Jason Upton - Back to the Father (Part 2 of 2)

Jason Upton - Back to the Father (Part 1 of 2)

Two Cents Worth: Mary's Heart of Faith—an Example for All of Us

Two Cents Worth: Mary's Heart of Faith—an Example for All of Us: "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name wa..."

Some Biblical elements of the number nine

The First Contest
(Genesis 14)

The first contest is a battle between the 4 kings and 5 (=9).*

* The Gematria of verses 3 and 4, Genesis 14, which describe the rebellion and the battle, is 5655 (13x435). And verses 4 and 5, which describe the coming of the four kings, = 5590 (13x430). Thus the rebellion verse binds the war and its cause together. Verse 9, also, which describes the battle, is 4732 (13²x28).

The swift vengeance of Abram, verses 13-16, = 10738 (13x7x118).

The standing of Abram before Melchisedech (Melchizedek) = 19019 (13x7x11x19). Thus with Abram we find not only the 13, but 7 marking the spiritual character of himself and his mission.

Psalm 78: 9

Psalm 78:9 (New Living Translation)

⁹ The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.

Psalms keys

opened Peggy Ruth's book on Psalm 91 to the following:

PSALM 112:7

"HE WILL NOT FEAR EVIL TIDINGS; HIS HEART IS STEADFAST,

TRUSTING IN THE LORD"

Interesting family birth arrangement

Yesterday, pondered the fact that we are a family of six. Our birthdays are distributed through the year so that: the birthdays occur in two sets of three consecutive months, Aug., Sept., Oct., and Feb., Mar., Apr. This is remarkable enough, but I also just realized: the birth dates are also chronologically arranged so that our youngest occurs first in the series, the second son born occurs second, the third occurs third, and the fourth, fourth, then Carol's birthday, followed by mine-i.e. if you count from Aug., the birthdays go from the youngest family member to the oldest. The two groups of birthdays are also separated, of course by three months. Just wondered what the odds against such a grouping of birthdays are? Any actuary's reading this?

Looking into the eyes of Jesus

This past week was reading a book by Jim Goll and was so touched by his account of a vision experienced by Mahesh Chavda, a converted Hindu:

"...as He came closer to me, I could see that He was smiling. It was a smile of utter love and delight...

He came closer still, and I saw His eyes. I will never forget the eyes of Jesus. I could see that those eyes had felt every hurt, every heartache, that had ever been felt. They had shed every tear that had ever been wept on earth. Yet they were not eyes of sadness or gloom. They were the eyes of triumph, eyes that seemed to say, 'Yes, I know the pain, I know the heartache, I know the tears. I took it all upon myself when I died on the cross. But I have overcome. And you can overcome too'.

Then as I stood there gazing into His eyes, He stretched out His hand and placed it on my shoulder and said to me simply, 'My little brother'.

As suddenly as it[the vision] had begun, it ended....

This experience came just after he had come to a point of despair and had given up on the thought of embracing the truth he had been so captivated by as he read the bible that a missionary had given him.

God's Expectations

What can we bring to the Lord to make up for what we've done? ...Should we offer Him thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of olive oil? Would that please the Lord? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of our souls? Would that make Him glad? Micah 6:8 No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Listen, fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice is calling out to everyone in Jerusalem, "The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them.

Sports briefs | ThisWeek Sports

Sports briefs | ThisWeek Sports

Chris Tomlin The Wonderful Cross

Kelly Willard Quote

I was standing during worship, along with everyone else, and the same overwhelming feeling of complete and utter failure had just waved through me, leaving me very weak in every way. Just about that time, I heard the voice of God in my spirit, and this is what He said. (I know it was Him, because I would never have offered myself this much hope!) He said, “Do you really think you could ruin my plan for your life? How big do you think you are?”

Whoa, talk about being put in my place! Big things happen inside of you when God speaks to you! All at once, I had the opportunity to receive hope for myself, to relieve guilt from myself, to rid myself of the personal vendetta of believing that I had “ruined my life”, and I had the chance to repent for thinking I was as big (or bigger?) than God was in my life!

