Once Upon a Time (Poem)

If you heard an incredible story,

That sounded so incredibly phony,

You would very likely not believe it,

And to hearing more, you might not commit.

But …what if it was verified with evidence

That, to the story, had increasing relevance?

In your mind, would that enhance the its credibility?

And to hear more, would that spark your curiosity?

Those folks whose need for more evidence is insatiable,

Might continue to deem evidence as inviable.

So how much and what kinds of evidence would you demand,

Before, on the story’s credibility, you’d take a stand?

In His great love for mankind, God told us a story,

Iteratively backed it up with evidence, sternly,

Evidence from various ages and human cultures,

Then wrapped it all up in something He calls, Holy Scriptures.

You might ask, ‘What relevance are those to us today?!’

To that, He would answer, not with words, but with displays.

For effect, His displays would be pertinent to our time,

And would further accentuate His message paradigm.

Considering how well He knows human nature,

Surely, His displays much attention would capture.

One effect that is sure to have impacts, un-blunted,

Is shock and awe, more than Grace, which is often shunted. ¹

In His story, God told a prophet named Ezekiel,

Part of His sin-policy that’s so understandable.

Reading news of our day, there’s plenty of evidence,

That this policy likely remains His preference:

When a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness,

Upon it I will dispatch My henchmen of terribleness:

Famine, war, pestilence and wild beasts I will delegate,

Power to remove man and beasts, making it desolate! ²

That’s just a small part of His story, incredible,

That many folks today regard as inviable.

By no kind or amount of evidence will they be swayed,

Not even when a pandemic sends folks to early graves.

So what might it take to enhance the credibility,

Of God’s story and His righteous desires for you and me? ³

Must we witnessed these four henchmen, simultaneously,

Devour folks, beasts and lands in a manner, cataclysmically??

If so, stay tuned…

Let’s be more childlike and just believe what God says.

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¹ Sadly, we generally respond more and better to judgment than to grace and forgiveness. The year, 2020, was certainly one of much shock and awe, globally.

² Ezekiel 14:12-22, poetically summarized. Persistent unfaithfulness is the act of continuing firmly, tenaciously, or obstinately in the characteristic of insincerity, treacherously, disloyalty, infidelity, and unfaithfulness against God, despite having full knowledge that these actions are against His will and plan.

³ See: Four Henchmen, Explained, A Sobering Thought, and What’s Really Going On (…Inside) 

An Audience of One (Poem)

The pandemic triggered massive cancellations,

Of planned events of just about every kind and size,

Forcing planners to search for new innovations,

Ways to connect groups for events that were best held live.

In response, tech firms did exactly what needed to be done,

Expanding old and creating brand new platforms, virtual,

Enabling planners to connect with …audiences of one,

That’s you, sitting loyally in front of a screen, digital.

Thus, from any place with Internet connectivity,

No matter the setting, or our dress or appearance,

We joined events with no challenges geographically.

While less social in nature, we love the convenience.

You, an audience of one, following the protocol,

Ready to engage or just watch and listen,

Seen only virtually, or maybe not seen at all.

On-board to help the events achieve their mission.

Umm…

Protocol, engage, watch, listen, not seen, and achieve mission,

These are the fundamentals of the audience,

Before Whom God designed life to be lived in our world that’s fallen.

Of His expectation, let’s ponder the essence. 

The Bible affirms God: created all things by and for Jesus,

(including you~)

Authorized Him to sustain creation by His Word,

Designated Him alone as the Supreme Judge, glorious,

And called Him, ‘God’, after for our sins He had suffered. *

Ponder this…

With creation so incredibly old and far flung,

And with our lives so insignificantly short,

With His résumé, so undeniably awesome,

Living our lives before Him, God says that we ought.

Before Him we all live. That’s Truth, inescapable,

Whether with this we may agree or not,

Though to most, that’s a notion, insufferable.

In the end, we’ll all know that’s the upshot.

In relationship, through prayer, that’s His protocol,

By which with Him we engage, as He watches and listens.

Though to our eyes not seen, His help is pastoral,

Designed to help us perceive and achieve our life’s mission.

