TWO DAUGHTERS

two daughters, the first so willful, the second so willing.

the first, she cursed us, the second, she blessed us.

the second was the great-great-granddaughter of the first.

the first spawned a murderer, who killed his own brother?!

the second bore the Redeemer, who died for all his brothers!

the first, hastily bit the bait, and her world turned dark.

the second humbly bowed, and the Light was revealed!

the foolish choice of the "mother of all living" brought darkness and death.

the humble submission of the mother of our Lord brought Light and Life!

The Father loves his daughters, no less than his sons?!

But, the Son brings light, and the darkness is undone!

two daughters, one chose the Liar, the other her Lord!

Generations are effected by the choices we make.

https://youtu.be/yuVhVX9IJL4

Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179), German abbess, theologian, and poet.  Art by Grace Remington (note the feet as Mary consoles Eve). 

How great a miracle it is that the King entered a submissive woman’s form. God did this because humility rises above all things. And how great a bliss lies in this form, because the malice that flowed from a woman – a woman afterwards washed it away and founded every softest scent of virtues and made heaven more beautiful than previously she had disfigured earth.

WRATH OF GOD

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."  Ephesians 5:6 ESV

That which distracts us, and disorients us, and draws us away, makes Him angry, like a parent whose child has been abducted.  

But, we continue to love those things, like a child wanting to pet a strange dog?!  I've heard of puppies being used as bait?!

God hates sin.

God hates Satan.

God loves you.

It's popular, for now, to hate racism.

It's common to hate injustice and inequity.

Greed. at least in others.

Animal cruelty.

Pollution.

Some of the old sin lists are now seen as passe, primitive, prejudiced.

Do you think He has changed? "He who changes not"?!

At what point does a parent disown a reprobate?

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Hebrews 10:31 ESV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.  

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 

because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 

and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.  

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 

slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 

foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 

Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Romans 1:18‭-‬32 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:16‭-‬21 ESV

HATE, or "LOVE TRAIN"?

 (the dark muses are stirring ...)

Marx wrote a book.

Lenin stirred a movement.

The Tsar was executed, along with his family.

Then, his nation was cast into decades of turmoil.

Stalin murdered millions!

Another book has been written.

CRT is stirring.

WP is the boogeyman.

Woke is attacking ...

"nothing new under the sun ..."

Anti-Christ? Climate-change? Terrorism? Disease? ...

Will we self-fulfill prophecy, and blow-up ourselves?!

Surely, good will be made of it all; 

or, He would never have started the dominos falling?!

How many different ways can we hate each other?!

God, help us.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 13:34 ESV

At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because  the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

1 John 2:8 ESV

"People, get ready. There's a train a'coming ..." 🎶

or, maybe ...  🤔

🎶 Love Train ...

Has that train, either, left the station?!

THE RIGHT GROUP

 Sectarian asks, "Are you Catholic? Baptist? Pentecostal? ..."

Spiritual asks, "Am I compassionate? serving? fruitful? ..."

Sarx (flesh) asks, "Am I happy? satisfied? fulfilled? ..."

The "right group" is a good question, imho.  But, the cake can be sliced in different ways.  The Spirit himself runs through our sectarian slices, like the wind through a campground.

Does the flock of birds that I fly with look alike?  Moreso, do they sing alike?!  What song is in the heart of the bird next to me?  In MY heart?!

What defines my group?  Theology? Something more slippery, more ethereal, more heart than head?

Are the "big words" part of my group's boundaries? Holiness? Justice? Sacrifice? Love? Truth? ...

THE SECOND DEMONIAC

 What happened to the second demoniac?!

Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might I with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:33‭-‬39 ESV

Mark and Luke mention only ONE demoniac.

Matthew mentions TWO?!

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Matthew 8:28‭-‬29 ESV

Where did the second demoniac, mentioned by Matthew, go?!  

Did one fall at the feet of Jesus, and the other just wander off?  

After being blessed, did he not return, unlike the Samaritan leper, but more like the nine?  

Was the second one like the rocky soil, with initial joy, but no depth, no root?

