Lord,
You NEVER change...
From the beginning, You
have noticed us...never
letting us out of
Your thots...or
Your sight.
You notice the little ones...
the small things...and
make them great
significant,
real...and strong.
You noticed Moses...as
a baby, saving him from
genocide
so that he could lead
his people into
freedom...later
You enabled him to bring
Your Law down to earth
so we could read it for
ourselves.
You made Him into
Your friend.
You noticed David...
who was overlooked by his
own family...
You led him
to kill a giant...
to become a king...
to become a prophet of YaHWeH
in songs...that
are still being sung over
two thousand years later.
Lord, in the years
You walked around with us
down here...
You noticed the babies
coming to You
for blessing....
You stopped
everything
to touch & bless them.
You let us know that
You were angry
that we would stop them
from coming to You.
You noticed the
the boy with a small
lunch...that
You made sufficient
for thousands of people.
You took notice of the
girls...the women...who
were overlooked
by everyone else...and
You taught them as if they were
worthy of your undivided
attention and care.
You noticed the touch
of a poor, sick widow
slowly dying of a hemorrhage.
Again,
You stopped EVERYTHING
to speak to her
to heal her body...and
her heart.
You took notice of another
widow...and
her tiny offering
of only two bits of copper...
both together added up to
less than a penny.
You said,
"She has given more than
all the others."
"They gave from their
their extra funds."
"She gave from her need,
her empty purse...
all that she had."
Little people...
Little things...
Little offerings...these
are the things You
take special notice of.
You have ALWAYS been this way!
Why is it, Lord, that we
have such difficulty
being as satisfied
as You are
with the little things?
Why?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
two years old
Lord,
seeing our two-year-old
hurricane of a granddaughter
over this past weekend has given me
new respect
for my daughter, Sarah...and
her husband, Chad.
They deal with this little
amazing girl
who needs to have her way
SO desperately
that she gives a
TOTAL COMMITMENT to everything
she does.
She does nothing unless
it's all or nothing!
Yet even as I see her express
EXTREME dissatisfaction, I cannot help
but note that she is only two years old!
She doesn't know any better.
For
this is the stage of life where she has begun
to realize that the universe
does NOT revolve around her.
Naturally, this disturbs her...
but then, she is only two!
Too often,
like a two-year-old,
I
hold my breath
stiffen my body...and
cry loudly
whenever things don't
go my way...
Too often, Lord,
I stick out my lower lip
I want to quit...and
I demand that You fix
things...to be
the way I want them
to be.
My comfort zone seems to be
as small as that of our
grand-girl...
but then, she is only two!
Is it because I want
MY kingdom to come...
MY will to be done...
instead of wanting
the waiting
the looking for
the working for
Your will...and
Your kingdom to come,
Lord?
Am I too much like our little,
beautiful
grand-girl...who
is only two?
She doesn't know any better...while
I do...at least,
I should.
Lord,
You show me so much
grace, mercy...and
a long-suffering heart.
You restrain from judgment...
over & over
giving me the benefit of
the doubt.
Your love floods
me...pouring over my fear...
my doubt...
making them into bad memories...
as long as I look at You!
When I was a child...
I thought
as a child...
I spoke
as a child...but
when I became a man,
I put away childish things.
There is SO much hope
for our grand-girl...because
she turns three in awhile...and
she
has wonderful a mom & dad who
model Jesus to her
each day.
My hope, Lord,
is in YOU...
Your Love...
Your growing Presence...in me.
Like our grand-girl, I
want You to grow me up
so that I might more & more
reflect Your face.
seeing our two-year-old
hurricane of a granddaughter
over this past weekend has given me
new respect
for my daughter, Sarah...and
her husband, Chad.
They deal with this little
amazing girl
who needs to have her way
SO desperately
that she gives a
TOTAL COMMITMENT to everything
she does.
She does nothing unless
it's all or nothing!
Yet even as I see her express
EXTREME dissatisfaction, I cannot help
but note that she is only two years old!
She doesn't know any better.
For
this is the stage of life where she has begun
to realize that the universe
does NOT revolve around her.
Naturally, this disturbs her...
but then, she is only two!
Too often,
like a two-year-old,
I
hold my breath
stiffen my body...and
cry loudly
whenever things don't
go my way...
Too often, Lord,
I stick out my lower lip
I want to quit...and
I demand that You fix
things...to be
the way I want them
to be.
My comfort zone seems to be
as small as that of our
grand-girl...
but then, she is only two!
Is it because I want
MY kingdom to come...
MY will to be done...
instead of wanting
the waiting
the looking for
the working for
Your will...and
Your kingdom to come,
Lord?
Am I too much like our little,
beautiful
grand-girl...who
is only two?
She doesn't know any better...while
I do...at least,
I should.
Lord,
You show me so much
grace, mercy...and
a long-suffering heart.
You restrain from judgment...
over & over
giving me the benefit of
the doubt.
Your love floods
me...pouring over my fear...
my doubt...
making them into bad memories...
as long as I look at You!
When I was a child...
I thought
as a child...
I spoke
as a child...but
when I became a man,
I put away childish things.
There is SO much hope
for our grand-girl...because
she turns three in awhile...and
she
has wonderful a mom & dad who
model Jesus to her
each day.
My hope, Lord,
is in YOU...
Your Love...
Your growing Presence...in me.
Like our grand-girl, I
want You to grow me up
so that I might more & more
reflect Your face.
Monday, April 21, 2008
FIRE!
Isaiah 6 (paraphrase)
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of polluted lips, and I live among a people of polluted speech…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Lord,
FIRE-angels flew
As close
As they could come
To You…while
Shouting the only thoughts
They could think…
“Holy! Holy! HOLY!
Commander-of-all-the-Angel-Armies!
The whole Earth
Is filled past filling
With the weight of His worth!”
FIRE
Was what one of the
FIRE-angels used
To burn away
My shame
My guilt…so
I could hear You…so
I could talk to You!
FIRE
Was what entered
My heart
As
I realized that You
The AMAZING
The CREATOR
The KING-OF-ALL-KINGS
Could hear me…
Was interested in hearing
Me…and even more.
You were intent on
Using FIRE to heal
My brothers and sisters…who
Were broken just like me…
Yes, Lord, it is true
What they say about LOVE…
“You are a FIRE!”
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of polluted lips, and I live among a people of polluted speech…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Lord,
FIRE-angels flew
As close
As they could come
To You…while
Shouting the only thoughts
They could think…
“Holy! Holy! HOLY!
Commander-of-all-the-Angel-Armies!
The whole Earth
Is filled past filling
With the weight of His worth!”
FIRE
Was what one of the
FIRE-angels used
To burn away
My shame
My guilt…so
I could hear You…so
I could talk to You!
FIRE
Was what entered
My heart
As
I realized that You
The AMAZING
The CREATOR
The KING-OF-ALL-KINGS
Could hear me…
Was interested in hearing
Me…and even more.
You were intent on
Using FIRE to heal
My brothers and sisters…who
Were broken just like me…
Yes, Lord, it is true
What they say about LOVE…
“You are a FIRE!”