Never Forget

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15

John Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach and have an active ministry until beset by fading health in the last two years of his life. Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends:

My memory is nearly gone;
but I remember two things;
That I am a great sinner, and
that Christ is a great Saviour.

John Newton (1725-1807)
English minister and hymn writer

CONTINUE BELIEVING

HEARD A CLIP FROM A KANSAS CITY REVIVAL SPEAKER POINTING OUT THAT WHEN THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF ABRAHAM BELIEVING GOD---ROM. 4:3, ;GAL. 3:6 & JAS. 2:23, IT IS REFERRING TO AN ONGOING LIFESTYLE, PRACTICE.

ALSO HEARD A MAN WHO HAD BEEN BATTLING SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES POINT OUT THAT JESUS RESPONSE TO PETER WHEN HE SANK AFTER A BRIEF WALK ON THE WATER WAS ABOUT FAITH OF "BRIEF DURATION"---I.E. WE NEED TO DEVELOP FAITH THAT ENDURES THROUGH LIFES STORMS AND THAT ONLY COMES BY STAYING IN THE WORD.

The Avett Brothers - The Perfect Space

FFH When I Praise

7 Hebrew Words for Praise Reference Card Bethel Church Store

7 Hebrew Words for Praise Reference Card Bethel Church Store

PROMISE of PEACE

Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

WE ARE PROTECTED

Isa 59:19 So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall make him flee. (MKJV)
19 So they will see the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the east: for he will come like a rushing stream, forced on by a wind of the Lord. (BBE)
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the LORD. (MKJV)
20 And as a saviour he will come to Zion, turning away sin from Jacob, says the Lord. (BBE)
21 As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the LORD; My spirit that is on you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed, says the LORD, from now on and forever. (MKJV)
21 And as for me, this is my agreement with them, says the Lord: my spirit which is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, will not go away from your mouth, or from the mouth of your seed, or from the mouth of your seed's seed, says the Lord, from now and for ever. (BBE)

Security in the Lords Love

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

More on our value to God

1Pe 1:13 ¶ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 ¶ because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.

Do you KNOW YOUR WORTH

1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your bodies are a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is within you--the Spirit whom you have from God?
20 And you are not your own, for you have been redeemed at infinite cost. Therefore glorify God in your bodies.
(WNT)

Great poetry from Job 12:7 ff

Job 12:7-24 (New Living Translation)

⁷ “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
⁸ Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
Let the fish in the sea speak to you.

¹⁰ For the life of every living thing is in his hand,
and the breath of every human being.
¹¹ The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.
¹² Wisdom belongs to the aged,
and understanding to the old.

¹³ “But true wisdom and power are found in God;
counsel and understanding are his.
¹⁴ What he destroys cannot be rebuilt.
When he puts someone in prison, there is no escape.
¹⁵ If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert.
If he releases the waters, they flood the earth.
¹⁶ Yes, strength and wisdom are his;
deceivers and deceived are both in his power.
¹⁷ He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment;
wise judges become fools.
¹⁸ He removes the royal robe of kings.
They are led away with ropes around their waist.
¹⁹ He leads priests away, stripped of status;
he overthrows those with long years in power.
²⁰ He silences the trusted adviser
and removes the insight of the elders.
²¹ He pours disgrace upon princes
and disarms the strong.

²² “He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness;
he brings light to the deepest gloom.
²³ He builds up nations, and he destroys them.
He expands nations, and he abandons them.
²⁴ He strips kings of understanding
and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland.

Can't think of much better promises than these

Revelation 21:4-5 (Amplified Bible)

⁴God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.^A)">(A)

⁵And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine).

Global Awakening : Registration

Global Awakening : Registration

Still More Restoration Words

¶ "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
4 ¶ And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed."
10 ¶ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
(NKJV) Isa. 61

More Restoration is coming !

12 ¶ "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
18 ¶ Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.
19 The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
20 "But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things."
21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you-The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
28 ¶ "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
(NKJV) Joel 2:12 ff

Thoughts on growing up, 'in Christ'

"The Christian life is not a straight run on a track laid out by a vision statement formulated by a committee. Life meanders much of the time. Unspiritual interruptions, unanticipated people, uncongenial people, uncongenial events cannot be pushed aside in our determination to reach our goal unimpeded, undistracted. "Goal-setting," in the context and on the terms intended by a leadership-obsessed and management-programmed business mentality that infiltrates the church far too frequently, is bad spirituality. Too much gets left out. Too many people get brushed aside.

