Let’s Get High (Poem)

An unlikely invitation from me: Let’s get high!

This is what many live for--ever higher highs.

One steps up to the next -- ever reaching.

To others, the meaning’s quite demeaning.

We seek highs from:

--Our bonus checks and account balances

--Our fanciful, sexual ecstasies

--Our pharmaceutical preparations

--Our prestige in work and social functions

Back in the day, ‘high’ was along hills and mountains.

Now it’s upper echelons of the horizon.

God says, ‘I’ll cause you to ride on earth’s high places’,

And, ‘I’ll set you on high’, as in His showcases.*

To you He extends His invitation, ‘C’mon, let’s get high!’

His high reaches beyond what we can buy or see with our eye.

It’s attained by rebirth into ‘the world of Christ’,

His highest of highs -- the only one that will suffice.

The best high comes not from our prideful manipulations.

Nor does it come from pharmaceutical preparations.

The best high comes when before Christ, low we bow,

And when before Him, our pride we disavow.

So c’mon, let’s get really HIGH!

High In God’s Heaven!

Heaven Is God’s High!

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* Isaiah 58:14 and Psalm 91:14

Give The Drummer Some (Poem)

When you hear a nice groove,

A really tight rhythm.

To you it’s very smooth.

Do you want the band to stop,

And give the drummer some?

But the band keeps on play’in,

One round after another.

And man are they jamm’in.

But they never, ever stop,

To give the drummer some!

You yell out to the band,

Whether live or on CD,

‘Hey!’, as loud as you can,

‘Will every player please stop

And give the drummer some?!’

With the keys, bass and drums,

The band plays on and on,

Keeping such a sweet rhythm.

You alone want them to stop,

And give the drummer some.

Could this also be your world,

As seen from God’s viewpoint?

Things smoothly around you swirl,

But you don’t take time to stop,

To give ‘The Drummer’ some?

‘Drummer?’, you ask. Who? Where? Please!’

The rhythms of your life --

Breaths, heart beats, much more than these!

Take time in your life to stop,

And give ‘The Drummer’ some.

Friend, ‘The Drummer’ is God Almighty,

Who controls rhythms of your life --

Those you can and can’t hear audibly,

Those you never want to stop.

So please, give ‘The Drummer’ some!

Give Him Praise and give Him Glory,

For all to you that’s given,

For you to write your life’s story.

Daily take some time to stop,

In prayer… give ‘The Drummer’ some!

Dinosaur Puzzle Pieces (Poem)

See the Dinosaurs series here

Here are some Bible and science truths that seem quite puzzling,

So I have invited you in to help me in my mulling.

I’m really not sure if and how they may connect.

Let’s see if there is some picture we can detect.

They relate to dinosaurs, and where in creation is their mark,

When they were created and whether they had a place in the ark.

While the fossil record affirms their existence,

From creation’s story, we mostly hear... silence.

Science suggests dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.

This is only speculation, ‘cause no one really knows!

The Bible says they were created in the same ‘day’ as man, ¹

So imagine people and dinosaurs sharing the same land!

Some fossilized dinosaur teeth suggest they ate flesh,

But research suggesting otherwise is now quite fresh! ²

While science changes its conclusions and its variables,

Still, The Bible says we ALL first ate …fruits and vegetables!

Science says before the great flood, dinosaurs had

long become extinct.

But…

Creationists say in the ark with other animals they were linked. ³

Two of each unclean, and seven of each clean animal

were in the ark.

So…

If dinosaurs ate flesh, where was their food if only

these animals embarked?!

With conflicting views and shifting conclusions,

I wonder if science is just illusions!

If changing conclusions from science to you seem odd,

Remember...

Science is only scratching... at the surface of God.

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¹ The 6th day according to Genesis 1:24-31, irrespective of whether you define ‘day’ as a normal 24-hour earth rotation, or a thousand years based on interpretation of Psalm 90:4. Also see Genesis 1:29 and  Most Dinosaurs Were Vegetarian And T-Rex Was Just An Exception.

² Recent research reveals dinosaurs are not nearly as old as originally thought! See:  Carbon-14-Dated Dinosaur Bones Are Less Than 40,000 Years Old.

³  See: What Really Happened To Dinosaurs?, video by Ken Ham, creator of the The Ark Experience theme park in Kentucky. Also see: Dinosaurs and the Authority of God’s Word, by Russ Miller, Creation, Evolution & Science Ministries.

Top 10 Reasons for Crises/Tragedies (Part 3)

      See the series here.

This is Part 3 of a series on what I understand might be the top 10 spiritual principles or laws that relate to many of the crises across our world today.

Our modern version of The Gospel of Grace seems to have simply erased key aspects of God’s Word, character and nature. Our resulting, rather sterile version of Christianity includes a broad ‘no-fault escalpatory clause’ that effectively dismisses any personal responsibility for the consequences we experience. Yet even Jesus iterated and demonstrated on numerous occasions that life on earth is both enveloped within, and governed by a set of clear spiritual laws/principles, each with clear, identifiable positive and negative consequences. He also pulled back the covers on how these laws/principles are being implemented and enforced, and He gave us a set of relevant warnings.