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Us..and me…
meditations from Isaiah 6:1-8
Lord,
All I could think
Of…was
Me.
“Woe!” I said.
I pronounced my own
Doom.
I damned myself for
What I had said…for
Even in speaking
At Your request,
I knew
I had mis-spoken…for
NOW…I could see
Your glory in its brightness…
Your majesty on display.
I could see
How, without even trying,
Your majesty overwhelmed
Even the mightiest of
Created beings…who
Seemed to be made of FIRE…
Yet all they could
Think
To do or say…
Was to protect themselves
From your shining majesty
Even as they shouted
Praise…
“Holy!
Holy!
Holy!”
The God-Who-Commands-All-Power…
Commander-in Chief-of-Angel-Armies…
His awesome majesty
FILLS
All creation to
Overflowing!”
They were
Balls of streaking FIRE
Shouting un-ending PRAISE
As if their own power was…
Nothing!
All I could think
Of…was
Me.
You…on the other hand
Never
Seem to think of
Yourself…first.
From the beginning,
You have bowed
Yourself
To make the cosmos…
To people Earth
With us…
To become grieved over
Our sin…
To send messenger
After messenger…to
Help us return to
Our senses…
To you!
You never gave up
Your attempt
To re-deem us…
To re-life us…
To re-create us…for
In Your Deepest-Deep,
You loved us.
So…
While the Fire-Angels
Praised You…and even
As I shrank away
From You…
You
Were deep in a conversation
That You wanted
Me
To partner in...
A conversation focused on
Finding one more messenger
To carry word of
Your True-WORD
To us lost ones.
I had no idea!
One Fire-Angel flew
Down
To me with FIRE
To burn me clean…
So
I could hear You…and
Lose my speechlessness.
Lord,
Your great heart…
Your Deepest-Deep
Is always turned outward
In Love…for
It seems that LOVE
Is what You are.
Lord,
All I could think
Of…was
Me.
“Woe!” I said.
I pronounced my own
Doom.
I damned myself for
What I had said…for
Even in speaking
At Your request,
I knew
I had mis-spoken…for
NOW…I could see
Your glory in its brightness…
Your majesty on display.
I could see
How, without even trying,
Your majesty overwhelmed
Even the mightiest of
Created beings…who
Seemed to be made of FIRE…
Yet all they could
Think
To do or say…
Was to protect themselves
From your shining majesty
Even as they shouted
Praise…
“Holy!
Holy!
Holy!”
The God-Who-Commands-All-Power…
Commander-in Chief-of-Angel-Armies…
His awesome majesty
FILLS
All creation to
Overflowing!”
They were
Balls of streaking FIRE
Shouting un-ending PRAISE
As if their own power was…
Nothing!
All I could think
Of…was
Me.
You…on the other hand
Never
Seem to think of
Yourself…first.
From the beginning,
You have bowed
Yourself
To make the cosmos…
To people Earth
With us…
To become grieved over
Our sin…
To send messenger
After messenger…to
Help us return to
Our senses…
To you!
You never gave up
Your attempt
To re-deem us…
To re-life us…
To re-create us…for
In Your Deepest-Deep,
You loved us.
So…
While the Fire-Angels
Praised You…and even
As I shrank away
From You…
You
Were deep in a conversation
That You wanted
Me
To partner in...
A conversation focused on
Finding one more messenger
To carry word of
Your True-WORD
To us lost ones.
I had no idea!
One Fire-Angel flew
Down
To me with FIRE
To burn me clean…
So
I could hear You…and
Lose my speechlessness.
Lord,
Your great heart…
Your Deepest-Deep
Is always turned outward
In Love…for
It seems that LOVE
Is what You are.
Monday, April 07, 2008
THE MAKER (in us all)
Lord…
There she sits…little girl
Working intently
Looking at nothing else
But
The work
Her hands are doing…
The work
Her hands want
NEXT…to do.
All her effort
Goes
Into the stamp pad…
The scissors…
The colored paper…and
Paste…
Looking for a particular
Color
Every so often…and
Everything stops until
She finds it.
She makes a lake
Of rainbow-colored
Water
With unicorns,
Horses…and
A Pegasus drinking
Their fill.
Working each element together
On she goes…
Until at last,
“I’m finished.”
“It’s done!”
As she appreciates
Her handiwork…she
Waits for my encouragement.
I give it.
For I have never seen
Rainbow-colored water…nor
Have I seen horses quite
So beautiful.
What a clear picture
She gives us
Of Your heart, Lord…and
Of Your hands at work
Making
Us…and
All that is…
Until you could say,
“it is good”
Galaxies sang!
Angel armies chanted,
“JOY!”
All this
Is squeezed into
The making of each
Of us…
So that in our making
Of things
You
Might shine through.
God:
Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job 38:4-7 (NIV)
There she sits…little girl
Working intently
Looking at nothing else
But
The work
Her hands are doing…
The work
Her hands want
NEXT…to do.
All her effort
Goes
Into the stamp pad…
The scissors…
The colored paper…and
Paste…
Looking for a particular
Color
Every so often…and
Everything stops until
She finds it.
She makes a lake
Of rainbow-colored
Water
With unicorns,
Horses…and
A Pegasus drinking
Their fill.
Working each element together
On she goes…
Until at last,
“I’m finished.”
“It’s done!”
As she appreciates
Her handiwork…she
Waits for my encouragement.
I give it.
For I have never seen
Rainbow-colored water…nor
Have I seen horses quite
So beautiful.
What a clear picture
She gives us
Of Your heart, Lord…and
Of Your hands at work
Making
Us…and
All that is…
Until you could say,
“it is good”
Galaxies sang!
Angel armies chanted,
“JOY!”
All this
Is squeezed into
The making of each
Of us…
So that in our making
Of things
You
Might shine through.
God:
Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job 38:4-7 (NIV)
Monday, March 17, 2008
too smart?!?
We
Post-ENLIGHTENMENT
Christians
almost always look
for principles...
for theory...
for labels...thinking
WE gain control of
things by
labeling them...
explaining them...
sounding as if we understand them...
You, Lord,
Move Your kingdom
By a wisdom
Past
All our principles...and
All our thinking...and
All our labels...
SO...maybe
Our part SHOULD be
To look for,
To listen to,
To walk toward
Your Voice...which
Is NOT
A very enlightened
Way of seeing things at all.
Or is it?
Post-ENLIGHTENMENT
Christians
almost always look
for principles...
for theory...
for labels...thinking
WE gain control of
things by
labeling them...
explaining them...
sounding as if we understand them...
You, Lord,
Move Your kingdom
By a wisdom
Past
All our principles...and
All our thinking...and
All our labels...
SO...maybe
Our part SHOULD be
To look for,
To listen to,
To walk toward
Your Voice...which
Is NOT
A very enlightened
Way of seeing things at all.
Or is it?
Sunday, March 09, 2008
grace or fixing things
2 Corinthians 12 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul on grace...
8
Three times I pleaded with the Lord
to take it away from me.