Maturity cannot be hurried, programmed or tinkered with. There are no steroids available for growing up in Christ more quickly. Impatient shortcuts land us in the dead ends of immaturity."

Eugene Peterson, in "Practicing Resurrection" [Church & God's Manifold Wisdom]

Take care you don't know anything in this world
too quickly or easily. Everything is also a mystery
and has its own secret aura in the moonlight,
its private song.

Mary Oliver, "Moonlight"

Changing Perspective

"When you don't like the way your life looks
Change the way you look at your life"

Jason Upton - Never alone

Great Theology is...

"GREAT THEOLOGY IS ALWAYS A KIND OF GIANT AND INTRICATE POETRY, LIKE EPIC OR SAGA"

'The Death of Adam', Marilynne Robinson

William Blake Quote

If the doors of perception were cleansed
every thing would appear to man as it is,
INFINITE

F. W. Boreham quote

"Heavy loads are God's strange cure for weariness"

JESUS IS THE KING OF THE FIELD!

JESUS IS THE KING OF THE FIELD!

Kevin Malarkey, Psychotherapist, Life Stratagies Inc | Spoke

Kevin Malarkey, Psychotherapist, Life Stratagies Inc | Spoke

New Wine

The Clementine gifts in 2009

Were symbolic

Of something alcoholic

Could be from the 'Grapes of Laugh'

Or maybe fermented from a bitter past-
Heaven knows

But one thing is clear
The taste that once set our teeth on edge
Is gone-no longer here

Thank You, sweet Jesus
It's Your Spirit
That frees us

Helping us restore blocked water sources
Supplying refreshment-changing our courses

It's finding new direction
Not a matter of our perfection

You are the Perfect One
The Father's uniquely precious Son

Smokin' flaxes

Thank You Lord for not quenching smoking flaxes
Your grace brings us to a place that relaxes


And You don't discard bruised reeds
Instead You come in love
With Your Truth
To meet each of our needs

What could be better
Released from each fetter
Joy for our sorrow
Less and less anxious about tomorrow

Daily Choices

After reading Eugene Peterson's study of Jonah in which he describes a dream in which he learns of a friends best selling book consisting of lists compiled of daily events-and realizing the sacredness of the 'ordinary', the thought occurred to me that the choices of the moments of our lives determine whether we become chaff or chalices--a thought for pondering on our daily adventures in our personal Ninevahs!

More Quotes of John Muir

• The dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.
• I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
• The mountains are fountains of men as well as of rivers, of This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; glaciers, of fertile soil. The great poets, philosophers, prophets, able men whose thought and deeds have moved the world, have come down from the mountains—mountain-dwellers who have grown up strong there with the forest trees in Nature's workshops.

Tribute to one of the greatest Champions of the Mountains

To few men was it given to realize so completely the elements of eternity— of time-effacing enjoyment in work— as it was to John Muir. The secret of it all was in his soul, the soul of a child, of a poet, and of a strong man, all blended into one. An innate nobility of character, an unstudied reverence for all that is sublime in nature or in life, unconsciously called forth the best in his friends and acquaintances. In the spiritual as in the physical realm flowers blossomed in his footsteps where he went. After all it is to such men as John Muir that we must look for the sustenance of those finer feelings that keep men in touch with the spiritual meaning and beauty of the universe, and make them capable of understanding those rare souls whose insight has invested life with imperishable hope and charm. To all who knew John Muir intimately his gentleness and humaneness toward all creatures that shared the world with him, was one of the finest attributes of his character... Among those who have won title to remembrance as prophets and interpreters of nature he rises to a moral as well as poetical altitude that will command the admiring attention of men so long as human records shall endure.

