Tracing Our Roots (Poem)

Back in the day, creating family trees was popular,
Tracing our family relations by looking backwardly.
We didn’t have a clue then that this was just a precursor,
To tracing deeper roots via our collective biology.

With the discovery of DNA,
And sequencing of the human genome,
Tracing of family trees has given way,
To microscopes in how we search and roam.

Rather than taking backward looks... ‘from now-to-then’,
We now can see collectively... ‘from then-to-now’.
We better understand our human origin,
As through mountains of genetic data we plough.

At all the historical revelations unveiled,
I can only breathe a long, ‘So what?!’ sigh.
What are we to do with all this genetic detail?
Here’s an idea. Let’s see if it’ll fly.

We now know how to do genetic editing,
‘Cutting and pasting’ faulty DNA strands at will.
Thus, bad health outcomes we will soon be evicting.
Who knows, one day this may simply be done... with a pill!

Back to the notion of a human race genetic tree,
T’would be great if understanding where all our ancestors roamed,
Would impact for good, how I treat you, and you treat me.
Now THAT would yield real benefits from data through which we’ve combed!

But editing the source codes of life for better outcomes?
Plugging genes from one living thing into another?
It’s not hard to imagine the ‘weird life algorithms’.
Recall...
E = MC² opened... mankind’s nuclear chapter.

What if ‘DNA’ may mean God’s ‘Do Not Alter’ warning,
And we ignore it, like other things He’s made verboten.
Man, manipulating the traits of organisms!?
What could be some eventual outcomes foreboding?!

For notions of what gene editing could create,
Imagine fire-breathing horses, with heads like lions,
And locusts with stingers, causing a prolonged ache.
Could species like these come from gene editing actions?

Before you conclude my imagination’s gone wild,
Please pause, and give Revelation chapter 9 a quick check.
Long ago, God predicted by these, humans would be riled,
In the penultimate chapter of... His ‘human project’. 

Ponder this:

Could DNA editing eventually/indirectly
touch our spiritual roots?

s’Up? (Poem)

Disasters, after disasters, it's only a warm-up.
To this ole world, God has promised a really bad shake-up! ¹
But before it happens, He designed for us a nice set-up.

I hope you’ll read on. Allow my rhyme your mind to stir-up.

What happened in Eden was satan’s second mess-up.
His attempted coup in Heaven caused a bad shake-up.
A third of God’s angels joined in, and badly acted up!
Other angels stepped up, and gave Heaven a good clean-up. 

Kicked out of Heaven, satan targeted Earth to mess-up! ²
He led another coup, this time all mankind to trip-up!
In Eden, he deceived Adam's wife, Eve to screw-up.

Ever since then, satan’s kingdom on earth is now set-up.

With time, punishment for our sins began to pile way up.
God had said, ‘The soul that sins shall die!’ ³
That shut us all up!

There was no way in Heaven or Earth for us to pay-up!

Then, to deliver God’s Grace, it was Jesus who stood-up!

God had promised a kinsman redeemer would show-up.

So with Christ on the cross, by charges that were
trumped-up,

satan thought he’d won against God’s ‘Eden heads-up’.⁴

But three days later, satan knew he had been ‘one-upped!’

Christ resurrected for His friends, who, as saints, would step-up.

We ask Him to give our sin record a good ‘blood wash-up’.

By His Spirit, as Heaven’s citizens, he signed us up.

Then, with other saints, in the air with Him,
we’ll be caught-up! ⁵

For several years, this ole world will be badly smashed-up!

At tribulation’s end, Earth will get a good clean-up,

And on this refreshed Earth, Christ’s Kingdom will be set-up.

No longer ‘The Church’. Then we’ll be His
kings and priests lineup.

For a thousand years, His iron rod rule will not let-up.

The pride of tribulation survivors He’ll break-up!

And over the whole Earth, righteousness will be stirred-up.

Just think, all of this is part of His bridal pre-nup!

Friends,

Apart from Grace, punishment for your sins is pent-up.

One day, death’s knock on your door will signal
your time’s up!

For salvation through Christ, I hope you will now sign-up.
Ask Him to give your record a thorough blood wash-up.

The option is with devils to keep-up.

And with them, one day, to be rounded-up.

In the lake of fire they’ll be cast, but won’t burn-up. ⁶

With no way out, that will be …one awful lock-up!

To you, does it seem as if time is being sped-up??

That may well mean at Christ’s judgment bar,
you’ll soon show-up,

There will be no excuses or cover-ups.