9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10
That is why, for Christ's sake,
I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Me & Jesus talking about
His plans for me...
Lord,
What is it that we REALLY want?
Do we want
Your grace?
or
Getting things fixed?
We say we want to
Keep holding onto You, Jesus...
But we want this closeness
without real cost...though
we give lip service to
"no pain, no gain"
we LIVE as if it just isn't true...
we FEEL that it should not be true.
looking at my life
I realize that grief, loss, sorrow...
all
are powerful
if painful instruments of Your grace...
my heart, all of our hearts...we want solutions...
I want to fix all my broken things...
Lord,
You seem to be less about
fixing things than You are
about drawing me closer to Yourself.
You seem to think that closeness
is preferable to lack of problems
or conflicts...hmmm...
This should be a paradigm for
ALL
our human relationships...after all,
Jesus...You know us best...
better than we do ourselves.
I think You're telling me
that closeness is better than
knowing stuff...
fixing stuff...
controlling stuff...even
ALL the stuff in my life...
kinda different
from how I was brought up, eh?
The Apostle Paul on grace...
8
Three times I pleaded with the Lord
to take it away from me.
9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10
That is why, for Christ's sake,
I delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Me & Jesus talking about
His plans for me...
Lord,
What is it that we REALLY want?
Do we want
Your grace?
or
Getting things fixed?
We say we want to
Keep holding onto You, Jesus...
But we want this closeness
without real cost...though
we give lip service to
"no pain, no gain"
we LIVE as if it just isn't true...
we FEEL that it should not be true.
looking at my life
I realize that grief, loss, sorrow...
all
are powerful
if painful instruments of Your grace...
my heart, all of our hearts...we want solutions...
I want to fix all my broken things...
Lord,
You seem to be less about
fixing things than You are
about drawing me closer to Yourself.
You seem to think that closeness
is preferable to lack of problems
or conflicts...hmmm...
This should be a paradigm for
ALL
our human relationships...after all,
Jesus...You know us best...
better than we do ourselves.
I think You're telling me
that closeness is better than
knowing stuff...
fixing stuff...
controlling stuff...even
ALL the stuff in my life...
kinda different
from how I was brought up, eh?
Monday, March 03, 2008
to a friend...on fear, grief & grace...
To my friend:
One thing I've learned from the San Diego week is that when grief & fear are at their highest pitch...there is far more grace than we can imagine...it's kinda like a dam ready to burst...just a nudge and God breaks out...
And while this does NOT make things easy NOR does it solve things...Jesus' Presence is sweeter the MORE we KNOW just how desperately we need Him!
So I am praying for you to be able to let the FLOOD of Jesus' grace sweep over your soul!
More to my friend:
God’s grace is NOT meant
to make things easy…
Grace is meant as God’s provision
to bring our lives toward
the good,
the holy,
the truly beautiful…
toward Jesus Himself…
so…
it necessarily means
pain, grief, suffering…and
at times protracted periods
of not knowing what will happen next…or
of not seeing the good we have attempted
take root…much less
bear fruit.
It is times like these
Where God’s words to Paul have
Their intended meaning…
“My grace is sufficient…”
“My strength is completed
in your weakness.”
To Jesus:
Lord, for me, this has meant resting
In a place of deepest discomfort…
Of tasting grief carefully
Like a fine wine…
Of peering deeply into things lost to me
With no resolution…
Of facing fear…seeing it
For what it is…then
Looking for You, Lord…in it!
Our weakness
Wedded to Your grace
Brings the ALL-mighty into the cosmos
Acting to make all things
New.
Eventually.
In the meantime…Your grace
Requires our trusting, daily obedience
To have its intended effect
In the here and now.
Lord, You are okay
With that…
How amazing is that?
One thing I've learned from the San Diego week is that when grief & fear are at their highest pitch...there is far more grace than we can imagine...it's kinda like a dam ready to burst...just a nudge and God breaks out...
And while this does NOT make things easy NOR does it solve things...Jesus' Presence is sweeter the MORE we KNOW just how desperately we need Him!
So I am praying for you to be able to let the FLOOD of Jesus' grace sweep over your soul!
More to my friend:
God’s grace is NOT meant
to make things easy…
Grace is meant as God’s provision
to bring our lives toward
the good,
the holy,
the truly beautiful…
toward Jesus Himself…
so…
it necessarily means
pain, grief, suffering…and
at times protracted periods
of not knowing what will happen next…or
of not seeing the good we have attempted
take root…much less
bear fruit.
It is times like these
Where God’s words to Paul have
Their intended meaning…
“My grace is sufficient…”
“My strength is completed
in your weakness.”
To Jesus:
Lord, for me, this has meant resting
In a place of deepest discomfort…
Of tasting grief carefully
Like a fine wine…
Of peering deeply into things lost to me
With no resolution…
Of facing fear…seeing it
For what it is…then
Looking for You, Lord…in it!
Our weakness
Wedded to Your grace
Brings the ALL-mighty into the cosmos
Acting to make all things
New.
Eventually.
In the meantime…Your grace
Requires our trusting, daily obedience
To have its intended effect
In the here and now.
Lord, You are okay
With that…
How amazing is that?
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Consider Jesus
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:3 NIV)
Lord,
Hateful, angry men
Conspired to murder
You…
The truth…and
Anyone…or
Anything that got in
Their way.
Even though
YOU were YaHWeH’s Good-News-in-the-flesh,
They lied about You…
They gossiped about You…
They maligned you.
You are LIFE!
You are TRUTH!
YOU are THE ONE WAY
To YaHWeH!
Yet, while You
Spoke the truth to them,
Giving out YaHWeH’s Good News…
Whenever and wherever You could,
You did not roast them
On the spot…
Instead
You worked…and
Prayed
For their repentance,
NEVER
Did You damn them…
Instead
You warned them
Of Gehenna…
Of YaHWeH’s wrath…
Of the certainty of
The YaHWeH-truth
Winning out…in
The End.
Your mission among us
Was to
Point out our dilemma
And
To offer Good News…
To pray…
To work…for our
Repentance.
In this You were
Tireless…until
At last
The Good News bled
Into earth’s dirt…as
The one thing
That could redeem
The human race.
You endured
The cross…
Us sin-driven people…
The Father’s discipline…
The Father’s final wrath…
For us.
This makes
Vivid
What You prayed:
“For their sakes
I sanctify Myself.”
What the Father
Did
To You
Was small
Compared to what
You
Did to Yourself…
For our sakes.
The Father’s discipline
Could have no fruit
Without
Your whole-hearted
Cooperation…and it
Is the same with us…
Unless
We bend ourselves
Under
The mighty hand of God,
All
Of His efforts…
Of Your efforts…
Of the Spirit’s efforts…
Will not take
Root in our hearts
Where
They are meant to grow.
Not
my will
but Yours
be done.
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:3 NIV)
Lord,
Hateful, angry men
Conspired to murder
You…
The truth…and
Anyone…or
Anything that got in
Their way.
Even though
YOU were YaHWeH’s Good-News-in-the-flesh,
They lied about You…
They gossiped about You…
They maligned you.
