No Longer Just Clay (Poem)

Lord, 
You are the Potter, and I am the clay.
Shape me and mold me, Lord, have Your own way.
But...when it comes to feeling Your oven’s heat,
  I don’t wanna be part of Your ‘clay elite’.

(Sounds familiar?)

To be useful, into fire we clay must go.
For usefulness, yes, and also to grow.
As You turn up the heat, You bet we’ll all squawk!
Your eyes keeping watch, like those of a hawk.

Such a hot oven, You don’t just cast us in it.
Between our squawks we’ll see, You’ve joined us there in it!!
With eyes fixed on You, all fears become calm.
Your presence becomes a cooling heat balm.

Together, withstanding heat ever so severe,
Weak spots become strong, impurities disappear.
When cooled and polished, our faith soars in Your plan and design.
Only then are we, once clay, ready for Your use...Divine.

Friend,
  When heat into your righteous life is sent,
Seek to know God’s reason and His intent.
He is faithful, and to you He’ll give a sign,
One that’ll calm your fears, and ease your troubled mind.

All heat is not sent as judgment for your sins.
God also sends heat for...vessel transitions.
Then, my Friend, your choice is to stay as useless as clay,
Or take a ‘hot rod ride’ on His...Transition Highway!

Fresh or Faded Examples? (Poem)

Sodom and Gomorrah were meant to be,

Examples for those who live ungodly. *

Well, here’s a test: In your mind, life and community,

Do these examples fresh or faded appear to be??

The eroding waves of time and culture have well removed,

The deep, impactful lessons these examples once behooved.

They no longer ‘speak volumes’ of the consequences,

Of ungodly living’s punishment incidences.

Since then, there have been countless other examples,

All eroded by time and new cultural samples.

We humans have a deeply rooted ‘I am different’ trait,

Believing we won’t succumb to what others bit as bait!

Indeed, different we are, but you’d never guess how.

Each generation is more deaf and blind somehow,

To lessons of others, so their mistakes we repeat.

And as we repeat, we add our own onto the heap!

In the midst of this, God is raising up a people,

Whose ears and eyes are open, and who aren’t so feeble.

Understanding the fresh relevance of lessons past,

Reading God’s Word and today’s news, they’re catching on fast!

Moreover....

Fresh examples of the benefits of living godly,

Are spreading all across our world. If you look, you will see!

To those ‘who have eyes to see and ears to hear’, this conveys,

Grace to repent and turn from their own ungodly ways.

The remainder have eyes and ears, too, but they are determined,

To not perceive or to believe. They have been so undermined.

They love their ways and the promises of things attainable:

‘Satisfaction, Instantaneous, but Non-sustainable’. (S.I.N.)

As you ponder my rhyme of faded and fresh examples,

Consider our world, and how much of it is in shambles.

Here’s another test - you won’t be daunted:

In which of these groups are YOU now counted??

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* People in these ancient cities were exceedingly wicked, and were destroyed by The Lord in an incredibly harsh manner. See: Genesis 19

God’s Inferred Strategic Timelines

In studying eschatology (end time prophecies), I find it is helpful to review what we understand in order to see what light (if any) it may shed on what we do not fully understand. Here’s my recent top 10 points review, followed by a few insightful ponderings.

What We Understand

1.  We understand The Bible often communicates The Lord God’s (Jesus’) strategies and tactics in ‘weeks’ of sevens (a Biblically important number), which in some instances are 7 earth days, 70 earth years, 7,000 years, or even 7 weeks of years, as in Daniel’s vision of 70 weeks of 7 years, totaling 490 years. Add to that list, 7 ages of human history!

2.  Adam’s sin essentially gave satan a ‘long-term lease’ on planet Earth. Scholars estimate Adam was created 4004 BC, or about 6,030 years ago. We don’t know what year Adam when and Eve sinned against God, or how many years satan’s lease will last. Many Bible scholars guesstimate it will last a week of millennia (7,000 years). Through it all, The Lord has declared ALL of the Earth and its fullness (including you and me), belong to Him, and moreover. He is in the Earth exercising a 3-point strategy, summarized in Jeremiah 9:23-24. 

