Praise #50, The Singularity of Three

The Singularity of Three

Horizon-splitting, day-stopping

Vine-growing, spring-bursting

Saint-leading-saint through

the night of faith,

the testing,

            the infirmities of our spirits

 

            the gates by the western shore

 

the ancient bards

couldn’t say it,

their invocations lacked

the final point of faith,

the doctors of the unknowable law

couldn’t seize it

their hands could not

come clean

 

the buzzing had grown

to a torrid roar

the days had grown

forgettably slow

the phantoms of industry

threw in the towel

their devotion

 

plonking onto a molten night

 

but the Savior gave love,

the solemn rite

a soft seed given

to a buckling plain

 

and who shall learn

the Way,

that turneth not

towards the night

a road we can’t continue on

until we tumble forth

 

Praise #41: For God So… the World

When I look out at this world, I say to myself,

I cannot love this world for what it sometimes appears as:

A standalone cosmic freak, spinning in near-perfect

proximity to the parameters of life:

The atheist’s dream of a godless earth,

unforgiving, unloving, cold, eventually ashen death

a static vacuum, memories of a jagged dash

This is not my world.

 

My world is

God’s perfect Creation

depths rumbling with his bass delight

The inner cauldrons of souls begging those

who look askance,

The flares of far-off nebulae reminding us of

His limitless expanse

 

the hum of a distant dimension

crashes down on a beach, drenching the sand

with living liquid

and we drink

 

Oh, the smart savor of God’s earth:

This is the world in which I live,

not the other:

ruled by crooked men and ungentle women

where thieves bundle silicon spoils in sacks of cyber titanium

hording billion-dollar barrels of earthslime

teaching their young to forsake the Master-builder.

 

That world flamed up already

(remember, not two Tuesdays ago?)

erring forces agreed disagreeably to push

the pages stained with acidic ink

unbelieving bile

then a distant roar

carried nigh as a most frightening wave

the man carrying the mail? he went

it’s believed that not everyone

got vaporized

poured into sand and left delinquent

for the oncoming ash storm

 

No, like this:

for God so

3:16ed

the world

He gave his only

begotten

file that…

 

they do move about up there, sometimes in

more ways than once,

greeting other denizens of light

toying playfully the fabric of praise-songs

repeating carefully the admonitions

written into the joypages of Holiest Writ

Oh come unto me, good Father,

teach me Thy Son’s raw patience

as I sit at the exit ramp

trying to avoid

the impregnable crush of untrusting metal

 

Praise #36

As our understanding of this
Universe grows
I find myself asking,
O Lord, but where do we fit Thee?
 
Indeed, Thou art not only a
curtain puller, but a
time unfolder, a master
of multidimensional incomprehension:
now, how do we fit ourselves to Thee?

 

Dissection #11: The Three Ls

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalm 36:9)

For with (you, O Lord) is the fountain (Heb: mâqôr – something dug, source, wellspring) of life (Heb: chay – raw, fresh, alive; life): in thy light (Heb: ‘ôr – illumination) we shall see light.

With thee, O Lord, is the wellspring, or source, of all life; in thy illuminating presence shall we perceive, or experience, light.

Recall: In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4) Our lives are an offspring of God’s light; we are ever grateful to the Lord for His graceful illumination of our lives.

The light that we see is actually the embodiment of God. God is love, God is life, and God is light.

It is because God created light that we now have life. It is God’s Word that gives us life; thus God’s Word (Jesus Christ as reflected in Scripture and in Life itself) is our light. We can perceive the physical reality of light just by very nature of seeing, and we can similarly perceive the spiritual reality of Christ by very nature of knowing.

 

Dissection #11: Friendship, Adultery and Football

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (Jms 4:4)

 

[Y’all] [apostates] and [women who sleep around], [don’t you know] that [the fondness] (for) the [cosmos and everything under the sun] is [reason for opposition] with God, therefore, [whomever] is a [favorer] of this [cosmos and everything under the sun] is the [adversary] of God.

Note that the Greek word for the world was kosmos, which implies everything on the earth and everything in the sky – the whole shebang. They were definitely believers in a spiritual, or supernatural universe in which the Triune God, with Jesus as the head presiding over the heavens, was in power.

An adulterer, or in the Greek, “moikhos,” meant a male paramour; more figuratively, “apostate,” an idolater, a whore. According to Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), adulterer in this precise verse connoted “one devoted to earthly things.” James the Preacher used this language like the prophets of the Old Testament who likened the disobedient Israelites to whores who gave their affections to other gods.

Being a friend to this world is analogous to worshipping false gods and idols. By definition, “apostate” means: “one who has forsaken the church, sect or profession to which he before adhered,” (Webster 1828).