• William Frederic Badé

Song of Reconciliation

Where there is love there is peace

And in the cages that bind the bitter heart it is release

Hold it close to your chest, let it move and let it rest

For it is here to set your mind at ease

Where there is love there is peace

Where there is hope there is a dream

To rise above, to remit and to redeem

To go back, to go where there's no hurt or anger there

To find the song you once could sing

Where there is hope there is a dream

Where there is faith there is a chance

To alter the course and fight the winds of circumstance

Not to scar, but to mend, not to break, but to bend

And not to know but to understand

Where there is Faith-- there is a chance

Where there is Hope-- there is a dream

Where there is Love-- there is a peace

copywrite 1994 Emily Boothe, Inc./

Magic Beans Music

NATURE NURTURES

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues"

-Dr. Suess

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in

where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul."

-John Muir

"The prairie sings to me in the forenoon

and I know in the night I rest easy in the prairie arms, on the prairie heart."

-Carl Sandburg

Poetry Is...

So what is poetry?

Perhaps the characteristic most central to the definition of poetry is its unwillingness to be defined, labeled, or nailed down. But let's not let that stop us, shall we? It's about time someone wrestled poetry to the ground and slapped a sign on it's back reading, "I'm poetry. Kick me here."

Poetry is the chiseled marble of language; it's a paint-spattered canvas - but the poet uses words instead of paint, and the canvas is you. Poetic definitions of poetry kind of spiral in on themselves, however, like a dog eating itself from the tail up. Let's get nitty. Let's, in fact, get gritty. I believe we can render an accessible definition of poetry by simply looking at its form and its purpose:

One of the most definable characteristics of the poetic form is economy of language. Poets are miserly and unrelentingly critical in the way they dole out words to a page. Carefully selecting words for conciseness and clarity is standard, even for writers of prose, but poets go well beyond this, considering a word's emotive qualities, its musical value, its spacing, and yes, even its spacial relationship to the page. The poet, through innovation in both word choice and form, seemingly rends significance from thin air.

...Evidence of life

POETRY IS JUST the EVIDENCE of LIFE.

IF YOUR LIFE IS BURNING WELL,

POETRY IS JUST THE ASH!

Leonard Cohen


and Ephesians 2:10

Songbirds Singing Effect on Plants

Last week learned that the songs of birds in the predawn hours have the effect of opening the stomata of plants--this then allows the flow of water up through the stems. What a picture of how praise and worship open our souls to the flow of God's Spirit--life giving water!

Also recently heard that the most frequent positive command of scripture is to sing to the Lord! 2 Chronicles 20 now makes even more sense!

Psalm 77

Psalm 77 (New Living Translation)

Psalm 77
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.
1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan,
overwhelmed with longing for his help.
Interlude

4 You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Interlude


10 And I said, “This is my fate;
the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Interlude

Psalm 144 [selected verses]

Praise the Lord, my Protector! He trains me for battle and prepares me for war.
He is my protector and defender, my shelter and Savior, in whom I trust for safety...what is man that You notice him; mere man that You pay attention to him?

I will sing to You a new song, O God; You give vistory to kings and rescue your servant...Save me from my cruel enemies; rescue me ...May our sons in their youth be like plants that grow up strong. May our daughters be like stately columns which adorn the corners of a palace.

...may there be no cries of distress in our streets. Happy is the nation of whom this is true; happy is the people whose God is the Lord!

Recommendation

Just listened to some teachings of Ray Hughes who has been studying praise and worship for decades and has a lot of interesting things to share and is also humorous.

Feelings=the Scourge of Prayer

To pray by feelings is to be at the mercy of glands and weather and digestion.And there is no mercy in any of them. Feelings lie. Feelings deceive. Feelings seduce. Because they are so emphatically there, and so incontrovertibly interior, it is almost inevitable that we take our feelings seriously as reputable guides to the reality that is deep within us--our hearts before God.

But feelings are no more spiritual than muscles. They are real, and they are important. But they are real and important in the same way that our fingernails are important--we would not want to live without them[although we could if we had to], but their length and shape tell us nothing about our life with God. To suppose that our emotions in any way give us reliable evidence of the nature of our life with God is to misinterpret them. They are wonderful...part of the rich and stunning complexity of the human being in the image of God. We must value and develop and share them. But they are not prayer.