3.  We understand The Lord enjoyed His Sabbath rest in Day 7 of the creation week. This may either be a literal 24-hour earth day, or a thousand years, as metaphorically noted in Psalm 90:4, or something else entirely. We also understand He activated the first chapter of His plan of salvation early in mankind’s second millennium with the birth of Noah 1056 years after creation. This was during the closing decades or centuries of the 1st and of human history (the pre-flood age). 

4.  We understand from Zechariah 14, that Jesus will return to Earth at the end of the tribulation period (the last half of the short, 4th she of our history). At that time, He will end the Armageddon War (Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19:11-21), and then establish His thousand-year reign from His base in a greatly elevated Jerusalem, in a greatly expanded Israel. 

5.  We understand His reign will be facilitated by all of His saints from across the first 4 ages of human history —resurrected, redeemed and immortal. His Gentile saints will likely be appointed as kings and administrative support staff over cities, regions and nations across the entire post-tribulation, Gentile world. His Jewish saints (seed of Abraham through Jacob) will likely serve as His priests across Israel, over which David will exercise significant authority. (Exodus 19:6)

6.  We understand satan (and presumably his cohort of demons) will be locked away from Earth, in a bottomless abyss during this thousand-year reign of Christ, and afterward will/must be released for a ‘short time’ (the ‘little while’ 6th age of our history) to deceive the nations. (Revelation 20:3) We don’t know how long  this ‘short/little time’ of deception last. 

7.  We understand there will be no mortal warfare during Christ’s Millennial reign, as mortals will ‘beat their swords (armaments) into plows (productive tools), and learn/study war no more’. This infers there will be no military industrial complex on Earth during Christ’s thousand-year reign. Imagine that.

8.  We understand  that a battle greater than the 1st War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38), and also much grester than the Armageddon War (Revelation 19:11-21), will occur during the ‘little while’, post-Millennial Reign age. This will be the 2nd War of Gog and Magog. (Revelation 20:7-10) This will be the concluding result of satanic deceptions of nations when he is released for ‘a short time’ following Christ’s reign. We don’t know if this signals the armaments industry and study of formal war might possibly resume big-time post-Millennial reign, or if this will be an impromptu, global explosion of angst after stringent enforcement of righteousness for so long. 

9.  We understand from Zechariah 14, that Jesus will be physically on the Earth to end the Armageddon War. However, in an insightful contrast, Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20:7-10 do not infer a physical presence of Christ on Earth during the 1st War of Gog and Magog (before His Millennial Reign), and the 2nd War of Gog and Magog (some time after His Millennial Reign). However, Revelation 20:9 does suggest the continued presence on Earth of some post-Millennial Reign saints in Israel and Jerusalem. This begs the question, 'Which saints?' This may refer to people who will become saints during and/or after the Millennial Reign. (See: Salvation in the Millennium (Series))

10. We understand this final attack on Israel will be followed by the general resurrection from the dead of all humans who will have missed The Lord’s several earlier resurrections and rapture events. These are His ‘first resurrection’—the resurrection to eternal life, which is not to be confused with the number, 1. (See: Bible Raptures—Types and Timings (Series)). The Lord, consulting His Book of Life, per Revelation 20:8 and 15, might signify He will sort out His saints, from all sinners in this massive crowd. All unrepentant sinners will be judged, and cast into the eternal lake of fire, very likely on the promised, new, eternal Earth. This is the Great White Throne Judgment. NB: Both groups will be resurrected in their physical, immortal/eternal bodies, with their spirits and souls in tact, not as some ethereal spirits incapable of feeling pain, or expressing joy/grief, etc. Scripture basis for this conclusion is the 7 times (# of perfection) Jesus stated, ...there will be weeping/wailing and gnashing of teeth' in the lake of fire/hell -- characteristics only attributable to physical bodies!!! (See: Proof of their Immortality (Poem))