You are LIFE!
You are TRUTH!
YOU are THE ONE WAY
To YaHWeH!
Yet, while You
Spoke the truth to them,
Giving out YaHWeH’s Good News…
Whenever and wherever You could,
You did not roast them
On the spot…
Instead
You worked…and
Prayed
For their repentance,
NEVER
Did You damn them…
Instead
You warned them
Of Gehenna…
Of YaHWeH’s wrath…
Of the certainty of
The YaHWeH-truth
Winning out…in
The End.
Your mission among us
Was to
Point out our dilemma
And
To offer Good News…
To pray…
To work…for our
Repentance.
In this You were
Tireless…until
At last
The Good News bled
Into earth’s dirt…as
The one thing
That could redeem
The human race.
You endured
The cross…
Us sin-driven people…
The Father’s discipline…
The Father’s final wrath…
For us.
This makes
Vivid
What You prayed:
“For their sakes
I sanctify Myself.”
What the Father
Did
To You
Was small
Compared to what
You
Did to Yourself…
For our sakes.
The Father’s discipline
Could have no fruit
Without
Your whole-hearted
Cooperation…and it
Is the same with us…
Unless
We bend ourselves
Under
The mighty hand of God,
All
Of His efforts…
Of Your efforts…
Of the Spirit’s efforts…
Will not take
Root in our hearts
Where
They are meant to grow.
Not
my will
but Yours
be done.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
lazy hearts #1...from Luke 24
Luke 24:25-27
Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted!
Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said?
Don't you see that these things had to happen,
that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?"
Lord,
on the road to Emmaus,
You told us that our hearts were slow...
lazy...
too lazy to love...
to forgive...
to hear Your Spirit's call
as prophet after prophet
spoke of Your Abba's strong heart
to save us...
spoke of His Servant Who
would come lowly, meek, simple...
BUT...
Who would NOT be stopped until He had
established justice for the nations...
Later,
when we met You...
we were too thick-headed,
too slow & lazy of heart
to see You...
we had NO idea that YOU were
YaHWeH's Servant-Messiah!
Our minds were closed,
already made up
about Messiah...who he would be
& what he would look like!
So we missed You
until You left us...
returning in power from death
to show us what LIFE looked like!
Lord,
if You will take my lazy heart,
I will follow You
to the end of my days...
with all I have!
Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted!
Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said?
Don't you see that these things had to happen,
that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?"
Lord,
on the road to Emmaus,
You told us that our hearts were slow...
lazy...
too lazy to love...
to forgive...
to hear Your Spirit's call
as prophet after prophet
spoke of Your Abba's strong heart
to save us...
spoke of His Servant Who
would come lowly, meek, simple...
BUT...
Who would NOT be stopped until He had
established justice for the nations...
Later,
when we met You...
we were too thick-headed,
too slow & lazy of heart
to see You...
we had NO idea that YOU were
YaHWeH's Servant-Messiah!
Our minds were closed,
already made up
about Messiah...who he would be
& what he would look like!
So we missed You
until You left us...
returning in power from death
to show us what LIFE looked like!
Lord,
if You will take my lazy heart,
I will follow You
to the end of my days...
with all I have!
Monday, November 26, 2007
forgotten father...lost sons...
(Luke 15:1-3)
1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story.
(the Message translation)
Lord,
You saw us…the broken ones…
I mean You REALLY saw us!
You saw us the way
No one else ever did…we were
Friends of Matthew…people
Of the street…the
Under-side…the
Ignored-by-polite-society
People.
You joined us…coming
To us…to
Our place…to eat
With us…
Staying long enough to
Hear our stories…and
To tell Your Own.
People who were
More socially correct than
You…
Pointed out exactly who You
Were hanging with.
You told them…and
Us…
Three stories…each
About things that were
Lost…then found.
A shepherd
Chases down
A wayward sheep…and
A woman
Scours her house for
The one lost coin.
Finally…You
Spoke straight to us
All.
You talked about
The forgotten Father…
Your Abba…Who
Had some lost sons.
One lost son left home
Deliberately…trying
To shed the family identity
Only
To return home
Broken…begging for
Only a slave’s wages.
The other son
Got lost…when
He could not enjoy
His brother’s return…along with
His Father…since
He too had lost the
Family identity.
Both sons had forgotten their
Father…
As did the men who
Grumbled
About the class of folk
You loved to be with.
They too
Had forgotten their
Father…the
One-and-only YaHWeH- of-the-Heavens
Who
Hung in with
A slow-believing Abraham…and
Sarah…
The YaHWeH Who
Wrestled all night with
A lying Jacob…
The YaHWeH Who
Hyper-blessed
A fear-filled Moses…
The YaHWeH Who
Forgave
A murdering, adulterous
David…
YaHWeH…
Who is perfect
In every way…
Chooses
To look for us
Until
He finds us.
Then He sits down
With us…in
Our misery…and
Swaps stories with us…
THIS…is love!
1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story.
(the Message translation)
Lord,
You saw us…the broken ones…
I mean You REALLY saw us!
You saw us the way
No one else ever did…we were
Friends of Matthew…people
Of the street…the
Under-side…the
Ignored-by-polite-society
People.
You joined us…coming
To us…to
Our place…to eat
With us…
Staying long enough to
Hear our stories…and
To tell Your Own.
People who were
More socially correct than
You…
Pointed out exactly who You
Were hanging with.
You told them…and
Us…
Three stories…each
About things that were
Lost…then found.
A shepherd
Chases down
A wayward sheep…and
A woman
Scours her house for
The one lost coin.
Finally…You
Spoke straight to us
All.
You talked about
The forgotten Father…
Your Abba…Who
Had some lost sons.
One lost son left home
Deliberately…trying
To shed the family identity
Only
To return home
Broken…begging for
Only a slave’s wages.
The other son
Got lost…when
He could not enjoy
His brother’s return…along with
His Father…since
He too had lost the
Family identity.
Both sons had forgotten their
Father…
As did the men who
Grumbled
About the class of folk
You loved to be with.
They too
Had forgotten their
Father…the
One-and-only YaHWeH- of-the-Heavens
Who
Hung in with
A slow-believing Abraham…and
Sarah…
The YaHWeH Who
Wrestled all night with
A lying Jacob…
The YaHWeH Who
Hyper-blessed
A fear-filled Moses…
The YaHWeH Who
Forgave
A murdering, adulterous
David…
YaHWeH…
Who is perfect
In every way…
Chooses
To look for us
Until
He finds us.
Then He sits down
With us…in
Our misery…and
Swaps stories with us…
THIS…is love!
Lawful or not?
1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
(Mark 10:1-2, NIV)
Lord,
They asked you for a ruling
On divorce…an
Official Rabbinical ruling…a
Definitive statement.
Why do we do this?
Why do we keep asking for
Laws?
A legal order?
A legal decision?
Do we really want
More rules?
Do we really want something
Hard and fast…so that
We can know?
For sure?
Or
Is it that we so desire to
Be in control
That we prefer a “law”
So
We can “lawyer” our way
Around it…whenever
We need to?