But how do we both affirm our feelings and detach ourselves from them? Through liturgy...we lose nothing of our emotions except their tyranny. The gamut of emotions is given full expression in the Psalms.

Eugene Peterson, from "Answering God", The Psalms as Tools for Prayer

Harper collins, 1989

A Muse for May

Psalm 77:11-13

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord;
yea I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will meditate on all your work,
and muse on Your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?

from a Psalm of Asaph

The Power of Poetry

Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by Reason

Novalis

Anger Management

Anger Management

We all get indigestion and get opened, receive suggestions of the negative, destructive kind

Which starts another battle in the mind,
But with practice and with training of the proper kind

We can make the battle brief and get back to being ruled by sweet, sweet Wine and NOT whine

The Good Wine is the Clementine kind !
It’s made by adding Christ to “lament wine”
And it works every time

Copywrite 2010 jba
[This recipe is in Exodus 15:25]

2009: March Musings

March 29, ’09 Musings

Titles from songs
Writings from wrongs
Blessings from Mongs
And King Kongs
Ding Dong you’re wrong Show
Twilight Zone Show
Whistlin’ as words flow
In and out of head

When awake or while Fishing in this lake
3:13 on the clocks
Wondered about Lakeside
Movie and Lakeside docks

I believe God’s into healing
In each rock of our boats
Left and then right
Up and then down
In the storm or in the still water
There’s always plenty of fodder

He’s also in the Physics
As in the meta-data
Or in Colin’s prophet-ata
Turning each page
Burning bridges of rage
There are lessons from each
Like as in fuzz on a peach

Now it’s back to the chair
To catch some more air
One clock says: 3:23
One says three two five
Synchronize our clocks Lord
Don’t let a tic get lost

Resurrection to resurrection
Risings from grace to grace
Look at the smiles on each face
No more a cloud of disgrace

Lessons in the graphics
And on each CD
Some in 2D, some in 3D
Each to each 1…2…3
Makin’ it up to Nine

Love that Sesame rhyme!
Spell, well?
Toe’s, bows
Hoppin’ + boppin’
To a catchy tune
Bouncin’ up toward heaven
And that date with our Holy Groom

Get some tunes for these lyrics
Drink more mighty fine wine

JBA

Jimmy John's Cafe

THE WORLD’S GREATEST SANDWICH
(There really is such a place--
compare to W.G. Grinders)
WITH THE WORLD’S GREATEST VIEW
OF MOUNTAIN AND SHORE
WANT NO MORE
AT THE PERFECT PRICE
FREE
FOR US
INFINITE COST FOR THE BAKER

LOVE MUST BE FREE
COME WITH ME
We must choose
He chose us
TO TASTE AND SEE
IT’S GOOD
ALWAYS GOOD

DON’T LOOK DOWN
LOOK UP
ON THE PERFECT TREE
IT’S REAL, NOT FAKE
ALL YOU CAN TAKE
HE’S THERE FOR YOU, FOR ME

IT’S ALWAYS ON TIME
PERFECT TIME
AND THE TEMPERATURE
JUST RIGHT
DON’T FIGHT

HE’S HAD YOUR BACK
THE FORERUNNER’S ON TRACK
SEE THE LAKE
THERE’S MORE, MUCH MORE
MAKE NO MISTAKE

LOOK, SEE,
HIS PERFECT SCAR
IT’S ON HIS HAND
IT’S ON HIS SIDE TOO
MADE FOR YOU

THE MENU IS AMAZING [Ps. 23:5]
IN PERFECT SCRIPT
WHAT’S IN A NAME
LET’S PLAY A WORD GAME

AND THE MUSIC THAT’S PLAYING
IT’S SO AMAZING
SOME OF IT WITH RHYME
AND JUST THE RIGHT BEAT
HE IS SINGING FOR YOU [Zeph. 3:17]

HEAR THE SOUND
IT’S ALL AROUND
THE WORLD’S A STAGE
WE EACH PLAY A PART [Eph. 2:10]

READ THE LINES
READ BETWEEN THE LINES
DRINK OF THE SMOOTHIE
INCREDIBLY GROOVY [Heb. 12:2]

