This Pain…

How can I not compare this,

to the thorn embedded underneath

providing a sharp reminder

of that which You ordained

Paul to keep

 

How I long for a dramatic

power of healing

instant pain relief

that incredible feeling

 

And of course

You’d receive all the glory!

Until I resume my routine again

And Your healing becomes

lost in the noise

 

Would I then remember —

When I could not walk

When I could not sleep

When my despair

was dark and deep?

 

I think of the man with leprosy

Who simply asked Jesus

“Lord, if you are willing”

“You can make me clean.”

Jesus was willing.

 

But what is clean?   What is healing?

It is far better, to be cleansed within

To have a spotless soul

Even if the body never fully heals again

 

A/N:  I continue to pray for physical healing, consistent with the will of God.   But the state of my soul is paramount. 

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Late great United States?

We stand on the precipice of a new year.  The last 12 months have been tumultuous for the United States of America in many ways; culturally, politically, but most of all morally and spiritually.

Once could fairly and adequately state that [using Charles Spurgeon’s analogy] America is on the down-grade.  Christian bakers and photographers are fined and threatened with worse for conscientiously objecting  to participation in a same-sex ceremony.  The slaughter of unborn babies, which has continued unabated since 1973, was brought into sharp display with grisly videos depicting infant body part transactions.  And where does one begin regarding the treatment of veterans?

But the United States can be great again.  Its’ citizens must begin again to:

• remember and honor the triune God who has continually watched over and blessed the nation from its inception
• respect the Constitution and the rule of law
• convey honor and dignity to all human life, regardless of its age from conception to natural death

And demand of the government to:

•  act as a sovereign nation; protecting its citizens and securing its borders
• treat those who serve in  our military, police, and first responder units with honor and respect, taking special care of the wounded in their ranks
• serve again as the principal leader of free nations, advancing the cause of liberty and redress of wrongs against the oppressed

This list is not even close to exhaustive by any means.  That fact is unfortunate and is cause for sadness.  Above and before all of our efforts, however is the need to pray daily for this nation.  Pray for those in authority and positions of leadership.  Pray for the election of new leaders that we will face in the not too distant future.  Pray that we would return to God, and that His judgement upon us may yet be stayed.  Pray without ceasing.

 

Late Great United States?

 

I fear for this place

the late great United States?

where innocent babes are torn asunder

harvested in pain, for plunder

When did our hearts grow fangs

How long since our souls surrendered?

 

The fact that God has not yet brought us low

gives me cause to hope

Still yet a remnant of The Way holds sway

within His heart, judgement held at bay

 

But how long can His righteous anger be subdued

against the tide of evil and depravity unglued?

Hardly ever has the Devil found such fertile ground

We make it far too easy for evil to abound

 

Yet, lest we forget

when sin covers this land

in the barrenness of desert sand

We who faithfully follow Christ

can offer Living Water

and plant the seeds that bring

fertile valleys of righteousness

in the Land of the King

 

12/09/15

im·per·ma·nence

{One of the most important messages I have ever set out to write}

We focus so much time on things that will be dust, and comparatively little time on Scripture and souls – the only things on earth that are lasting and eternal…

Impermanence.

Of late, this word has been ringing in my mind.  I hear and see it everywhere.  It emanates from passages of Holy Scripture that emphasize and distinguish the temporal from the eternal.  I see it all around me in the ordinary items we all take for granted, as well as those we hold close to us as precious heirlooms.  It has been hammered home forcefully in the passage of time and inevitable change that accompanies it.

The year 2015 has been one of monumental change in my family, but inevitable to all of us who remain on this earth.  Our parents because of age and cognitive issues now reside in an Assisted Living facility.  It has been a struggle for them, especially for Dad – who has always been in control.  And an adjustment for us kids as well.  Nothing stays the same.  Impermanence.

We now face the task of going through a lifetime of accumulation at my parents’ house.  Not that my parents were greedy materialists, hoarders, or anything of the sort (maybe borderline hoarders in certain cases).  But all of us can have the tendency to hold on to things, to wrap and box things up for some later date.  Maybe with the thought of passing on to future generations.

We recently went through a project to clean up the basement in my parents’ house, and many items were ruined and could not be saved.  Including many items that Mom or Dad had fastidiously stored away, for years [wrapped in newspapers from the 1970s and 80s].  But mold and moisture found a way to get through.  Impermanence.

This was a lesson for me.  Do not hold on too tightly to things that will eventually pass away.  No doubt I will try to hold on to at least a few items, but I had to ponder this question, not only about things from my childhood home, but things from my own home:  What if my child, my grandchildren have no interest in keeping these items?  And even if they do, what’s most important is enjoying God-given family relationships while we still have these cherished people with us.  I am ever so grateful that I have Mom & Dad still with us, even if they can be a challenge some times.

We are or will be tempted to hold onto things that often have great memory or intrinsic value for us.  And I am not condemning that practice wholesale.  But let us remember that (1) we cannot take these things with us and (2) the things that last – people/family/souls, the Word of God – are where we should focus most.  All else is… Impermanence.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Mat 24:35

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  1 Tim 5:8

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  Mat 24:44

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Blink – and you’re ashen dust

Set to expire like the rest of us

Reserve your mansion

before time rolls up

05/06/13

{Artwork by the talented Jeff Casey, high school classmate; framed artwork proudly displayed in my home]

Hammerhead

Chiseled with perfection

Precision roughness with a purpose

Made to swim in the Master’s sea

Today it feels like me

 

If I am to plunge to the murky depths

where light seems scarce

and there is no rest

 

In this trench let me shine

with the glory of Jehovah

the paramount preoccupation

of this hammer-headed mind

 

08/05/14