Do we look for a way
To discount…
To undermine Your heart,
Lord…just like
We attempt to over-ride…
To discount the heart
Of the wife of our youth…even
As she gains age…and wisdom?
Are we that hard-hearted?
Is the common desire to divorce…simply
That ugly?
I think, Lord,
The answer is, “YES.”
Most of the time it is either
That ugly…or maybe
It shows how lazy-of-heart
We are.
From Your example, Lord,
We know that no love
Ever
Grows on it’s own.
Love needs
Our active, constant
Care…or
Like any other living thing
It dies.
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
(Mark 10:1-2, NIV)
Lord,
They asked you for a ruling
On divorce…an
Official Rabbinical ruling…a
Definitive statement.
Why do we do this?
Why do we keep asking for
Laws?
A legal order?
A legal decision?
Do we really want
More rules?
Do we really want something
Hard and fast…so that
We can know?
For sure?
Or
Is it that we so desire to
Be in control
That we prefer a “law”
So
We can “lawyer” our way
Around it…whenever
We need to?
Do we look for a way
To discount…
To undermine Your heart,
Lord…just like
We attempt to over-ride…
To discount the heart
Of the wife of our youth…even
As she gains age…and wisdom?
Are we that hard-hearted?
Is the common desire to divorce…simply
That ugly?
I think, Lord,
The answer is, “YES.”
Most of the time it is either
That ugly…or maybe
It shows how lazy-of-heart
We are.
From Your example, Lord,
We know that no love
Ever
Grows on it’s own.
Love needs
Our active, constant
Care…or
Like any other living thing
It dies.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Chosen One from Isaiah 42:1-2
"Take a good look at my servant.
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
(the Message)
Lord,
There is more to Your title, “Messiah”
Than we know.
YaHWeH chose Abraham to father
Many nations…and
Along the way
Asked him to sacrifice his
Only son.
YaHWeH chose Jacob to be heir
To Abraham…and
Along the way
Chose to permanently injure him
So that Jacob could learn
To tell the truth.
YaHWeH chose Moses to lead
His people to freedom…and
Along the way
Gave him 40 years
Of headache & deadly opposition.
YaHWeH chose David
As King & chief poet to
His Own people...and
Along the way
Made him pay fully…for
Each of his blunders
So that YaHWeH’s people
Would not think
That the I AM makes it easy
On the powerful
Without them paying a terrible cost.
YaHWeH chose You, Lord, as
His Messiah…for
All Israel
All nations
All the world.
YaHWeH
Sent to You every test
Any of us could
EVER go through…and
Even more.
YaHWeH was with You…
Always…calling You,
“Much-loved”
“Son”
“The One-Who-pleases-Me”
Along the way…that
YaHWeH asked You to walk
Was every demon
Known to Satan…seizing people
Destroying their families,
Their hearts…in the process…
Until
You stepped up
As YaHWeH’s Chosen One
As the One-Promised-of-Old.
You destroyed Satan’s campaign
Of destruction…and
Even more amazingly gave to us
POWER
In the Name of YaHWeH
In the Person of the Most Holy Spirit
To destroy the enemy’s work!
Even as YaHWeH’s hand
Was heavy
On You…especially
At the end…
So too
His hand lifts us up
Even as
The weight of His calling
On our lives
Gives pause to us.
What we have
That You did NOT…is
Your example to study
Your pattern to follow
Your steps to show us the Way!
Lord,
as YaHWeH's Own "Chosen One"
You were
You are…and
Always
You will be amazing!
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
(the Message)
Lord,
There is more to Your title, “Messiah”
Than we know.
YaHWeH chose Abraham to father
Many nations…and
Along the way
Asked him to sacrifice his
Only son.
YaHWeH chose Jacob to be heir
To Abraham…and
Along the way
Chose to permanently injure him
So that Jacob could learn
To tell the truth.
YaHWeH chose Moses to lead
His people to freedom…and
Along the way
Gave him 40 years
Of headache & deadly opposition.
YaHWeH chose David
As King & chief poet to
His Own people...and
Along the way
Made him pay fully…for
Each of his blunders
So that YaHWeH’s people
Would not think
That the I AM makes it easy
On the powerful
Without them paying a terrible cost.
YaHWeH chose You, Lord, as
His Messiah…for
All Israel
All nations
All the world.
YaHWeH
Sent to You every test
Any of us could
EVER go through…and
Even more.
YaHWeH was with You…
Always…calling You,
“Much-loved”
“Son”
“The One-Who-pleases-Me”
Along the way…that
YaHWeH asked You to walk
Was every demon
Known to Satan…seizing people
Destroying their families,
Their hearts…in the process…
Until
You stepped up
As YaHWeH’s Chosen One
As the One-Promised-of-Old.
You destroyed Satan’s campaign
Of destruction…and
Even more amazingly gave to us
POWER
In the Name of YaHWeH
In the Person of the Most Holy Spirit
To destroy the enemy’s work!
Even as YaHWeH’s hand
Was heavy
On You…especially
At the end…
So too
His hand lifts us up
Even as
The weight of His calling
On our lives
Gives pause to us.
What we have
That You did NOT…is
Your example to study
Your pattern to follow
Your steps to show us the Way!
Lord,
as YaHWeH's Own "Chosen One"
You were
You are…and
Always
You will be amazing!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Jesus In A Bathroom
Lord,
I saw You in a bathroom
At Carl’s Jr. yesterday.
A group of “special” adults
Had arrived in the restaurant.
Each had unique
Physical & mental needs:
Challenges
That they required outside help
To face.
To overcome.
They needed the adults who attended them.
As I entered the restroom
I saw
What I thought was a drug bust --
A man spread-eagled against the far wall.
But then I saw that his pants were down
Around his knees.
The smell of excrement
Was strong.
Very unpleasant.
A Mexican-American man
Was cleaning him off.
The attendant was moving
With toilet paper
Between man & toilet
Speaking softly,
(As if to a beloved child)...
Speaking comfortingly to the frightened
Man with his pants down.
“It’s okay.”
“But it sure smells bad,” the man said.
“That’s what happens
When you mess your pants,” was the reply.
But don’t worry, I’ll get it
Fixed up...right away.”
He spoke patiently
As he continued to work.
I did not want to stay there
Very long at all.
As I left,
It struck me that
I had been in that bathroom
With You, Lord.
You were that Mexican-American
Attendant
Cleaning the clothing,
The excrement,
Wiping the butt
Of that frightened man.
You were there speaking words
Of encouragement and comfort
To make the task
Not only lighter for Yourself
And Your charge,
But also to make
It understandable
To an uncomprehending
Public.
You served the dirty ones
As well as the ignorant ones.
Isn’t that what You did
On the tree?
You wiped the butt
Of the world.
You cleaned off the waste products
Of our lives.
Our own excrement
You took upon Yourself.
Even saying this,
I want to retch.
Bile rises in my throat.
But isn’t that
What Gesthemane was about?
Golgotha?
Perfect God-man.
Perfect life.
