A People, Un-walled (Poem, Part 1)

See the series here

See the Israel series here

Walls, walls…

With great walls, history is certainly replete.

Problems without or within, they’re built to defeat.

From things without, walls provide a certain deterrent,

But to things within, they may ensure staunch confinement.

As with everything in this life, temporal,

All walls will someday become untenable.

Just before this, they’re breached, climbed over

or dug under.

What’s inside will be freed, and what’s outside will enter. 

Ponder how the walls of Jericho were knocked down, flat; ¹

Jerusalem’s walls dismantled – gold for a fat cat; ²

The fortified walls of Babylon,

wittingly crossed under; ³

The Berlin wall fell as thousands grabbed

…a chisel or hammer. ⁴

In these places and elsewhere where walls were vast,

It was cities that walls have encompassed.

So if you hear of an ‘un-walled people and nation,’

Pray tell, what comes to your mind,

what concept or notion??

In that case, don’t think of some structure that’s physical,

But ponder the notion of a wall, conceptual.

Walls are just things that keep things

in-or-out, functionally,

Things folk may look upon favorably or fearfully.

Walls, walls…

For modern nations, three key components comprise walls,

Essentials that stay on-call, guarding against downfalls:

First is a government, plus a military or militia.

Then other nation alliances complete this ‘wall trifecta’.

Without this basic defensive trifecta,

Nations today are un-walled. What a stigma!!!

Yet it is in the world’s not-to-distant future,

That this is what God calls Israel, with fervor!!! ⁵

What??!! Situated in a rowdy ‘hood,

With tough neighbors who her presence withstood,

Israel is now ‘very well walled’ on every hand:

Government, military and friends who with her stand.

In Israel’s ‘former life’, she was also well walled,

Walled cities and villages, enemies to forestall.

Military alliances she then negotiated,

Stirred The Lord’s anger until He was so infuriated! ⁶

Yet The Lord God is He who shapes our history,

And many would say ours is indeed His-story!

So we are only left to imagine,

How Israel’s ‘now’ may morph into her …‘then’.

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¹ This fascinating historical account is summarized in The Bible’s Book of Joshua, chapter 6. Check it out in BibleGateway.

² See: Melted Gold in the Destroyed Temple. Indeed, Jesus predicted the temple’s stones would be dismantled one-by-one. (See: Matthew 24:2)

³ See: The Fall of Babylon. Indeed, The Lord God also predicted so many details of this exceptional story, including calling King Cyrus, of Medo-Persia, by name before his birth, predicting his conquest over Babylon and also his future decision to release the Jewish remnant from their 70-year Babylonian captivity. (See: The Bible’s Books of Isaiah chapters 13, 14; Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51, especially verse 36; and Daniel chapter 5.)

⁴ See: How the Berlin Wall Worked

⁵ See: Ezekiel 38:11. Imagine that! Strangely, this chapter follows Ezekiel 37, the chapter that predicted the re-establishment of the nation of Israel, which happened in May 1948! That was a mere seed to something SO MUCH BIGGER and BETTER to come. For more on this, see: Ezekiel's Prophetic 'Quadfecta' (Series), and Tribulation Age Precursors: Degrading Militaries (Poem). 

⁶ See: ‘Out of My Way, USA!’ (Poem)

Pic background courtesy of PaintingGallery.com

Your Victor’s Roar (Poem)

Are the imaginations of your heart and mind,

Disciplined enough to ‘see’ your problems resolved,
Even while navigating twists and turns that bind?
Ponder their key role in making problems …dissolve.

When with problems we are ‘obese’,
With Godly faith, we are not fit.
On life, problems ‘extend their lease’,
And make us a ‘faith hypocrite’.

Here is God’s best way for us to win this fight:
Reverse gears from fear-to-faith,
By igniting imagination’s Son-light,
Light that changes problems’ face.

‘Imagination’s Son-light?!’, you exclaim?

Here is a tip that will give you a good edge.

Between your mind and heart, this I acclaim:

Imagination serves as a two-way bridge.

To traffic on this bridge, there is no limit.

And never is there any obstruction.

Motives control what will enter and exit.

To this traffic, God pays close attention. ¹

Since the heart is where God sets up His throne,

He intends righteous hearts to discipline carnal minds.

