Eyes

Miracle of birth begins with the opening of eyes.
Two magnificent spheres contain the universe.
The only differences are of which shades of stars are more abundant.
It begins to absorb the world of colors. Yes, trees of green and red roses too.
Soon the skies of blue become azure, celeste, periwinkle and turquoise.
Nature takes its course and begins creating the mind.
As figures start to form, words are associated.
There is no concept of good and evil, just the world in itself.
But, temptation rises, the brokenness brings the world apart.
Confusion now takes control and chaos is struck in the eyes.

I choose to close my eyes, though only for a moment.
A new world is seen, world built upon the spirit.
Grace is shown through love. Hope rises. 
Though dangers are imminent, my eyes are shut tight still.

I wish, though momentarily, that I had not been able to see. 
Then may have I always resided in the Lord. 
Such a prayer, however, is too immature.
God had plans: for my eyes to see the corruption, the hatred, the injustice.
The stains of sin clawing away at the beautiful white nature of the heart.

The eyes are open once again, now with passion.
It sees the future, the road that leads beyond,
the journey that is to be taken with a single message. 

Welcome

The times we live in are not of judgment, but of invitation. It is the times of decision.

Luke 9:51-56

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?' But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village." Luke 9:51-56

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The disciples did not consider that the conduct of the Samaritans was rather the effect of national prejudices and bigotry, than of enmity to the word and worship of God; and through they refused to receive Christ and his disciples, they did not ill use or injure them, so that the case was widely different from that of Ahaziah and Elijah. Nor were they aware that the gospel dispensation was to be marked by miracles of mercy. But above all, they were ignorant of the prevailing motives of their own hearts, which were pride and carnal ambition. Of this our Lord warned them. It is easy for us to say, Come, see our zeal for the Lord! and to think we are very faithful in his cause, when we are seeking our own objects, and even doing harm instead of good to others.

IVP New Testament Commentary
Jesus sends messengers ahead to prepare the people for his arrival. Much like an advance public relations team, they were to help plan what would occur when he arrived. But the Samaritans did not welcome him. The explanation is that Jesus' face is set toward Jerusalem. In other words, rejection is his fate. Even though that rejection will occur in the capital of Israel, the Samaritan reaction mirrors that coming reality. The world is not responsive to Jesus; rejection is widespread.

The disciples react with the wish to use their connections and power to launch a retributive strike. James and John ask for the ancient equivalent of nuking the enemy: "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"The disciples understand the great power they have access to, but the question is whether vindictive use of this power is proper. Is their hostile reaction justified? The request for "fire from above" recalls the ministry of Elijah (2 Kings 1). In their view, surely rejection means instant judgment.

Jesus corrects them. The text does not tell us what he said. In a story that is a little unusual in form, it simply notes that Jesus rebukes them and they move on to the next village. Many Gospel accounts end with a climactic saying of Jesus, a pronouncement that is key to the event in question. Here Jesus' action speaks for itself. There is no saying; rather, the disciples' saying becomes a view to be rejected emphatically. The disciples are not to wield their power as a club of judgment. Vindication from God will come later, as he deals with those who reject him. Warnings can be issued, as in 9:5, 10:13-16 or 17:20-36, but God is giving people time to decide to come to him. So the disciples are to preach the opportunity for salvation. If they are not well received, they are to move on. So having left this Samaritan city, Jesus and the disciples continue their mission in another village.

Love Conversation

P: There are lots of women in the world. Some may be better suited than the other. It is not like there are rankings to people, but I assume there are more compatible people out there, so, why her? What is it about one than the other?

G: Why not her? Why does there need to be reason in love? The more you think about why, the less meaningful the love. 

Seven Churches of My Heart

The Seven Churches live within me. I have worked hard and persevered. I have not tolerated wicked people and have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not. I have endured hardships for his name and have not grown weary. Yet, I have forsaken the love I had at first. I have fallen far. I have been afflicted and was poor, yet, I was rich. I have remained true to His name. I did not renounce my faith in Him. Nevertheless, I sacrificed to idols and have committed sexual immorality. I have loved and served, and have done more than I had at first. However, I tolerated sexual immorality, idolatry. I have a reputation of being alive, but I am dead. Yet, a few of me have not soiled my clothes, and have walked with Him, dressed in white. I have had little strength, yet I have kept my word and have not denied His name. I have kept His command to endure patiently. I am neither cold nor hot. I have become lukewarm. I say I am rich, yet I am poor, blind and naked. 

He rebukes and disciplines those whom He loves. I shall be earnest and repent. I will be victorious and earn the right to sit with Him on His throne. I will hear with my ears what the Spirit says to the Churches within me. 

Revelations 2, 3

Getting Better

Beauty is the materialization of the Word, when it takes form and becomes real, tangible, able to change lives, save lives. 

Today, I am my worst, for I will be nothing but better tomorrow, forever.