Subjected to the Father’s Will.
Completely.
Become the sin offering,
The excrement-catcher
For the whole world.
Target of the total wrath
The holy wrath
Of the Infinite YaHWeH-God!
The I AM THAT I AM-at-war to purge
His creation,
His people
His kingdom from sin.
It was not the blood.
The pain.
That caused you to pray so deeply
In the Garden...
Rather it was the absolute
Stench of death,
Of decay that our sin brings.
Yet, You carried it all.
Perfectly...completely.
Disposing of it in the only possible way.
Forever...“It is finished!”
When it was all over,
I was clean.
I could not clean myself...
For You see,
I was in that bathroom, too!
I saw You in a bathroom
At Carl’s Jr. yesterday.
A group of “special” adults
Had arrived in the restaurant.
Each had unique
Physical & mental needs:
Challenges
That they required outside help
To face.
To overcome.
They needed the adults who attended them.
As I entered the restroom
I saw
What I thought was a drug bust --
A man spread-eagled against the far wall.
But then I saw that his pants were down
Around his knees.
The smell of excrement
Was strong.
Very unpleasant.
A Mexican-American man
Was cleaning him off.
The attendant was moving
With toilet paper
Between man & toilet
Speaking softly,
(As if to a beloved child)...
Speaking comfortingly to the frightened
Man with his pants down.
“It’s okay.”
“But it sure smells bad,” the man said.
“That’s what happens
When you mess your pants,” was the reply.
But don’t worry, I’ll get it
Fixed up...right away.”
He spoke patiently
As he continued to work.
I did not want to stay there
Very long at all.
As I left,
It struck me that
I had been in that bathroom
With You, Lord.
You were that Mexican-American
Attendant
Cleaning the clothing,
The excrement,
Wiping the butt
Of that frightened man.
You were there speaking words
Of encouragement and comfort
To make the task
Not only lighter for Yourself
And Your charge,
But also to make
It understandable
To an uncomprehending
Public.
You served the dirty ones
As well as the ignorant ones.
Isn’t that what You did
On the tree?
You wiped the butt
Of the world.
You cleaned off the waste products
Of our lives.
Our own excrement
You took upon Yourself.
Even saying this,
I want to retch.
Bile rises in my throat.
But isn’t that
What Gesthemane was about?
Golgotha?
Perfect God-man.
Perfect life.
Subjected to the Father’s Will.
Completely.
Become the sin offering,
The excrement-catcher
For the whole world.
Target of the total wrath
The holy wrath
Of the Infinite YaHWeH-God!
The I AM THAT I AM-at-war to purge
His creation,
His people
His kingdom from sin.
It was not the blood.
The pain.
That caused you to pray so deeply
In the Garden...
Rather it was the absolute
Stench of death,
Of decay that our sin brings.
Yet, You carried it all.
Perfectly...completely.
Disposing of it in the only possible way.
Forever...“It is finished!”
When it was all over,
I was clean.
I could not clean myself...
For You see,
I was in that bathroom, too!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
God's Joy 2 from Psalm 127:1-2
Psalm 127:1-2
1
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
2
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
(Psalm 127 NASB)
Lord,
When You tell us
You give gifts
To those You love
Even
While they sleep…
What are You
Saying?
Are You saying
That Your love
For us…
NEVER changes?
Are You saying that
When good times come,
You love us?
When hard times crush,
You love us?
When easy times roll,
You love us?
When grief strikes,
You love us?
Are You saying that
Each…and
Everything we enter
We go in
Accompanied…
Preceded…by
You….and
Your love?
Are You saying that
We have NEVER been truly alone
In the dark…
EVER?
Yes…I think
You are saying just that,
Lord!
1
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
2
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
(Psalm 127 NASB)
Lord,
When You tell us
You give gifts
To those You love
Even
While they sleep…
What are You
Saying?
Are You saying
That Your love
For us…
NEVER changes?
Are You saying that
When good times come,
You love us?
When hard times crush,
You love us?
When easy times roll,
You love us?
When grief strikes,
You love us?
Are You saying that
Each…and
Everything we enter
We go in
Accompanied…
Preceded…by
You….and
Your love?
Are You saying that
We have NEVER been truly alone
In the dark…
EVER?
Yes…I think
You are saying just that,
Lord!
God's Joy 1...from Psalm 127:1-2
Psalm 127 The Message
1
If God doesn't build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn't guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
2
It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don't you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?
Holy YaHWeH,
That You love us
Is the one message
That we can successfully escape
ONLY
If we ignore You.
Completely.
You tell us…
When we are building
A house…that
Making You our
Crew Foreman…
Insures a well-built house.
You say…
When we are standing guard
Over those we love…that
Having You as our
Watch-commander…
Makes everyone safe.
Finally You let us know…that
You enjoy OUR sleep…OUR
Rest…since
It is during our sleep that
Like a Daddy…
You
Look in on us…
Marveling over Your slumbering
Little ones…or
Is it something else?
Something like
You
Loving to make gifts
To surprise us
When we wake…and
Like any Daddy-in-love-labor
You anticipating our joy
With Your own?
Do You smile over us?
Do You tuck us in
Each night?
That we wonder at this
Shows how little of You
We understand…and
Appreciate.
That Jesus called You, “Abba,”
Is a good thing…since
It makes theologians look
Foolish…all their words
Fall down before the simple
Truth…that
YaHWeH is our “Abba”…
Our Daddy…our Papa…
To Him…To You, Lord, we
Can come with arms held out
Saying, “Up…up…”
And…
You always respond to
Our baby talk.
1
If God doesn't build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn't guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
2
It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don't you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?
Holy YaHWeH,
That You love us
Is the one message
That we can successfully escape
ONLY
If we ignore You.
Completely.
You tell us…
When we are building
A house…that
Making You our
Crew Foreman…
Insures a well-built house.
You say…
When we are standing guard
Over those we love…that
Having You as our
Watch-commander…
Makes everyone safe.
Finally You let us know…that
You enjoy OUR sleep…OUR
Rest…since
It is during our sleep that
Like a Daddy…
You
Look in on us…
Marveling over Your slumbering
Little ones…or
Is it something else?
Something like
You
Loving to make gifts
To surprise us
When we wake…and
Like any Daddy-in-love-labor
You anticipating our joy
With Your own?
Do You smile over us?
Do You tuck us in
Each night?
That we wonder at this
Shows how little of You
We understand…and
Appreciate.
That Jesus called You, “Abba,”
Is a good thing…since
It makes theologians look
Foolish…all their words
Fall down before the simple
Truth…that
YaHWeH is our “Abba”…
Our Daddy…our Papa…
To Him…To You, Lord, we
Can come with arms held out
Saying, “Up…up…”
And…
You always respond to
Our baby talk.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
HEART-TRUST
In honor of my Hannah & our Jesus…
Ephesians 5:21-33 (the Message text at the end)
Lord,
The girl You gave me
Is a trust!
She
Belongs first…to You…
Next to me…so
It is to You that I will answer
For the hurts
I deal her…and
the ones I allow
to reach
her heart.