What We Don’t Understand

A. From the above, we see clearly that The Bible affirms satan’s and his cohorts will have two deceptive periods of rulership on Earth – the first from when Adam and Eve sinned, until the Armageddon War; and a second during the ‘little while’, post-Millennial Reign age. Curiously and alarmingly, both are referred to as lasting for a ‘short time/little while’. (See Revelation 12:12 and 20:3) Could there possibly be any meaningful time correlations between these two, unique references? I perceive this may not just refer to a single time span, but likely to he closing decades and years of each of the first 4, and the 6th ages of human history. As spiritual beings, devils likely intuit, far better than any human cad do, when each of the allotted 6 ages of human history on this current version of Earth, are approaching its end, and the transition to the next age is at hand, The Bible seems to demonstrate and predict a repetive age transition pattern! For more on this fascinating topic. see: Mid-ages Musings (Series). 

B. Artists have produced many pictures of what the new, eternal Jerusalem, described in Revelation 21 and 22, might look like. That city is so unimaginably massive, that scientists conclude it could not possibly fit on his current Earth! We don’t know what Jerusalem might look like during The Millennial Reign. Neither is it clear whether there might be animal sacrifices at that time. 

C. Will there be salvation during The Millennial Reign? Is the active presence of devils and demons a prerequisite for salvation, and proven faith to overcome their deceptions and temptations, as it is with us today? If so, there might likely be no salvation during that age, simply because satan's kingdom will be 'locked away', per Revelation 20. Isaiah 11 an 65 give us a synopsis of that age, and Isaiah 65:20 clearly references people dying. What does dying without being deceived and tempted by satan's kingdom infer regarding salvation? Of course, no one knows, and this is open to much speculation. See mine here: Salvation in the Millennium (Series). One key to understanding this issue is to understand the diverse human populations on Earth during the Millennial Reign.

D. We don’t know the general timing of the 1st War of Gog and Magog—a Russia-led coalition invasion of Israel, per Ezekiel 38. We do know (a) it is the 3rd in a prophetic quadfecta of chapters, comprising Ezekiel 36-to-39, and (b) the first two chapter prophecies are historical: (1) the return of Judeans to Palestine, after 70 years of Babylonian captivity, and (2) the establishment of Israel as a unified (descendants of ancient Israel and ancient Judah), modern nation. I intuit this invasion might occur during the apocalypse, when all peoples and nations will be desperate for the necessities of life. That’s when Israel might be over-crowded with Jews from across the world, spilling into Jordan and Lebanon (per Zephaniah 3); the Israel Defense Force might no longer exist; and Israel might be experiencing a protective, ‘Goshen-type effect’ from the plagues, similar to what ancient Hebrews experienced during the last 7 plagues on Egypt. See: Israel (Series) and Missed Insights in Ezekiel (Series). Also, search this blog for Ezekiel 38, an topic I have explored extensively.

E. We don’t know when or how Damascus will become ‘a heap of ruins’. 

Blame Game: From Jobs-to-Job (Poem)

 Scapegoat, misdiagnosis or misplaced blame,

Whatever the name, it’s really all the same.

No matter the problem, we conclude, ‘It is not my fault!’

So we can’t distinguish between ‘the cause and the result…’

The blacks blame the whites, and some vice versa.

All blame governments for their agenda.

For jobs lost, we blame globalization,

Yet insist we’re ‘up for competition’.

No matter the party, we blame presidents.

Then we blame Congressional impediments.

For the mess in Syria, we blame Russia,

Like America’s blamed for Venezuela.

For children’s bad choices, we blame their parents,

And some blame their fathers for their absence.

For flooding of jails, we blame cops and judges,

When we can’t resist our ‘criminal nudges’.

Scapegoat, misdiagnosis or misplaced blame,

Why can’t we see through this devils’ trick and game?

For every problem, God has a mirror just for us,

But we’ll ignore His mirror, just to keep up our fuss.