Perhaps these adulterers were still appearing in the church. James here is making it clear that if one still clung to earthly desires and values, they were no better than apostates or idolaters who had spiritually abandoned the church. James was taking the seventh commandment (“Thou shalt not commit adultery,” Exodus 20:14) and expanding its application into the spiritual world. The Lord, when He laid out the 10 Commandments for Moses was not merely talking about physical adultery, but about the imminent apostasies of His people when confronted with alternative religions.

This point remains as valid today as it was in the first century, or in the time of the prophets of Israel, or during the Mosaic epoch. God does not wanted to be “cheated on” by His subjects; but He knows equally well that it is our very nature to do so, so we must keep watch.

The startling thing is that if we are playing around with earthly loves, then we are in enmity – I like to look at that word as meaning, “enemy-ship” with God. We are being enemies with God; we are His opponents. We are working against God and we are friends with the world. Now, I love the world as God’s creation, but as a thing unto itself divorced from God and made for our own pleasure and exploitation, then no, I don’t love this world. Thomas Wilson’s A Christian Dictionary defined the world in this way, as the actual “lusts which be in the World,” or “all unregenerate men, bee they Elect or Reprobate.” In other words, men who had not yet begun to walk in Christ.

No, we must separate ourselves from these men. We must walk differently. We can try to win them to the Lord, but we cannot intermingle them to the point that we are living the same lives they live. This is convenient, lukewarm, double-mindedness, and God despises that just as a pure marriage despises the entreaties of a prostitute on their doorstep. We must shut the door on this and call out to the Lord to keep ourselves clean from more ungodly filth.

We must remember our loyalties, and our number one loyalty is to God. How can we be loyal to God and to the unregenerate denizens of the devil at the same time? How can I waver between church holiness and, let’s say, football? Football is ungodliness, it is the family man’s adultery. It is fraught with sin; it is based on man’s pride and yet millions worship this game every week instead of God. I must not be one of those men. I must indeed choose to love God and only God.

 

Dissection #10: The Inner Goo from the Outer Bone

For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword; piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

For the [logos] is [alive] and [effectual’ and [of single-stroke efficiency] (moreso) than any [double-edged] [knife] (penetrating) even (to the point of) (being able to) (separate) (soul – or mind, will and emotions) from (spirit), and of [the outer bones and joints/connectors of the skeletal system) from the [inner goo – marrow] (or, the structure from the essence), and is a [judge] of (one’s) [thinking] and one’s [moral understanding] (or, one’s thoughts and true motives) of the [mind].

The Word of God is alive and effective for every aspect of our lives; it c an cut straight through to the meat of the matter, separating out the physical and emotional cores of our living organisms from the spiritual; it will show us the differences between the inner man and the outer man; the thoughts and motives of our hearts. This is why we rely on our bible; it is our control panel.

Thomas Wilson, A Christian Dictionary (1612)

Good word of God. sig: The will of God reuealed in Scriptures, which teacheth a good life, and promiseth good things, and makes vs Good, being Good in it selfe: and therefore, it is called [The Good Word of God.] Hebr. 6, 4. And haue tasted of the good Worde of God.

The Word of God, we read, is quick – “alive.” It is powerful — a source of energy. Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) defines “powerful” as “able to produce great effects; exerting great force or energy; as a powerful eloquence.” Interesting, power has two different and intangible qualities, force and eloquence; intention and words.

The Word has the power bequeathed by God to bring to life the deadened spirit. The Lord uttered the universe into being. And His Word also animates our ashen and deadwood spiritual innards. I know His Word did that for me; have you let the Word change you also? Today, I commented to two friends while soulwinning that before I was saved by Jesus Christ, which begins as a Word we read in the Bible and hear about in church and elsewhere, and then, when we begin to believe in this Word, describing this person, it begins to take on a life within us. But anyway, before I got saved, I had never done a nice thing in my life. Now there’s a measure of deadness for you. Some people spend their whole life doing good things but never get saved; others like me spend their whole life doing selfish and bad things and then get saved so that we can spend the rest of our lives doing good. But that’s more of an ancillary point. What I am trying to do is discuss how powerful the Word is.

The Word of God, when we read it, will reveal to us the Will of God, and not just the literal meaning, but the spiritual intent of the message. It happens in every passage, which is why each line can speak in a chorus of related voices, expressing different levels of application. When Jesus spoke he frequently spoke in parables, but his whole message reads like a parable about the spiritual realm, even though he often spoke in literal, real world terms (like the Good Samaritan story, it was about a real person, but explained things about human nature in totally spiritually terms). The stories of Jesus Christ work on multiple levels, and that to me is the most powerful kind of language – not complicated and verbose, but deep and alive, or, Paul the Apostle commented, quick and powerful.