Her heart is a trust…
A holy trust
You have given to me…
Good old C.S. Lewis was right
When he said that
You “imposed headship”
Onto the husband…for
In marriage, headship is
a burden…
a precious one, yes…
but
a burden still…a
burden in which we men
stand
responsible to You
for the hearts…
the health…
of the brides
You…
have given to us.
What is headship? First…it must be
under You, Lord.
All we have is Your example…and
Paul’s words.
You showed us how to do this…
By laying down
Your life
in our place…
By protecting the disciples
in the Garden-betrayal…
By taking all of
YaHWeH’s wrath
for us…
By not forsaking us
when you could have.
Easily.
You NEVER imposed
Your will on us…
instead
like a kind shepherd…You
called to us…
walking each step
ahead of us…first…
You tested out the path
so we could follow
in the safety…of
Your love…of
Your kind intention.
You wondered at
our lack of faith…
but
You never wavered in
Your love for us…or
Your choosing of us…
even
the betrayer was
loved…by You…
We never understood
why…
back then…but
we had a lot of
trouble
understanding You
at all.
You always seemed to be working on us…
on our hearts…
so hard…as if
nothing was too small
for You to notice…
to care about…
John was right
when he said,
“He loved His Own…
to the end.”
In all the years
since…
our estimation
of Your love for us
has only grown…
You NEVER put Yourself
ahead
of us…even
though You were LORD
over all the other Lords!!
So meek…simple…straight up…
You were…that
we mistook You
for a wise man…
nothing more…
until near the end…
when
the word “Emmanuel”
began
to make sense
to us
as we thought of You!
Lord,
Maybe that is why
Being “head” of a wife
Is such
a scary thing for
us guys…since
it seems that
You
want us to do things…
like You did…to
speak and do…
ONLY
what YaHWeH
wants…
no less…no more.
That, Lord,
Is a BIG deal…
too hard to do
without
all of Your Holy Spirit
filling us up.
Completely.
Thank you, Lord,
For the beauty and danger
Of this heart-trust…we are
NOT worthy of it now…but
maybe that is why You
gave it to us
in the first place.
Ephesians 5:21-33 (the Message)
21 Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.
22-24Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
25-28Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.
29-33No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.
Ephesians 5:21-33 (the Message text at the end)
Lord,
The girl You gave me
Is a trust!
She
Belongs first…to You…
Next to me…so
It is to You that I will answer
For the hurts
I deal her…and
the ones I allow
to reach
her heart.
Her heart is a trust…
A holy trust
You have given to me…
Good old C.S. Lewis was right
When he said that
You “imposed headship”
Onto the husband…for
In marriage, headship is
a burden…
a precious one, yes…
but
a burden still…a
burden in which we men
stand
responsible to You
for the hearts…
the health…
of the brides
You…
have given to us.
What is headship? First…it must be
under You, Lord.
All we have is Your example…and
Paul’s words.
You showed us how to do this…
By laying down
Your life
in our place…
By protecting the disciples
in the Garden-betrayal…
By taking all of
YaHWeH’s wrath
for us…
By not forsaking us
when you could have.
Easily.
You NEVER imposed
Your will on us…
instead
like a kind shepherd…You
called to us…
walking each step
ahead of us…first…
You tested out the path
so we could follow
in the safety…of
Your love…of
Your kind intention.
You wondered at
our lack of faith…
but
You never wavered in
Your love for us…or
Your choosing of us…
even
the betrayer was
loved…by You…
We never understood
why…
back then…but
we had a lot of
trouble
understanding You
at all.
You always seemed to be working on us…
on our hearts…
so hard…as if
nothing was too small
for You to notice…
to care about…
John was right
when he said,
“He loved His Own…
to the end.”
In all the years
since…
our estimation
of Your love for us
has only grown…
You NEVER put Yourself
ahead
of us…even
though You were LORD
over all the other Lords!!
So meek…simple…straight up…
You were…that
we mistook You
for a wise man…
nothing more…
until near the end…
when
the word “Emmanuel”
began
to make sense
to us
as we thought of You!
Lord,
Maybe that is why
Being “head” of a wife
Is such
a scary thing for
us guys…since
it seems that
You
want us to do things…
like You did…to
speak and do…
ONLY
what YaHWeH
wants…
no less…no more.
That, Lord,
Is a BIG deal…
too hard to do
without
all of Your Holy Spirit
filling us up.
Completely.
Thank you, Lord,
For the beauty and danger
Of this heart-trust…we are
NOT worthy of it now…but
maybe that is why You
gave it to us
in the first place.
Ephesians 5:21-33 (the Message)
21 Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.
22-24Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
25-28Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.
29-33No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Broken Heart 2 from Isaiah (chapters 42-53)
Lord,
It is easy to defend against
A broken heart
But
Much more difficult
To live with one
To live through one.
Fighting fear
discouragement
small faith
disgrace
shame
the disgust of others
rejection
pain
deep suffering
oppression
An finally
The inner death
That heart-brokenness brings…
These
Are the battles
A broken heart must wage…
Successfully…
So that it does not die
In hardness.
While brokenness gives the feeling
Of death,
Hardness
Is death…
Too often irreversible…
Almost irreparable…
Lord,
You know why I said, “Almost…”
Since
You are the God-of-impossible-causes,
The One Who melts stone-hard-hearts
Into living vibrating centers
Of LIFE!
This is what You accomplished
By taking our sins
Onto Your bruised shoulders
And fighting for our souls
From Your heart-broken cross-perch
Above Jerusalem.
You lived through every sorrow
We can imagine
And more.
So while Your heart
Was continually broken,
It was never weak…
It never wavered in pointing
You
Toward YaHWeH-willed-acts
Toward speaking YaHWeH’s Own words
To us…
For us.
So as You wept over us…
Over Jerusalem…
It was a broken-hearted YaHWeH
Who bemoaned our hard hearts.
It was the same YaHWeH
Whose heart was first torn in Noah’s day
Over the sin of our ancestors.
You…
As YaHWeH-in-the-flesh
Sobbed over the sin-cost to us all…
Our Father-YaHWeH
Would close the heavens
To mend
What had first broken His Own Heart…
Your Holy Spirit living in us
Each day still chooses
To endure our bad choices
Out of love
Never once interrupting
His deeper-than-words-prayers
For us.
It seems that
YaHWeH has chosen…
To live with a broken,
Wounded,
Stabbed,
Saddened heart
Rather than kill us all!
And that is the choice we all face…
To live broken-hearted
Or to kill those
Who hurt us.
It is easy to defend against
A broken heart
But
Much more difficult
To live with one
To live through one.
Fighting fear
discouragement
small faith
disgrace
shame
the disgust of others
rejection
pain
deep suffering
oppression
An finally
The inner death
That heart-brokenness brings…
These
Are the battles
A broken heart must wage…
Successfully…
So that it does not die
In hardness.
While brokenness gives the feeling
Of death,
Hardness
Is death…
Too often irreversible…
Almost irreparable…
Lord,
You know why I said, “Almost…”
Since
You are the God-of-impossible-causes,
The One Who melts stone-hard-hearts
Into living vibrating centers
Of LIFE!