But because to sinfulness we are prone,

We all have reversed the roles that He assigns.

So when problems against us assail,

It’s natural to fill our heart with negativity.

Since the heart is our belief chamber and scale,

It returns deeply held fears, stifling creativity.

Reversing the roles as God to us has assigned,

Flips on The Glory Light of His on-board Son,

Igniting faith’s imaginations in your mind,

Putting faithlessness and all fears …on the run!

If you’ll allow, His Glory Light is strong enough,

To discipline your thoughts and tame your tongue,

Enabling you to stand-up against problems’ bluff,

And in your heart’s eyes, to ‘see’ …victory won!

So, between your righteous heart and your carnal mind,

Which one’s in charge, the one always taking the lead,

Notably on problems that put you in a bind?

From the darkness of your carnal mind, may you be freed.

Be sure it’s by a heart of faith your tongue is bridled,
If to any listener you may clearly signal,

Your desire to share problems that around you circle,

Lest your problems bask in …palaver that’s carnal. ²

Be sure it’s God’s Word in your heart you store,

Fuel for His Glory Light and much more!

With it, above all problems you will soar,

And, in faith, you’ll sound your victor’s ROAR.

But if you put your victor’s roar on hold,
Please receive from me this gentle reminder:
Don’t wait for victory your eyes to behold.
It’s our <<ROAR>> that frees us from problems’ grinder. ³

God’s Word fuels faith-filled imaginations,

That discipline our carnal minds,

And to problems, birth Grace-filled solutions,

That from problems’ >>tight grip<< …unbinds.

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¹ See: Genesis 8:21 and Luke 1:51

² Profuse and idle talk; chatter

³ We ROAR as we verbally declare God’s relevant promises over and above our problems. God calls it ‘FAITH’ when we do this before seeing or experiencing physical manifestations of our prayers.

Shake, Rattle ‘n Rule (Poem)

See the series here

Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll…

A very popular blues-rock song,

Back when Rock ‘n Roll was idolized,

About a fellow who realized,

His lover had been doing him wrong. ¹

‘You wouldn’t do nothin’ to save your doggone soul!’

Spurned by his lover, he takes no blame,

Casting upon her all of the shame.

That is the blues, to the swing of rock ‘n roll.

Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll…

Hey, does this sound like the news headlines of today?

All across our world, folk’s lives are being upended,

Previously rejected norms, are now defended,

Things once unimaginable are now …OK.

Such was the case for Israel in days-of-old.

So far had they strayed from what God required,

That His Grace to them finally expired.

Most folk 'wouldn’t do nothin’ to save their doggone souls!

Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll…

That’s exactly what God promised, then prepared,

Lives and systems, shaken!

Hopes for escapes, darkened!

By two invading nations, folk were ensnared.

But get this. Even in the midst of their destruction,

Folk doubled-down on their God-insurrection.

Other lovers had captured their affection.

Worshiping their idol gods, they would not abandon.

Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll…

That is what’s happening to our lives today.

Israel’s past, serves as a microcosm for us,

Portending today when, toward God, folk are callous.

We’re on slippery slopes to our own doomsday!

The Lord twice promised once more to shake,

ALL things in, on and those pertaining to Earth.

To a brand-new age, His shaking will give birth. ²

At this time, there’ll be great heartache!

Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll…??

The rattling that will follow His great earthquake,

May echo all across our solar system.

Never before will a time be so gruesome,

As lands, nations and all systems are reshaped.

Yep, God has promised all Earth to shake and rattle,

But rather than ‘roll’, He’s decided to ‘rule’,

Over survivors who will have played the fool. ³

This is the rock ‘n rule I see in The Bible.

Shake, Rattle ‘n Rule…

Friend, are you prepared and ready for it,

In your body, soul and spirit?

Your reply God will elicit,
Your eternal life to gain ...or forefit.

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¹ A song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, and subsequently by a host of popular artists.

² “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land…’” (Haggai 2:6) “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” (Hebrews 12:26 and Revelation 16:17-21)

³ See: Zechariah 14 and Revelation 20

Unprecedented (Poem)

Unprecedented! This never happened before!

That’s the first time ever! Nothing’s normal anymore!

Long established records broken!

Everything normal, now questioned!

I speak not of happenings in our day,

But when Noah’s ark would be swept away!