The Word of God has more strength than a weapon, but it is unlike a weapon because it has no form unless we are talking about Christ, who is not here physically but is ruling in heaven before his return to our sphere. I Corinthians 10:4 says, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal… And the center of that power is not a physical thing, like a weapon or a muscle or a generator, but a Word, an “eloquence,” the Word that was with God and that was God. (John 1:1, paraphrased). I am glad I heard the Word; it is a Word most worth hearing. Let us hear it…

Lastly, the Word tells us about our own thinking — the naked thoughts and the raw intentionality of each notion. It is often hard to see oneself objectively unless the Bible, cracked open on the table, is serving as the lens. I need to use Scripture to prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2). If it is not reflected in Scripture, then it is separated from God and is of little use to the spirit. At this point in life, it is essential for me to make sure that my thoughts are in line with the will of God, and that can readily and easily be obtained by learning His words as reflected in the dark mirror of Scripture. Have you read today?

 

 

 

Dissection #9: Word Play

    But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

But whosoever leans over the deepest of wells and peers down into the fully aged established rule of God appertaining to the moral and ceremonial customs of the land, and tarries within the bounds of that new covenant, this subject – not a negligent hearer-only of the law, but a poet in the labor of the Word, this man shall be supremely blessed in his actions.

We don’t believe that the Bible here should be construed as some post-modern vessel of performance art, but that the Word is designed by the Holiest of Hands as a a whole-bodied experience, a poem of the highest order and accolades, not up for a prize but given the most solemn praise of praises – the blessing of the Ever-So Almighty.

The Law of Liberty, the full-time dictum of God that we are now heretofore set free of the bondage and penalty of sin, and that we may rejoice in new lives within His supreme word-play, in which His perfect utterance becomes flesh, and our deeds in our fleshly bodies are become anointed by their very emancipation from their previous bonds to the pits of sin.

 

 

Dissection #9: Word Play

    But whoso looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

But whosoever leans over the deepest of wells and peers down into the fully aged established rule of God appertaining to the moral and ceremonial customs of the land, and tarries within the bounds of that new covenant, this subject – not a negligent hearer-only of the law, but a poet in the labor of the Word, this man shall be supremely blessed in his actions.

We don’t believe that the Bible here should be construed as some post-modern vessel of performance art, but that the Word is designed by the Holiest of Hands as a a whole-bodied experience, a poem of the highest order and accolades, not up for a prize but given the most solemn praise of praises – the blessing of the Ever-So Almighty.

The Law of Liberty, the full-time dictum of God that we are now heretofore set free of the bondage and penalty of sin, and that we may rejoice in new lives within His supreme word-play, in which His perfect utterance becomes flesh, and our deeds in our fleshly bodies are become anointed by their very emancipation from their previous bonds to the pits of sin.

 

 

Dissection #8: Overcoming Spiritual Paralysis

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. (Mk 2:5)

Dissection:

When Jesus saw (became aware of) their faith (conviction/belief/acting on what one believes to be the truth), he said unto the sick of the palsy (the paralyzed man), Son (child), thy sins (offenses) be forgiven (sent forth from) thee. 

Interpretation:

 Jesus became aware of their conviction of the holy truth in their midst that led them to cut a whole in the roof of the mobbed house where Jesus was teaching and lower the man through the roof so he could get the Master’s proper attention. Thus, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Child,” he said, “thy lifetime of sins and offending God are now sent forth from thee.” 

Discussion:

Word of Jesus got out again. The Master preached to a full house and there wasn’t an inch to spare. (Interesting that the Scripture notes that Jesus preached when he ministered to gatherings; he didn’t follow a liturgy.) On the fringe of the crowd, a group of men decided that they must get a paralyzed friend healed, but they couldn’t get anywhere near Jesus. So they went up onto the roof, removed some ceiling tiles and lowered their paralyzed friend onto the floor next to where Jesus was teaching. The Lord was amazed and publicly declared the act to be one of faith, a testament to a strong belief in Christ’s ability to heal him. But he didn’t heal him immediately. First, he told him his sins were forgiven. This drew the consternation of the scribes in the audience and that yielded one of the Lord’s great lessons about the Realm of the Spirit.

It was more important for the Son of God to forgive sins and grant spiritual life than to give someone a physical healing. And also notice that when he healed, he called upon his other moniker, the Son of Man. In other words, when he did things for God like deliver the Word and grant forgiveness he was acting as the Son of God. When he did things to appeal to man, he did so as the Son of Man. “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins…”(v.10)

Meditation:

Does that not tell us a few things about the Lord? Let’s look at them.

