aaron did.  His hair is pure white.  Not to signify age but to signify his holiness, his righteousness before God Almighty.  He is standing amidst the lampstands.  The Spirits of the churches.  He is among his people and holds their very spirit in his hand.  His word is good.  His word is truth for he is truth.  The whole truth and nothing but the truth.  All things live to serve him.  All things draw their life from him.  He holds the keys to death and hell.  Even the devils must obey him.  All those who drew breath will see him.  Those who mock him and disobey him and disavow him will see him and weep and not be able to resist him nor deny him any longer.  He is God!  And he is coming!

Sunday, December 08, 2013

Hope.

The battle.

Is not with the enemies all around.

The enemies without.

People never changing,
only calcifying into hardened images of their sin.
Losing all the softness, the tenderness.
Plating over, scales upon scales.
Going blind as their eyelids stiffen.
Hating, unforgiving.

The battle.

Is within.


As i struggle to not lose faith, hope and joy.
As i struggle to remember that God sees.
God knows.
God loves.

To keep pulling my own scales off as they grow.
To keep loving.
To keep believing.
Not in people.  They are as flawed and failing as i.
But in the Father.
Who sees.

And knows.

And loves.

And does not change

But is making all things new.

Friday, December 06, 2013

Oh, Hasten the Day!


“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

C.S. Lewis

"Heaven is not the lack of all desire but gratification of all desire." 

David Platt

The Bible says there is food in heaven.  Yet we have perfect bodies which do not die, therefore, do not NEED to eat.  Conclusion: we eat and drink because we WANT to!  Of course this world does not satisfy!  It's a cheap, broken imitation of the world to come!  We will not be emptied of desire in the kingdom of God, our desires, like our bodies, will be perfected!

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Only those who have need to hide value the rock of refuge.  Only those who have run to the rock, know the trustworthiness of it.

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

And when my heart is overwhelmed, please lead me to the Rock...

God rocks!  There are countless mentions of God as our rock.  A rock of refuge.  The rock that gives honey and water.  A mountain stronghold.  A firm foundation, unshakeable, immovable, immutable.  What he has been, he will ever be.  If you trusted him when you were six, if you prayed and he delivered when you prayed for a red gumball out of the gumball machine, then why do you fear to bother him now?  Why do you fear at all?  If this God took time out of his day to make a red gumball drop into your six year old hand because he loves you, what makes you think that now that your sixty, he has any less love for you?  Has less interest in giving you good gifts?

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Don't tread on me

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!  Belated of course.  But as the psalms show, it should be thanksgiving every day.  Maybe not with turkey, that might be a bit much.

Thought for the day:
Is God good?
No really, is he?
Is he all powerful?
Is he all knowing?
Is he your Father?

Alrighty then, the logical progression from there is that absolutely nothing "bad" can happen to you.  Period.  Nothing.  Niente.  Nichts.  Zip.  Zilch.  Zero.  Bupkiss.  Everything, everything, everything which comes to us, even the results of our sin, is for our benefit, for our growth, for our good!  No matter how dumb it may seem now.