In all of human nature, there’s a deep-rooted flaw.

We load our ‘camel’ down, until the very last straw!

It’s only when we finally hit our crisis mode,

Do we link our bad fruits to all the bad seeds we’ve sowed.

Then, humbled and broken, grieving all that we have lost,

We’re then ready for God’s mirror, no matter the cost.

It’ll reveal the star role our pride played in our blame game,

And it’ll show us our need to repent in Jesus’ Name .

Friend, God gave me this poem for you to probe,

What He wrote in the book that He calls ‘Job’.

First written of The Bible’s 66 books,

Pause and ponder how to you Job’s lesson looks.

Job blamed his children for their ‘possible sins’.¹

Satan blamed God ‘cause He had Job all ‘hedged in’.²

Acting in fear caused Job his ‘God hedge’ to lose.

Satan got in. Job got a string of bad news!

Job blamed God for all the mess he was then in.³

His friends came to mourn, but then blamed him for sin.⁴

Job wanted his ‘day in court’ with God Almighty!⁵

Then God showed up, but ole Job had no attorney!⁶

Peppered with God’s heavy duty cross-examination,

Job then found himself in an even worse situation!

Looking in the mirror of God’s Words, he sensed in his gut, ‘

I need to repent... quickly, and my blaming mouth to shut!^’7

He did repent and shut up, then to him, God extended Grace.

For all that Job had lost, God gave a whole lot more to replace.⁸

Now you, Friend, tell me what lesson from Job’s blame games

will you learn?

From your blame games, what will it take for you to make a U-turn?

Since it’s our nature to play the blame game,

What we all do is find others to shame.

In shaming, their reputations we maim,

While protecting our fame is our real aim.

But it’s our heart and tongue we need to tame,

On our knees, repenting in Jesus’ Name.

We will then beat devils at their own game.

Inspecting ourselves, God’s blessings we’ll claim.

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¹ Job 1:5 and 3:25

² Job 1:10

³ Job 7:20-22, but see 16: 9-14 and 30:19-24.

Ponder this: For what did Job repent in 42:3-6, if not blaming God for unjust punishment?

See:  https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-was-jobs-sin

⁴ Job 4-23, 

⁵ Job 9, esp. v.35 and 16:21

⁶ Job 38 - 41

⁷ Job 40:3-5, 42:6

⁸ Job 42:12-17

Tag, You're It (poem) UPDATED

We are the sum of what we tolerate.

That which we tolerate, we propagate.

The ‘we’ I refer to is/are Christians. So what do we tolerate? I address this with another question: How do we label a condition in which a person’s spirit and body are in quite good condition, but the mental functions are not? Mentally deficient or challenged or ill? Deranged? What if the condition is long term, resulting in slow, steady mental deterioration?

A Christian is someone whose spirit has been regenerated, i.e., ‘born again’, by God’s power, the initial benefit of accepting Christ’s sacrificial death as the substitute punishment for his/her sin. Additionally, a Christian has been spiritually born or baptized into, and is referred to as ‘The Body of Christ’, and has received God’s promise of a new, immortal body in which his/her eternal spirit will spend eternity with God.*

So what’s missing? Created by Jesus in the image of God, human beings are spirit (our essence), soul (mind, will, emotions, imagination and intellect), and physical body. Per the above, God has clearly addressed our need for a regenerated spirit and body. However, He has delegated to us the challenge of saving/renewing/regenerating our soul/mind. Poetically speaking:

Jesus can save your spirit,

But He says you must save your soul.

If you have not yet done it,

You're not yet fully in His fold!!!