Imagine the panic when down from the sky,

Water would fall on everything that was …dry!

According to the ole story in The Bible,

It hadn't flooded before; perhaps rained and drizzled.

But folk were sinful, so God sent rain, suddenly!

In His Sovereignty, people were judged, stridently!

To them He gave Grace for quite a long time,

But into the ark, they refused to climb.

Without further warning, Grace was called home,

After folk had rejected …His Shalom.

Unprecedented!!! This never happened before!!!

That’s the first time ever!!! Nothing’s normal anymore!!!

Long established records broken!!!

Everything normal, now questioned!!!

I speak not of happenings in Noah’s day,

But now, when most things ‘normal’ are swept away!

Socio-cultural norms no longer ingrained,

Politics rooted in lies, contempt and disdain.

Climate, soil, air and oceans …acidified.

Insects, fish, animals and plants …damnified.

Disasters at rates …inconceivable,

With their mounting costs …incalculable.

But this time, there’s a big difference,

In God’s promised destruction sequence.

While in the flood, the rain came suddenly.

This time, judgments arrive …progressively!!!

To progressive judgments, one benefit,

Is time to repent, our gross sins to quit,

And to righteous living to recommit.

But…

We rarely hear of ‘sins’, I must admit.

Thus, for us, God’s progressive judgments may only serve,

To catalyze responses for what’s around the curve.

If we don’t do a collective lifestyle about-face,

Then at least, let’s agree to …appreciate His Grace.

If progressive judgments could somehow be,

‘Grace practice runs’ for what He said we’ll see,

Then we really need to ramp up our game.

‘Cause to date, our responses are …quite lame.

Two Prayer Challenges (Poem)

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

A popular author and pastor has extended,

A new challenge, weak prayer lives to reboot:

‘Pray four minutes a day, till four weeks are expended’.

For such a need, can anyone dispute?

‘Four minutes, four topics, for four weeks’, don’t quit. ¹

An innovative notion, prayer lives to rekindle,

And a new habit in your mind and spirit.

Imagine the impact on sons who are prodigal.

Like a modem with limited connectivity,

This challenge could not serve fast-growing needs!

Yikes! Imagine the frustrating receptivity!

From your provider, you’d demand …more speed!

Mindful of this fact I have now become:

Earth bears fruits from seeds’ ambitions. ²

Seeds are at the start of every problem.

Seeds birth the final solutions.

Jesus once said we ought always to pray, ³

And in Him to always abide, ⁴

Lest we risk becoming a devil’s prey,

Or trapped in a ...lukewarmness tide. ⁵

‘Always?’, I asked. ‘How is that humanly possible??’

He answered, ‘A constant prayer life is how

in Me you abide.

Since I know your thoughts well before, in your mind, they settle,

Across the table of your mind, My seat is always occupied!’

So…

If that prayer challenge is but a small seed,

What good fruits, pray tell, might it one day yield?

The answer’s clear when on God’s Word we feed:

Your thought life becomes …your seeding prayer field.

‘Do all things as unto The Lord’, to us is written. ⁶

Since all day long, thinking is the biggest thing we all do,

Don’t imagine that, from Him, all our thoughts ...are hidden.

So, turn thoughts into prayers, since there’s

no escape from His view.

While small beginnings should never be despised, ⁷

Neither with smallness, should we remain satisfied.

When on the path of abundant life, we stride,

Our thoughts are ‘before and unto Him’, bona fide.

Like a modem with un-limited connectivity,

God’s challenge will serve your maturing need.

wOw! Imagine the satisfying receptivity,

When, to His prayer challenge, you accede.

I leave you with a tip that worth pon'dring.

Sinner or saint, this tip should be humbling.

Whenever you think you are ‘just thinking’,

It’s to Him you are …always up-linking!

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¹ See: Max Lucado 4-week Prayer Challenge, with the following prayer topics: (a) Father, You are good, (b) I need help, (c) They need help, (d) Thank You.

² All things develop from spiritual and physical seeds. Recall, words are seeds.

³ See: Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18, and Jude 20

⁴ See: John 10.

⁵ See: Revelation 3:14-22 and also Laodicean Lackadaisicalness (Series).

⁶ See: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to The Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve The Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

⁷ See: Zechariah 4:10