Mind you, these laws universally apply to ALL human beings, irrespective of our religious, spiritual, or non-religious beliefs and backgrounds. Because we may not immediately perceive and identify the consequences of keeping or breaking these laws, and because of our ‘no fault’ religious ideas, we easily/readily dismiss all of the warnings, and rather embrace an approach to life that effectively relegates everything that happens as ‘God’s mysterious, unknowable will, none of which is my fault!’ This life view suggests we are mere movable pieces on life’s chessboard, subject to imperceptible dynamics that we are largely unable to influence. Nothing could be further from Truth.

God has established and gives us His spiritual laws/principles. He sends teachers to instruct us therein. The Bible affirms and demonstrates satan seeks to trap us into breaking these laws in order to accuse us in Heaven’s High Courtroom. Once he has a case against us, God allows us grace to repent (time and opportunity to change our thinking and ways). If/when we do, we escape being judged for having broken the relevant law(s). If we do not repent, but persist in our law breaking ways, God, as the ultimate just Judge, must pass judgment to be carried out/executed by angels or devils (fallen angels), as necessary and as assigned. Passing judgment allows executioner beings (both angels and devils) access to our lives, whose modus operandi is to carryout God’s judgment sentence. Such destruction is NOT necessarily related to the assured salvation of a sincere Christ believer. It does relate more to our daily walk through this life. Thus, God iteratively affirms, if there are calamities, crises and disasters, He, as The Lord over everything in His creation, is ultimately behind them. (Isaiah 45:7 and Amos 3:6)

So what are the priority spiritual laws; how are they being implemented and enforced; and how might they relate to crises you may have experienced or witnessed? Here is my take, based on considerable pondering of this very complex topic. Hopefully you will be inspired to do your own pondering and share your thoughts as well. (See the series here.)

#6. The Law of Resource Priorities. This requires us to honor God first with the resources we are blessed to receive. Everything in life works on a ‘stock and flow’ principle (blood stream, our bodily organs and functions, storage systems, water systems, money and banking systems, engine systems, supply systems, etc.). As we honor God first in our resource ‘flows’, He blesses us in our ‘stocks’, and in subsequent resource flows. Think well beyond just the financial realm. 

Ever recall that financial planners always recommend, ‘Save a little (e.g., 10%) for yourself FIRST!’ ? In light of God’s law, ponder the likely demonic spiritual source of this often well-observed, good-sounding advice! Can you see just how deaf, dumb and blind  our world has become to God’s ways?! Trust me, such advice is a set-up for eventual financial disaster and ruin. Hey, even Job recognized this sage lesson, as recorded in the first written book of The Bible:

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,

And because my hand had gained much…

So that my heart has been secretly enticed [with pride]

And my mouth has kissed my hand [in pride];

This also would be an iniquity [sin] deserving of judgment,

For I would have denied God who is above.

(Job 31:25, 27)

Lesson: This is an awesome, though un-heeded lesson! For all who are spiritually regenerated (born-again), please repent for past errors, then commit to honor God first to help ensure the protection inferred in this spiritual law/principle.

#7. The Law of Spousal and Parental Honor/Respect. God ordained families as the building blocks of societies. These blocks ‘consist’ or hold together by mutual honor and respect, first between spouses, and secondly between parents and children. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. Though blessed with parents who stayed together for the long haul, as a product of the ‘Me’ generation, I did not follow their Godly example. Thank God for fruits of sincere repentance.

Across our world, we daily witness the tolls taken on families, societies and nations as a result of the deterioration of family life. Spiritually, it’s like a multi-story house whose foundation and construction materials have seriously crumbled.

Lesson: Repent for past errors, then commit to respect and honor familial structures.

Blessed pondering...

See the series here.

Seeding Your World (Poem)

There is no shortage of seeds in the Earth.

Attitudes about seeds determine true worth.

God gives seeds to, and then blesses the sower.

But we recognize and honor... the hoarder.

Our ‘barns’ are filled with what, as seed, God intended.

In counting our seeds, we are very contented.

Then disasters arrive in awesome fury,

To ensure from our tight fists ...seeds are set free!

Rest assured, God says, ‘I will not be mocked.’

We reap what we sow, not what we have stocked.

If blessings are the promised fruit of our sowing,

Then some forms of lack will be the fruit of hoarding.

Here is a tip with which you can have lots of fun!

Seeds for sowing produce three kinds of fruit, not just one.

‘Say what?!’, you may think in staunch disbelief.

Yep, three kinds. Here they are. I will be brief.

First is thanksgiving from grateful recipients.

Second are the fruits from your seeds’ ‘uses different’.

Those are obvious fruits, leaving one more for you to ponder:

The fruit of your own needs and desires met...

in awesome wonder!

Remember this trio when of your seeds you take stock.

At the notion of sowing some, your ole flesh will balk!

Pray and ask God for strength, your ole flesh to discipline,

Then determine to follow your spirit’s discretion.

As you ponder how giving could ever meet your need,

Just trust that God’s ways are not like ours that feed our greed.

He is pure, unselfish Love, unadulterated.

By His Spirit, His Word is always validated.

So as needs rear their ugly heads, and kick up their heels,

Stop and remember the lessons my short rhyme reveals

To God’s ways, please concede:

Got a need? Plant a seed! *

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*See: Album 1: Take It to God in Prayer (Lyrics & Video)