The human soul comprises five mental functions: the reasoning mind, the knowing intellect, the feeling emotions, the desiring will, the creative imagination). Think of it as your 'govenator',  controlling the link between your spirit and your body, and facilitating your interactions with our physical world. Now imagine being born into a new world with a healthy spirit and body, but relatively undeveloped soul/mental capabilities. This is the picture so well painted in the movie, Avatar. In this movie, the spirit and soul of a brilliant (human) paraplegic scientist/social scientist was teleported, via a futuristic technology, into an alien body on a planet under threat of human mining operations to extract and transport a rare mineral to Earth. During his initial foray on this planet, he encounters a female alien who saves his butt from certain disaster, and then spurns him as ‘a baby!’ Imagine that! Highly educated and experienced in human terms, and in a body that is far more exceptional than his human body confined to a wheel chair, yet acting like a babe in this new world! 

Unfortunately, this is the picture of too many Christians -- baby Christians who have not taken on Christ’s challenge to save/renew their soul/mind. Moreover, they have l-o-n-g tolerated, and thus propagated this condition. We erroneously refer to them as ‘spiritual babes’. Why erroneous? God has assured the total, complete regeneration of their spirit, and has totally infused His Spirit with their spirit. There is NO deficiency here. Like the movie character, they are deficient in another area -- content to get by with babyish reasoning, emotions, imagination, will, and intellect relative to citizenship in The Kingdom of God. We all have passed through this phase of our spiritual development. The sad kicker is that mental capabilities are not static. Like any capability, they atrophy without use and development. With Alzheimer’s disease, a form of plaque protein accumulates across increasing portions of a person’s brain, clouding and eventually dousing out their mental functionality. I imagine long-term baby Christians may accumulate the plaque of pliant pilgrimage in our carnal cosmos. They flow fluidly with its cultural currents, unable to discern The Holy Spirit’s urgings and unctions.

God calls upon us to live by faith, and by faith, learn to receive from Him according to His promises. Does this also apply to soul salvation, for which WE are primarily responsible? It certainly does! So how do we accomplish this? 2 Peter 1:3-4 affirm that, via His Word promises, received and acted on by faith, God has given to us ALL things that pertain to Godly living. Thus, it is safe to conclude this is also how we should begin our soul development process – namely agreeing with, professing, and meditating on and EXPECTING exactly what God’s Word says about the matter, then daily yielding to His Spirit to accomplish the development work...and LEAVE THE RESULTS TO HIM. 

Ok, so what does He say about soul salvation and development. We typically think about Romans 12:2, where Paul’s writes ‘...And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God’. However, this is simply an admonition, not a direct promise, per se, on which one can build faith. Rather, a relevant, faith-building promise is found in 1 Corinthians 2:16, a verse we may not hear frequently in Christian circles. It simply states ‘...But you have the Mind of Christ.’ Here is a powerful confession to support your soul salvation:

By faith, I receive and I have The Mind of Christ! Period!

As I dutifully study/meditate and practice God’s Word and presence,

His Spirit develops His Mind within me.

We generally have no problem understanding that we have God’s Spirit in us, and that we are His body--His spiritual army in a HOT, SPIRITUAL WAR in the Earth. The short circuit happens when it comes to our soul, that is, our mental faculties that pertain to our new life, under new governance. As you make this confession and meditation part of your life, don’t be surprised if you experience some significant transformations:

o From Christ-enmity, to Christ-amity. The Bible reveals that our carnal/un-regenerated thought process is at enmity (is an enemy) with God. Being an alleged born again Christian without ever proactively developing and practicing soul salvation is being God’s enemy! Amity is the opposite of enmity. (See: Revelation 3:14-23 to see what The Lord declares about such people. Also, see: Secret Agent Christian Christians (Series))

o From Christianity, to Christ-I-Am-ity. The word, Christianity means ‘follower of Christ, The Anointed One’, and it has a Latin ending, ‘ianity’, which means ‘belonging to’. Christ-I-Am-ity signifies continually growing into the fullness of Christ, spirit, soul and body, to the extent possible in this life. He came, died, and was resurrected to reconcile us back to God. He accomplishes this in three broad strokes -- spirit, soul, and body --in that sequence--the body part accomplished when we are transformed as GLORIFIED immortal beings when we pass what I call His salvation internship. He gave us His Word and instructed us to use it to save/restructure our soul functions (mind, intellect, will, imaginations, emotions). While He cannot/will not do that for us, His Spirit is certainly willing, ready, and able to do this with us. 