So Friends, whenever you join live events, virtually,

Think of Jesus Whom God calls, ‘God and Son’.

Let how you engage, remind you ever so quietly,

He’s your life’s mindful …audience of One.

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* God’s Supreme Revelation and Exaltation of His Son as God:

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the Earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; and like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail (i.e., You are immortal).” (Hebrews 1:1-12)

...And as Judge:

…God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man (Jesus) Whom He (God) has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

…For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22) 

…and He (God) gave Him (Jesus) authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)

… God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:16)

…And not only does He watch and listen, but He is reportedly also recording key aspects in His grand Book of Life.

Tribulation Age Journalists (Poem, Part 3)

See the series here

NB:

Ezekiel 38 gives us a physical picture

of the first promise land invasion:

the 1st War of Gog and Magog

Revelation 19 gives us a combination

physical and spiritual picture of the second:

Armageddon, to end the great tribulation. 

Zechariah 14 signals how both wars might end, and the aftermath.

Read them together to get a broadest possible view.

~~~

Re: The 1st War of Gog and Magog

Promise land invasion journalists, a special crew.

They’ll witness two key battles in a long-ago coup,

That started when Lucifer declared, ‘I wanna be God!’

Out of Heaven! 'Cause he and his crew were sin-flawed. ¹

Oh, but they will also witness so much more than this,

Many things that will leave them and their readers …breathless!

Uniquely positioned to record events, pivotal,

For all the world, just imagine what they will chronicle.

By flooding rains and fiery hailstones, battlefields are drenched,

Soldiers cannot hold onto the rich booty they had clenched.

Confused in mayhem, each other’s lives they'll take!!

Then to make matters worse, the Earth starts to quake! ²

Every wall in sight, then falls down flat.

Folks run amok as the skies turn black.

Then from above, they see something unimaginable:

Huge, bright clouds with images unidentifiable!

Across the land folks then hear a LOUD echo.

Looking up, they see an emerald rainbow.

That is the last sight surviving soldiers will see,

As their flesh dissolves -- a sight that’s very ugly! ³

Of the massive, 5-nation invading army,

Only journalists remain among the debris.

They recorded each step, chronicling the devastation,

But mesmerized by it all, they lacked an explanation. ⁴

Looking across the horizon, they couldn’t help but exclaim:

‘Hey look, the mountains disappeared; the land is now a plain!’ ⁵

These journalists were clueless, but knew the war was in vain.

They have just witnessed the start of …Christ’s Millennial Reign!

Here’s my (2020) song about what to expect:

Finally! (Lyrics and Video)

For more, see:

Revelation - Future Attacks in Israel

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¹ See: Luke 10:18 and Ezekiel 28:13-15. See also: The Origin and Fall of the Devil.

² See: Ezekiel 38:19-20

³ See: Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19:15. I imagine the loud ECHO across the skies may be whatever word Jesus speaks to end the soldiers’ attacks. 

⁴ Since embedded journalists (accredited war correspondents) are not soldiers, and are not captured as prisoners of war, I imagine they will be spared the horrible fate described in Zechariah 14:12.

⁵ See: Zechariah 14:10, Ezekiel 38:18-23 and Haggai 2:6-9. Read together, these predict a GLOBAL earthquake, likely resulting in a FLAT Earth, a global plain, not just in Israel! Zechariah 14:10 attests that Jerusalem shall be raised up, as in the midst of a massive plain. Imagine that! Ponder this: Mountains separate, segregate and are a challenge to governing and serving people. Afghanistan is a perfect case of this. So in His Millennial Reign, could The Lord’s global earthquake be a key in preparing the Earth for His united government?

Christmastime Vaccines (Poem)

The Covid-19 pandemic, social unrest historical,

Political polarizations unimaginable,

Locust swarms, hurricanes, street protests and wild fires,

Plus so much more, all adding to global quagmires.

2020, one for the records! What a year!

Our hopes were lifted just as Christmastime drew near:

Brand new vaccines were approved and quickly distributed,

This, just in time as pandemic deaths had skyrocketed!

Yet, as vaccines roll out all across our land,

Against them, some folks are taking a hard stand.

But it’s not only to the new vaccines they object.

For any and all vaccines, they have no respect.

Anti-vaxxers these folks are called,

And across the land they are sprawled.

They are very reasoned in their various objections,

And prefer to accept the risks of getting infections. 

My point is not to proffer a value judgment,

But to highlight our collective predicament.

You see…

With vaccines, protection of a community,

Is akin to something called, herd immunity.

Only when a large number of folks are protected,

Will the incidence of disease spread be limited,

And the worth of vaccines be understood.

Thus, vaccines protect both you and your ‘hood.

 

Long ago, some folks’ hopes were similarly lifted, 

When to all mankind a special babe was gifted.

It happened during a very challenging Jewish census.

When many lived under a government that was ruthless.

He was born during a pandemic that was global,

One that was started long ago by our first couple.

God promised us relief in His chosen time,

And He kept His promise the first Christmastime. ¹

That babe grew up, and to anyone who would listen,

He revealed Himself as mankind’s best hope from Heaven.

He was God’s long-awaited vaccine equivalent,

For our inescapable sin-filled predicament.

Just as vaccines provide to us and our community,

Various degrees of protection and immunity,

Heaven’s sin-type vaccine provides exactly the same:

Help to escape sinful traps, and hell’s eternal flames. 

There are many anti-vaxxers living among us,

Who don’t believe sin is much worse than any virus.

Thus, into every sin trap they plunge, inescapably,

And then spread sinful viruses, ignominiously. ²

 

All viruses that attack us, physically,

Only make us sick or kill us, prematurely.

Ahhh…

But the sin virus, much tougher, survives our death,

Remaining with us, forever, after our last breath!. ³

Friends…

The vaccine equivalent Jesus offers to us,

Is forgiveness for sins and salvation, based on trust. 

But if an anti-vaxxer you are determined to be,

The rest of us won’t count on you for herd immunity.

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¹ See: Sin, a Spiritual Virus

² Shamelessly, dishonorably, contemptuously, disgracefully

³ Unless we repent and are forgiven by Jesus Christ

Tribulation Age Journalists (Poem, Part 2)

See the series here

Re: The 1st War of Gog and Magog

Embedded journalists, are they brave or just sheer mad,

Going into war with a camera and note pad?!

Between them and soldiers, enemy fire won’t distinguish.

When journalists are killed, they will be quickly replenished.

Imagine… 

Tribulation age soldiers and journalists embedded,

Ordered by a world leader who’s staunchly bull-headed,

To invade a land of peaceful folks who then are ‘un-walled’,

So gold, silver, livestock and booty, away can be hauled. ¹ 

At that time, the whole world is in a horrible mess,

Reeling for years under God’s tribulation duress.

A third of all things folks hold dear and need to survive,

Is now destroyed, so of booty, Jews will be deprived. ²

To chronicle the invasion of these folks, un-walled.

Embedded journalists, or embeds as they are called,

Just left the outside world that is in a huge wreck.

Now, in the promise land, they see ‘the Goshen effect’! ³

About the Goshen effect, a few embeds had read,

How Moses called down great plagues, ancient Egypt to shred.

For four hundred years, to Goshen, Hebrew slaves were paired,

But from most of these plagues, the land of Goshen was spared!

Journalists report that Israel is then jam-packed!

Many Jews rushed here when by racism they were whacked.

They were blamed for the plagues by which the world was being gnawed,

After the world leader in the temple claimed, ‘I am God!’ ⁴ 

Days into the invasion journalists have recorded,

Skies suddenly darkened; by drenching rains, folks buffeted.

Though soldiers are well-trained for weather that’s inclement,

From the highlands, they worried about flood incidents!

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¹ See: A People Un-walled (Series)

² See: Lost Angels Not for Like-Angels

³ See: The Goshen Effect (Series)

⁴ The Bible iteratively predicts a THIRD Jewish temple will be built on the exact spot the first two temples were built. Currently, in the 3rd age of history, this spot is occupied by the Al Aqsa Muslim mosque.