THE DAM IS FULL
BUT DON’T BE A FOOL [I Cor. 10:13]
IT WON’T BREAK
IT’S VERY WELL CRAFTED
LET TEARS COME SLOWLY
AND POWER’S TO TAKE
SO INCREDIBLY GREAT

AND THE ECHO, SUCH AN ECHO
DID YOU HEAR IT ? [Jn.10:4,27]
LET’S BOUNCE
DOWN TO THE CANYON [Ps. 23:4]

LOOK AT THE WALLS
IN PERFECT SCRIPT
JUST THE RIGHT TYPE
SOME WRITTEN BY FIRE
SOME BY GOD’S ROUTER [Jn. 12:18]
DID THE CHIPS GET LOST, AT WHAT COST
WELL WORTH THE WAIT
NOT A WORD OUT OF PLACE
SEE THE GLORY
PERFECT STORY! [Jn. 3:16]

LET’S WALK THROUGH THE CLOUDS [Mt. 17:1]
IN THE NEW WINE COUNTRY [Jn. 2:9]
SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST! [Jn.2:10]
NOT JUST A COUPLE [Is.55:1]
DRINK TILL WEE’RE DRUNK [Acts 2:13]
WHAT A SPELL
CAN’T EVEN SPELL RIGHT NOW

THE PORTIONS ARE FILLING
NO WASTE
TAKE YOUR TIME, GO SLOW
YOU WILL BE SATISFIED
THAT’S A MEAL TO DIE FOR!
[Ps. 34:8; I Pet. 2:3; Jn. 12:24]

IT’S YOUR CHOICE [v.2]
USE YOUR VOICE [Eph. 5:19]
PREACH TO YOURSELF! [Ezek.36-37]
YOUR EARS ARE OPENING—UNPLUGGING [--?]
DOWN FROM THE HEIGHTS
NO MORE LUGGIN’ THAT PACK[Gal.6:2,14]
OFF YOUR BACK—ON HIS
YOU’LL SEE!
PERFECT VIEW, BIRD’S EYE, IN FACT
WAS THAT CROSS
JUST FOR YOU—YES, AND FOR ME TOO
AND YOU, AND YOU, AND YOU…

HEAR THE BIRDS SINGING
PERFECTLY IN TUNE
JUST FOR THAT ADDED TOUCH

THE TABLE’S ALL SET [Jn. 12:2]
LOOK FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
WHAT A SIGHT
COMPLETELY BALANCED
SOME BITTER, SOME SWEET
PERFECT PAIN
PERFECT DELIGHT

NOW IT’S GOIN’ ROUND AND ROUND
KEEP OUR EYES ON THE CENTER [Nu. 21:9]
IT’S BETTER THAT WAY
WE CAN STILL WALK STRAIGHT LATER

REMEMBER, HE’S GOT YOUR NUMBER [Mt. 10:30]
A PERFECT NUMBER
YOU HEARD THE CALL [Jn.1:12]
THE ANSWER WAS YES
KEEP COMING BACK
LIKE A BUFFET
I’LL REPEAT………………………………
TO BE CONTINUED………………………
STEWART & COMPANY
BAND OF “OH BROTHER” [Buena Vista Pictures, 2000]
IN CD OR TAPE
EIGHT TRACKS ALLLLL GONE (LONG AGO)—DAM! DINER

LIKE SARAH SAYS—“I HAVE A MOVIE”
SHE’S PERFECTLY RIGHT!
WE EACH HAVE A PART
HE’S COMPOSED FROM THE START! [Eph. 2:10, Ps. 139]

FIRST VERSION WAS LOST
SO WE GET NEW STARTS [2Cor. 5:17]
YOU NOW KNOW THE SCORE
KEEP COMING FOR MORE

BUT FOR NOW AM TIRED
LATER, LATTER
WHAT—DOES IT MATTER?????
WE’VE ETERNITY TO TO SEE IT AGAIN [Jn. 11:26]
I STUTTER I KNOW [Isa. 28:11]
BUT HIS SPEECH IS PERFECT
YOU’LL SEE IT’S SO

THIS PART OF THE FRUIT OF THE OASIS WE FOUND [?]
REMEMBER THE TRAIN RIDE?
DID IT GO ROUND IN CIRCLES
OR WILL IT EVER END?