There is a soul Jesus cannot save -- Yours!

Yes, He can open or close any doors,

But He is powerless to save your soul.

To you, this He delegates as your role.

For this, He’s provided all the resources,

His Word, Spirit, angels, and ‘Body sources’.

If His challenge you refuse and decline,

There will be no hope for your carnal mind.

Carnality of the world is like soul plaque.

Here’s a way to know if your soul has been hacked,

And also to know if you’re really in Christ’s sheepfold:

Ask: ‘What priority do I give to saving my soul?’

Remember, only God can save your spirit,

And also give you a new body for it!

But when it comes to ensuring your soul is fit,

Imagine Jesus saying to you…

Tag, You’re It!

See: Christiam (Poem)

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* According to The Bible, every human will receive such a body. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is where they will spend eternity in their immortal bodies.

Strongman You Want? Strongman You’ll Have! (Poem)

There is an old adage that says, ‘For what you wish, be careful’.¹

Here’s a wish in our world that some day we may want to cancel.

It’s the increasing wish for right leaning, ‘strongman’ governments,

To add to the heap of others that we, for years, still lament! ²

This wish is fed by ill-perceived costs of globalization.

It is fanning the well-known flames of nationalization.

But to look only at the costs of global integration,

But no benefits, yields a one-sided examination.

Increasing national conflicts and regional migration,

Add more fuel to this growing, incredible situation.

But who’d argue that ‘right-leaning’ is both ‘strong’, and also ‘right’?

Between nationalistic and integral, which takes more might??

In sports competition, every player looks for his ‘edge’,

Even if it means reneging on whatever he pledged.

In economic competition, nations do the same,

‘Till nationalism rears its head, and changes the game.

Tariff walls, subsidies, and tricks to manipulate the field,

Designed to bring ‘economic competition dogs’ to heel.

‘Beggar thy neighbor’ economic and trading policies,

Project strongman egos...but ensure mutual paucity!

As the pendulum of global unity swings cyclically,

Here is a predicted outcome worth pondering carefully.

In the past, the dark clouds of myopic nationalism,

Have unleashed across the earth much hellish opportunism.

You see, strongman economic and trading policies,

Have clear side effects, and what I call ‘bleeding properties’.

Take a quick tour around the world, and you’ll see what this has bred.

Such strongman policies into most other sectors have bled!

Strongman tactics only work when preceded by strong delusion

That makes of sound governance a derision, and brings destruction.

Consider this: Strongman governance is rooted deeply in pride.

This spirit defiles one man, and then quickly infects nationwide.

If you’re spiritually alive, you’ll know this is not odd.

Where did I get it? It’s inferred in The Book written by God!

‘To those who have pleasure in unrighteousness, He’ll send to them,

Strong delusion to believe lies, and thereby they’ll be condemned.’ ³

Pride is the root of all evil, and goes before destruction.

It can ensure both personal and national corruption.

One day, a prideful strongman will arise to rule the whole world,

And over all nations, his deceptive flag he will unfurl.⁴

His lies will be believed then, as strongman lies are believed today.

His global government will come, but it will not be here to stay!

He’ll be annihilated by the brightness of Christ’s return! ⁵

Now my Friend, from this Truth, for our world today, what can we learn?

From this rhyme, here is a warning I hope we all will heed:

Don’t ever look to a professed strongman to meet your need.

Live by your faith! ⁶ Don’t smear fear as a salve.

If strongman you want, then strongman you’ll have!

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¹ Poetically paraphrased

² Can you name the countries where ‘strongman’ governments rule?
³ 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (paraphrased)
⁴ Daniel 7:23-27, 11:21-45; Revelation 13:8

⁵ Genesis 3:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Zechariah 14:12; Revelation 19:11-21

⁶ Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38