We speak of "the thief on the cross" but there were TWO thieves?!

Be thankful. Be grateful. Be worshipping "at the feet of Jesus". Proclaim everywhere you go what Jesus has done for you!

Be NOT like the cleansed demonic who was later revisited by his old demon with seven friends?!

One thief was told, "... YOU will be with me ..."

One leper returned, praising Jesus.

One demoniac had a witness he couldn't NOT share!

BE IN THE STORY, NOT A FORGOTTEN FOOTNOTE!

Rock of Ages (especially note stanza three?!)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Let me hide myself in thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and pow'r.

Not the labors of my hands

Can fulfil thy law's demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears for ever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to thee for dress,

Helpless, look to thee for grace;

Foul, I to the Fountain fly;

Wash me, Saviour, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyelids close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See thee on thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in thee.

RUSTED TOOL PRAYER

 

God, 

Sorry your tools are so rusty. 

At best, we get a D. 

Very few Daniels?! 

Few David's, as damaged and corroded as they are! 

Too many Diotrophes's and Demas's?! 

Discipline my heart. 

Direct my steps. 

Detour my missteps back into the path. 

Defend me against the Accuser, as right as he is?! 

I fear there is a little bit of devilry in the best of your tools. 

Use me as you can, even if but as a hammer. 

Discard not your rusted tool.

HINDRANCES

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

What holds you back? What hinders you? What cripples you? What limits you? What stunts you?

I read of spiritual giants, men and women who walk with God, so closely, so intimately, so faithfully ... and I then look back at my life, at my progress, at my reversals, at my ...

Do you not despise the devil for selling you such a pig in a poke? You have been given a bill of sale for nothing. It's worse than nothing, it is poison.   He puts an ad before you, but the picture is a lie.  But, one buys it, only to be disgusted after a few bites, then nauseated!  Instead of hiking upwards, one is barfing behind a bush.

One can never sit on the ridge enjoying the vista ... if he keeps dawdling and detouring ...

What needs to be discarded?  What needs to be emphasized?  What needs to be prioritized?

Stop looking behind.

Stop looking around.

Look upward!

COMPETITION

 So many competing stories being told, some screamed, in the marketplace selling realities.

"The world is dying due to overpopulation, fossil fuels, and meat on our dinner plates... and it's now or never ..."

"You are worth it.  This the newest,  fastest, best ever ... and it's on half-price sale! But, it's only a three day sale..."

"We are the peak of the evolutionary stream, and it is up to us not to destroy all of this ..."

"Vote for me! We care. We will fix this. We will legalize it all, and open it up for all, and we will stop the evil right ..."   "No, vote for me, or it will all go up in smoke!  We are the party which REALLY cares.  We want REAL solutions that are feasible and affordable ..."

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,  not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

2 Peter 3:9‭-‬12 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 ESV

RETIREMENT

No more TGIF anticipation.

No more ONTM dread. (Oh no, tomorrow's Monday)

No more 9-5 order. (actually started at 6)

No more phone-call screening to avoid call-ins.

No more vacation requests.

No more overtime.

No more steady paycheck.

No more Annual Maintenance Outages.

No more free coffee in control rooms.

No more friendly banter with coworkers.

No more alarm clock.

No more morning drive listening to radio preacher.

No more clocking in and out.

No more aching joints and muscles after a hard day.

No more toolbox in the corner of the pulp mill shop.

No more ...

More time to read those patiently waiting books. 

More time for chores, to-do's, hunny-do's.

More time to visit friends and family.

More time to travel.

More time to serve others.

More time to serve the Lord.

More time to be with her!

Soon enough it will be "the end" of this story; but the sequel should be great!

The Wildfire Allures

 Why does the Flesh scream, but the Spirit whispers?

When does the howling stop and only music is heard?

Why is the "bad boy" pursued and the gentleman spurned?

Wow is stronger than wonderful, seemingly?!  

New is better than true, seemingly?!

Spice is so much tastier than nice?!

We dance naked around the wildfire, rather than warm at home's hearth?!

When will insight overshadow the glare?

When will peace overcome the chaos?

Maranatha.