ARE WE THERE YET?
NOT QUITE
BUT LOOK AHEAD
At the end of this tunnel—might have to squint
I THINK—I’M SURE, I SEE A WHITE LIGHT [2 Pet.1: ]
THEN WE’RE DONE
BUT ONLY BEGUN
WOW THIS COASTER WAS FUN—AFTER ALL’S
SAID AND DONE?

SLEEP ON IT
DREAM
WOW! “WHAT SIGHTS” YOU’LL EXCLAIM!
NEVER THE SAME
GAME—IS IT ALL A GAME
NO, SOME OF IT IS
SOME IS A FIGHT
STILL SEE THAT LIGHT ?

POEMS —WHY NOT ?
SOME WITH RHYMES
SOME WITH COUPLETS
OCCASIONALLY SEXTUPLETS

(THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER ALWAYS KNOWS JUST WHAT TO DELIVER—I THINK THIS MAY BE COMPLETED—ALMOST)—GOTTA GO EAT AGAIN
LIFE IS SO DAM DAILY!
AND CAN’T THINK OF LINE 4

JUST GOT BACK FROM A TRIP
NOT WITHOUT TROUBLE
WAS THE TRIP DOUBLE
MAYBE I’M TRIPPIN’?

BEEN FOR A LONG TIME…….
JACOB AND ME
WRESTLING SPELLS TROUBLE
JUST BORROWED THE SORROW

BUT IT WAS MORE THAN WORTH IT ALL

NOT SURE WHERE THIS VERSE GOES
FEELING CONFLICTED
SCRATCHING OUR HEADS
IS LIFE FOR REAL? WHAT ABOUT THE GREATFUL DEAD?

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT
GO ASK ALFIE
OR MAYBE RALPHIE
OR JANE-- STILL THE SAME, NO DOUBT

SAME OLD--SAME OLD ?
NO!
I FEEL A FISH BITE
BACK AT THE LAKE
ALL WE CAN TAKE

PLENTY—USE THE BIG DIPPER
IT’S ON THE NORTH STAR
DID I SEE A CROSS?
WAS IT FOR REAL?
WHY WAS THAT HAND THERE?
SOMETIMES LIFE STINKS

IT WAS HIS
BUT WE SHARE THE PAIN
AND GAIN
LOOK UP AGAIN

ARE THOSE THE ROCKIES?
LOOKING DOWN FROM THE PLANE
THINK I SEE SNOW
MAYBE JOHN DENVER WAS RIGHT
WHAT A SIGHT, SO HIGH

WHAT A QUESTION
LOTS OF QUESTIONS
SOME ANSWERS NOW
SOME NOT TILL LATER

SOME VERSES FREE
SOME VERSES BOUND
SEE THE PICTURE
IT’S IN THE PARK

IT’S GETTING DARK
DO I HEAR A DOG BARK
DO I FEEL HIM BITING
NOT SURE OF THE SIGHTING
(TO BE CONTINUED…)

Life is always beautiful
When you wake up on the “right side of the grass”

But the joy and delight waiting for us on the other side
Nothing on this earth can surpass

JBA, July, 2007

MountainClimbing

Mountains were made for climbing
Words were made for rhyming
Getting there takes prayer and timing
Revival is in my blood lining

Never been more o k with being unusual
With some it's in the ears
With others it's in the eyes
With still others it's the voice

Like Hezekiah, let's all make the choice
To turn from the past & with shouts all rejoice
Let's park at 2 Chronicles 29
And drink our fill of this holy wine
It really is so very, very fine

The taste is somewhat of a mystery
Its secret is in its history
Poured out, from urn to urn
It has the punch to make us burn

With the fire of God's love & joy
It's time for revival songs to employ
Like funny money--with highlighted numbers
And highlighted worship teams
And highlighted verses
Breaking off curses

Captivity and sowing in sorrow, is now in the past
We now have a joy that will last