Because…

Now you know the answer to the question,

s’Up?

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¹ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. (Revelation 16: 17-21)

² And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’ (Luke 10:18)

³ Genesis 2:17

⁴ ‘…And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed (Christ); He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’ (Genesis 3:15)

⁵ 1 Thessalonians 4:17
⁶ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever….The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10, 13-15)

Faith ‘n Pride (Poem)

See the Faith and Pride series here

Here’s something critical the New Testament says thrice:

‘The righteous shall live by faith!’ That is God’s best advice.¹

But He only once mentions of what we can be proud:

‘That we know Him who’s in the earth, doing what He vowed.’ ²

The opposite of faith toward God, is pride in yourself.
If you have no faith in God, don’t think faith is ‘on the shelf’.

It’s alive and well, doing what it was designed to do.
Your faith is just making you think it is all about YoU!

Ummm, Faith ‘n Pride...
Take a careful look, my Friend, and you will plainly see,
Both words are balanced on the great ‘I, Myself and Me!’ 
The center of both words is the letter, ‘I’, you’ll observe.
Life is all about whom in our lives you and I will serve.

So common among us all is a built in tendency,
To shape everything in life to make it ‘all about ME!’
Thus, we fail to note the most important part of life’s test:
That we’re put here to serve each other, and give God our best.

Pride blinds us, and thus it switches our mentality.
Into our life, it triggers a great discrepancy.
Prompting us to doubt, then deny love plans that God for us designs,
Pride then moves us toward stepping on hidden devilish land mines.

Faith in God’s Word opens our eyes, so we can plainly see,
That life is designed around Him. It’s not all about ‘Me!’
But if to His Word we choose to remain a stranger,
Seeds of pride will take root, and will our lives endanger. ³

Faith in God’s Word prompts us to call ourselves names

from Him received,
Then causes all these things within our spirit to be conceived.’ ⁴
But if to the names He calls us, we choose to never answer,
Then pride will ensure these things into our lives will never venture.

Faith is...
...born as an imagination of our heart.
...bred as hands and feet do their part.
...sustained by Patience, it’s powerful twin.
...believing that God’s way, at last, will win!

Pride is...
...born as an imagination of the heart.
...masquerading as faith. Can you tell them apart?
...parading as our fear of God gets lost.’ ⁵
...bred as heart and mind think, ‘We’re the boss!’

F.A.I.T.H. - Father And I Together, Harmony

P.R.I.D.E. - Personal Ruin In Devils’ Enmity

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¹ See: Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38, all echoing and amplifying the Old Testament admonition in Habakkuk 2:4.

² Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness (grace/mercy), judgment, and righteousness (doing what’s right) in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

³ -- Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

  -- A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. (Proverbs 29:23)

  -- Woe to the crown of pride… (Isaiah 28:1)

  -- Behold, the day! Behold, it has come! Doom has gone out; The rod has blossomed; pride has budded. (Ezekiel 7:10)

  -- The pride of your heart has deceived you… (Obadiah 1:3)

⁴ God changed the names of Abram and Sari, to Abraham and Sarah, calling him ‘Father of many nations’. (Genesis 17). Likewise, He calls us Christ-believers: forgiven, righteous, redeemed, healed, rich, kings, priests, etc., etc. What does He call you? Better yet, what do you call you??

⁵ The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth, I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)

God's M.O. for Meeting Needs and Desires

Here is what I have learned to be God's modus operandi for meeting our needs and desires. May you learn to make it work for you.

1. P.R.A.Y. -- Place Requests, Adore Yahweh

2. Turn your prayer upside down, into Thanksgiving for what you desire and need, then, with meditation, into an absolutely STRONG profession of Faith.

3. With patience, the rest of the story is up to God. Trust Him to direct your thoughts, steps, and actions, including about sowing and reaping. His Word says and demonstrates He is faithful, as we are faithful in patience.

4. Expect your faith and patience to be tested to verify if it’s R.E.A.L. -- Resisting Every Attack, LORD!

Sounds like a strange way to have your needs met, and to receive the desires of your heart? If so, keep this in the back of your mind, and ponder it over the coming weeks as your read God’s Word, The Bible. If your heart is open, He WILL show you this principle in operation, over, and over, and over. Once you SEE it, it will forever remain anchored in your soul, as it is now in mine. He will be glorified, and you will be blessed …continually.

This, my Friend, is

T.R.U.S.T. Activated – 

Thanksgiving Regularly, Under Stressful Trials