This is what You accomplished
By taking our sins
Onto Your bruised shoulders
And fighting for our souls
From Your heart-broken cross-perch
Above Jerusalem.
You lived through every sorrow
We can imagine
And more.
So while Your heart
Was continually broken,
It was never weak…
It never wavered in pointing
You
Toward YaHWeH-willed-acts
Toward speaking YaHWeH’s Own words
To us…
For us.
So as You wept over us…
Over Jerusalem…
It was a broken-hearted YaHWeH
Who bemoaned our hard hearts.
It was the same YaHWeH
Whose heart was first torn in Noah’s day
Over the sin of our ancestors.
You…
As YaHWeH-in-the-flesh
Sobbed over the sin-cost to us all…
Our Father-YaHWeH
Would close the heavens
To mend
What had first broken His Own Heart…
Your Holy Spirit living in us
Each day still chooses
To endure our bad choices
Out of love
Never once interrupting
His deeper-than-words-prayers
For us.
It seems that
YaHWeH has chosen…
To live with a broken,
Wounded,
Stabbed,
Saddened heart
Rather than kill us all!
And that is the choice we all face…
To live broken-hearted
Or to kill those
Who hurt us.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Until...
ISAIAH 42:1-4
(The Message)
"Take a good look at my servant.
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
He won't call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won't disregard the small and insignificant,
but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped
until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Lord,
To me…
You will always be
the quiet
steady
unstoppable man
Who never stepped
on another person
verbally…or
physically…
Who showed us
YaHWeH’s light up close
without blinding us
at all.
It was as if You
were hearing YaHWeH
whisper
in Your ears.
Each day new things
came out from
Your mouth
and hands and eyes…
which were
always
grace-filled…
life-giving…
YaHWeH-focused.
It was as if You wanted
Your Abba
to take credit for
everything You were…
everything You said…
everything You did.
So…You went after
the blind
to make them see…
the lepers
to touch them
back into life…
the wild party-ers
to love them
into Your Way…
the children
to look into their
eyes…and
to bless their future.
YaHWeH’s Messiah
Was to have been a Mighty Man
Who would free
YaHWeH’s people…like
Moses did…but
no one ever asked
what kind of person
Messiah would be…and
no one ever dreamed
that YaHWeH’s prophets
had called Messiah
“Emmanuel”…for
a reason…no one
knew You
were the Almighty One
dressed up
just like us.
We were awed by You…
even peeved with You…
upset when You asked
more than we wanted
to give…but
on those cross-days…
at that final
dark day…
we began to see..
to notice…
to hope…
what seemed to be
an impossibility.
You had been simply
Faithful to YaHWeH’s plans…alone…
Nothing else
Moved You…unless it was
our hopeless condition…
when every so often
You wept openly…
overcome by our deep
brokenness.
Only later
did we realize
how severely YaHWeH’s heart
breaks for us…
each day.
(The Message)
"Take a good look at my servant.
I'm backing him to the hilt.
He's the one I chose,
and I couldn't be more pleased with him.
I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He'll set everything right among the nations.
He won't call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won't disregard the small and insignificant,
but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped
until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Lord,
To me…
You will always be
the quiet
steady
unstoppable man
Who never stepped
on another person
verbally…or
physically…
Who showed us
YaHWeH’s light up close
without blinding us
at all.
It was as if You
were hearing YaHWeH
whisper
in Your ears.
Each day new things
came out from
Your mouth
and hands and eyes…
which were
always
grace-filled…
life-giving…
YaHWeH-focused.
It was as if You wanted
Your Abba
to take credit for
everything You were…
everything You said…
everything You did.
So…You went after
the blind
to make them see…
the lepers
to touch them
back into life…
the wild party-ers
to love them
into Your Way…
the children
to look into their
eyes…and
to bless their future.
YaHWeH’s Messiah
Was to have been a Mighty Man
Who would free
YaHWeH’s people…like
Moses did…but
no one ever asked
what kind of person
Messiah would be…and
no one ever dreamed
that YaHWeH’s prophets
had called Messiah
“Emmanuel”…for
a reason…no one
knew You
were the Almighty One
dressed up
just like us.
We were awed by You…
even peeved with You…
upset when You asked
more than we wanted
to give…but
on those cross-days…
at that final
dark day…
we began to see..
to notice…
to hope…
what seemed to be
an impossibility.
You had been simply
Faithful to YaHWeH’s plans…alone…
Nothing else
Moved You…unless it was
our hopeless condition…
when every so often
You wept openly…
overcome by our deep
brokenness.
Only later
did we realize
how severely YaHWeH’s heart
breaks for us…
each day.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
UNFORCED
ZECHARIAH 4:6-7 THE MESSAGE
Then he said, "This is God's Message to Zerubbabel:
'You can't force these things.
They only come about through my Spirit,'
says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. '
So, big mountain, who do you think you are?
Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill.
He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place,
accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'"
Lord,
Most things in life
good
lovely
blessed
cannot come through
force…but like
a lover…
they can only be
wooed….and
encouraged.
Your grace-plans
for us,
Your little ones,
were created
in might…and
in all wisdom…yet
are brought about
by weak men…and
women whose
fear
was often their most
constant companion.
Your eternal might
was bent
to produce a baby
in a young girl
who
was asked by Gabriel
if she would
consent…yes
Mary was asked
like a lover…when
a young man
declares himself…and
waits
for either rejection…or
the joy that
that comes first
in the accepting eyes
of his beloved.
Whether it was Your plans
to rebuild
the temple…or
to bring Yourself
into an
Immanuel-state-of-nearness
to us…
always…
Your faithfulness
along with our
answer
to You…is what
drives Grace into
place.
You…the ALL-MIGHTY ONE…
waits
on us…the weak…
to do Your grace-work…
for grace-that-is-forced
is no Grace at all!
Then he said, "This is God's Message to Zerubbabel:
'You can't force these things.
They only come about through my Spirit,'
says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. '
So, big mountain, who do you think you are?
Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill.
He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place,
accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'"
Lord,
Most things in life
good
lovely
blessed
cannot come through
force…but like
a lover…
they can only be
wooed….and
encouraged.
Your grace-plans
for us,
Your little ones,
were created
in might…and
in all wisdom…yet
are brought about
by weak men…and
women whose
fear
was often their most
constant companion.
Your eternal might
was bent
to produce a baby
in a young girl
who
was asked by Gabriel
if she would
consent…yes
Mary was asked
like a lover…when
a young man
declares himself…and
waits
for either rejection…or
the joy that
that comes first
in the accepting eyes
of his beloved.
Whether it was Your plans
to rebuild
the temple…or
to bring Yourself
into an
Immanuel-state-of-nearness
to us…
always…
Your faithfulness
along with our
answer
to You…is what
drives Grace into
place.
You…the ALL-MIGHTY ONE…
waits
on us…the weak…
to do Your grace-work…
for grace-that-is-forced
is no Grace at all!
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