We are like those who are dancing in dreams
The slow motion kind--See Psalm 126:1-6

Take Me Back to the Mountains

Lord, give me grace
When I go from the mountains,
Away from the things
That bring peace to the soul

Hemlocks and spruces,
Fresh sweet-smelling balsam,
All green things of the earth
Which in beauty unroll

Peaks in the sunrise,
And peaks in the sunset,
Stars of pure gold
In the clear, silent nights

Mists full of stillness,
Bright clouds of soft whiteness,
Mystical glowing
Of far northern lights

Help me, I pray,
When these joys are behind me,
When down to the flat-lying
City I go,

Take me in spirit
Back, back to the mountains,
To rest in Thy Presence
And be still and know...

L. Harris '91

Gentle Winds of Worship

If you are not familiar with the music and poetry of Terry Clark I highly recommend checking you tube for his tunes and testimony--you'll be glad you did.

Jeremiah buys a field for 17 dollars

WHEN HOPE SEEMS FOOLISH

Jeremiah--in prayer, was led to buy a field for $17--an act which appeared to be crazy since the enemy armies [Babylonians] at the time were camped on the land.

He knew that HIS actions looked foolish and impractical. It was against history, against reason, against public opinion. But he didn't buy on the advice of his broker, but on the leading of God. He was not planning a retirement cabin on the property!

He couldn't have helped feeling foolish--and so he prayed, re-centering himself in

God's word: "Ah LORD GOD! it is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR YOU!

Why did he do it? Because he was convinced that the troubles everyone was experiencing were being used by God to bring about the salvation of a believing "remnant". It was an investment in God's next project--one we now know paid off admirably. As Chesterton said, "As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery...only when everything looks hopeless does hope begin to be a strength at all. Like all the Christian virtues, it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable" [oh that Hitchens & Dawkins would learn this].

After preaching about God's judgment for years he now alertly directs attention to the purpose of the troubles--to prepare lives to receive the promises of salvation. He does not say, "I told you so'' or smugly point out the evidence that he had been right. Instead of pointing out his accurate forecasting and thus building his reputation he focuses on how the purposes of God can be fulfilled in the present, changing it from a place in a fog of futility to a place of hope. Not enjoying the discomfort of his detractors, he instead focused on God and His people.

At the moment that judgment is at hand he speaks the word that evokes HOPE. There is more here than Babylonians at the gate; there is God in your midst. Judgment is here. But don't despair; it is God's judgment. Face it. Accept the suffering. Experience the chastening action. God is not against you; He is for you. God has not rejected you; He is working with you. "It is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he will be saved out of it" (Jer. 30:7). "Why do you cry out over your hurt?...For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, says the Lord" (Jer 30:15, 17).

Judgment is not the last word; it is never the last word. Judgment is necessary because of hardheartedness; its proper work is to open our hearts to the Reality beyond ourselves, to crack the carapace of self-sufficiency so we can experience the in-rushing GRACE of the healing, merciful, forgiving God.

The people who survived the sword

found grace in the wilderness...

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have continued My faithfulness to you.

Again I will build you, and you will be built...

Again you will go forth in the dance of the merry makers

(Jeremiah 31: 2,-4)

Instead of the cold language of the courtroom or the angry words of revenge, the personal pathos of a parent is heard:

Is Ephraim my dear son?

Is he my darling child?

For as often as I speak against him,

I do remember him still

Therefore My heart yearns for him;

I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.

(Jer. 31:20)

Excerpted from Eugene Peterson's, "Run with the Horses",

InterVarsity Press

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When It's Time for Battle

"When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then BATTLE IS YOUR CALLING, AND PEACE HAS BECOME SIN; YOU MUST, AT THE PRICE OF DEAREST PEACE, LAY YOUR CONVICTIONS BARE BEFORE FRIEND AND ENEMY, WITH ALL THE FIRE OF YOUR FAITH"

Abraham Kuyper

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed Bath & Beyond

Make room in the womb of your heart
For a new supernatural start
Then give it time to develop you
Eventually it may even envelope you
Until people recognize that it came from the skies
And out went the lies
That used to be tearing you apart

see Genesis 26:17 ff