Such Poverty

This morning, I got up with a verse lingering in my head. He said,

"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." Revelation 3:17-18

Oh, the world might think I have plenty. They would say my future looks bright, but without God, I am wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. No treasures stored in heaven, nothing of the Spirit. 

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:19-22

Hubris

I have begun to realize that God has been slowly coming after me. It seems like he has gotten a lot closer to my core, the hard, unwilling, stiff core of self. I just know that as soon as this shell breaks, I will be free to run into the arms of God. Until then, I try to wait patiently, though imperfectly.

Crossing the Jordan

"The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground."

"Then the LORD said to Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.; So the place has been called Gilgal to this day" Joshua 3:17, 5:9

We have already crossed the Jordan.
The past is behind us.
Though challenges still lie ahead, it is up to us to stand and fight.
Rise again. 

Timshel

“Ten years nearly,” said Lee. “Well, the story bit deeply into me and I went into it word for word. The more I thought about the story, the more profound it became to me. Then I compared the translations we have—and they were fairly close. There was only one place that bothered me. The King James version says this—it is when Jehovah has asked Cain why he is angry. Jehovah says, ‘If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.’ It was the ‘thou shalt’ that struck me, because it was a promise that Cain would conquer sin.”

                                                                                                                                   

Lee sipped his coffee. “Then I got a copy of the American Standard Bible. It was very new then. And it was different in this passage. It says, ‘Do thou rule over him.’ Now this is very different. This is not a promise, it is an order. And I began to stew about it. I wondered what the original word of the original writer had been that these very different translations could be made.”

                                                                                                                                   

Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. “Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

 - East of Eden / John Steinbeck 

Time

Consider the concept of time, the idea of "chronos." A clock indicates the movement of the earth around the sun. It is the second hand ticking away. Yet, this "time" is merely a figure of the human mind. It is a concept created by man to be able to communicate to a wider audience. The seasons do not come as time passes, but as the earth rotates around the sun. The body grows old not because "time" passes, but simply because it is meant to wither away. 

No. "Time" had a different name: "kairos." It speaks of moments, the events that happen, which marks "time" passed. When does a boy turn into a man? When his chronological age has reached 18? No, most likely when he learns of love, when he becomes a father, when he reaches his body's end, and sees his life flashing by. 

Daily Routine

Just another bus ride.

The driver greets each passenger with a gentle smile. A mother and her daughter jumps into the seat laughing, as they share away every detail of their lives. A father with his child on his shoulders walks all the way to the back, as the child has more fun there. A grandmother anxiously, yet happily, waits to see her family, checking again and again whether or not she got on the right bus. A boy lets his imagination fly while watching the world pass by through the windows of the bus. A girl carefully selects her words as she ponders about sending a text to the awaiting boyfriend. A young couple gets on as if the man had just proposed to her, flowers and all. 

Just another bus ride called life. 

Freedom

"The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 

Then the angel said to him, 'Put on your clothes and sandals.' And Peter did so. 'Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,' the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him." Acts 12:6-10

Thanks to the Lord who has given me life on this day many years ago. May He guide my life as well. Thanks to my family and friends. Though I may not be the most expressive, I sincerely consider you as gifts from God.

My Testimony

I live a simple life. I live without being in need of much. I am sure that I am better off than a lot of people in the world. I rarely have any worries. Even if I do, none of it are matters of life and death. I probably have nothing to lose, but all to gain. I have many family and friends, but I could be with few. Yet, when I read passages like this:

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'" Romans 2:5-6

I cease to be a man with the world at hand. Judgement is to come, but too few know about it. Repentance is in dire need, a humble heart is what should be seen, accepting Jesus is the answer. All too easy said than done.

This here is my testimony. I too lived a life of unknowing. Yet, I was saved by grace. For free at cost I had received this message, so for free at cost shall I deliver it to you. Seek the LORD. Now is the time. Seek the LORD.

Humble Heart

The difference between "I do not deserve this" and "I do not deserve this"

Fading Confessions

I probably will never have the guts to say this.

I already see myself thinking too much,

but, hey, I think I can love you a lot. 

Active

So frail is the human mind. Too many hurts turned into scars. Wounds heal, but memories cling on. When will we know fully the consequences of actions?

Despite the darkness, please do move on, yet again, for "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Sincerely praying for you, friend.

If You Forget Me By Pablo Neruda

If You Forget Me By Pablo Neruda
I want you to know one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

I was rather hesitant in posting this poem as one of my favorites. It certainly is a fantastic piece of work, but the poem conveys a message of conditional love. What happened to forgiveness? What happened to sacrifice? Where is this love of God that we are supposed to give endlessly? Would a day of no love push the man further away from the woman? Would a second change his heart in an instant? I know I am hopelessly misconstruing the meaning of the poem. I guess I'll leave this as my personal interpretation and commentary on thoughts that occurred while reading the poem.