1)     The Lord might answer our prayers in ways that are just beyond the scope of our reasoning. In this case, the man came to him for healing, but Jesus first declared his sins forgiven before he healed him. Two, in God’s eyes, spirit salvation is more important than flesh-healing. It is more fruitful for us to be clean spiritually than to be made whole physically.

2)   The fact that Jesus forgave him on the spot means that Jesus truly was God. That, of course, aroused the silent ire of the scribes, but Jesus proceeded from a vantage point of complete authority – reading their minds and telling them that he had been empowered to forgive sins on earth, which of course meant that he was a divinely sanctioned being.

3)    This vignette speaks about overcoming spiritual paralysis through Christ. The only cure for “the palsy of the spirit” is through faith in the Son of God. Our spiritual selves will be able to get up off our mats and walk once our faith has brought to us the altar of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his ensuing forgiveness of our sins. In this story, Jesus gives the paralytic man mobility after calling the scribes out on their lack of faith.

4)   God is impressed by our faith; humans are impressed by miracles.

 

Dissection #7, Got Meat?

For ye are yet carnal: For whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (I Corinthians 3:3)

[No doubt] [y’all] are [still] [fleshly]: (case in point), you all are indulging in [jealous and envious stirrings and emulations of these base attributes] and [quarrels/wrangling], and [disunity], (can you honestly say you are) not carnal, and that you (don’t) [live] as [regular manfaced worldlings]?

The proof of our fleshliness is thus: We’re all wishing we had each other’s stuff. I would say that most wealth procured is gained not without some amount of sin, so if I am coveting another man’s things , I am coveting also his sin. Coveting, incidentally, does contravene, I mean directly, Commandment #10.

In Greek, envy means ξήλος (zelos), which is defined as “heat,” or, perhaps more fittingly, “jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively of God], or an enemy, malice): - emulation, envy (-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.” I like the term “emulation” here, which implies that I am the person I am envying. Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) defines “emulate” as, “to strive to equal or excel, in qualities or actions; to imitate, with a view to equal or excel; to vie with; to rival.” So when I am envying someone, I am wishing I had what they had with an eye on beating them at their own game.

Another way to look at envy comes in Proverbs:

Let not thine heart envy sinners: But be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. (Proverbs 23:17).

“Let not (that puts the responsibility on us not to allow ourselves to do what God is further commanding here) thine heart (heart is the “center” where feelings, will, or intellect reside) envy (harbor feelings of unease or discontent at the reputation or success of another) sinners (Hebrew: chatta: one accounted guilty): But be thou in the fear of the Lord(fright and holy reverence for the Almighty) all the day long (not for one hour a day, but for the whole day). The fear of God allows me to stay focused on the right things and not veer off into the worldliness of wanting vain things that other people have. How can I envy a worldling; yet still I secretly covet his things! The only good way around this kind of thing is the fear of God….

Now add to this mess the wrangling, the grousing, the disunity within the whole church. Tell me with a straight face that we’re not also living after the flesh just like the First Century Corinthians and conducting our lives as milk-fed worldlings who think they’re spiritual gurus. I know the Christian Church of the 21^st century does not have literally thousands of denominations all with their own particular interpretations of Scripture, or as several of the really huge ones have, a co-existing belief in the tradition of the church that equals the authority of Scripture. We don’t have figures like Pope Benedict, who declares that there is no salvation outside of the Roman Catholic Church. Nope. None of that applies!

The fear of God would propose that I look not to any human-made divisions but keep my heart set on the ancient landmarks of God, which He set in place before the foundation of the world. His landmark boils down to the two great commandments of Christ: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… and love thy neighbor as thyself. (Mt 22: 37, 39). If I am loving God with everything I am and loving my neighbor as well, how can I be stricken with carnality, and envy, and strife, and divisions?

We Christ-lovers have been around for many centuries, but the results of our stewardship of the planet are poor. Many have given up on Christ; many more still have never met him or have been given a poor account of him, or have been misled by heresiarchs. Perhaps the onus is now on the few strong meat Christians that now walk the earth to put aside their quibbling and sanctimonious faultfinding and bring the gospel properly to others, so they can get their Green Card to the kingdom of God stamped and, perhaps, get on a more substantial diet. Optimally, I would like a mixed diet of greens, meat, dairy and water (living water) and I want to become worthy of that diet. I cannot be on the “adult meal plan” if I am still living carnally. Now, “carnal” seems to imply “carnivorous,” but it’s really quite the contrary. It really means straight milk. And then what happens if they’re lactose intolerant?