No more cursing the darkness

Look well whether there be any wickedness in me and lead me in the way that is everlasting. Psalm 139:23

One of those Facebook posters or something like that struck me a few days ago: Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate. And I am so easily distracted, especially by the Church and my brothers and sisters.

And Jesus doesn’t want us to be bashers. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And hating includes muttering, “Fool,” under one’s breath.

So let me choose to be a promoter and a lover, and may the rest drift away into the shadows because of my light shining. Because when that trumpet blows there is going to be a great clarification of what is important. A lot of stuff isn’t going to matter, and some of it really is.

Jesus taught us, saying: ‘Make a tree sound and its fruit will be sound; make a tree rotten and its fruit will be rotten. For the tree can be told by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can your speech be good when you are evil? For words flow out of what fills the heart. Good people draw good things from their store of goodness; and bad people draw bad things from their store of badness. So I tell you this, that for every unfounded word people utter they will answer on Judgment Day, since it is by your words you will be justified, and by your words condemned. Matthew 12:33–37

This little light of mine, I ‘m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

With a Venetian glass rosary dangling from my neck

Let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; let them be merry and joyful. Psalm 68:3

Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things. Psalm 98:1

Blessed be the Lord, for He has visited His people, He has set them free, and He has established for us a saving power in the House of His servants, just as He proclaimed, by the mouth of His holy prophets. Luke 1:68–70

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Jesus Christ.  
Colossians 2:11-15

Prayer: I pray that you would help me today to stop fighting and striving against the enemy and instead stand firm in who you are and what you have done, that I would be confident of Christ in me who fights my battles for me.

It is really about time to start living in what is true. God is at work. I am to stand back and be amazed. And to be filled with peace, nay even joy at what He is doing.

Phil Drysdale reflects on the amour of Ephesians 6: What about Ephesians 6? We have to put on our spiritual armor and fight right? Well no actually. We are told to put on our spiritual armor and stand. We are to withstand the enemy, standing and having done all we can to stand we must… stand.

Where did we get fight from?

In fact even the items of armor are not things we earn but rather are free gifts. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God – all these things are Jesus, they are a gift to us and He fights our fight for us. In fact He already has. He’s simply enforcing the result.”

And when things get a little bloody from all of those Satan darts, and my thinking turns awry, I have been turning to the Lord’s Prayer:

Your will be done

Help me through this day

May I forgive as you have forgiven

Deliver me from the lies of the evil one

Yours is the glory forever.

Free, free indeed. Thank God Almighty, I am free indeed.

He is doing marvelous things.

Turning my back on the dumpster full of aluminum cans

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water and flint-stone into a flowing spring. Psalm 114

So I am wandering around Downtown, waiting for the teacher certification office to open. There is an announcement on the State of Arizona website saying that they have temporary office hours schedule while they update their internet system. It was posted November 12, 2012. Welcome to the state of Arizona education.

Downtown is full of homeless people. Most of them are trying to piece together a semblance of togetherness. For instance, a bright smear of red lipstick to cover up a mouth of missing teeth. I saw someone brush off a bench before they gingerly sat down with their plastic bags. Some have more tats than others.The people behind me are talking about the "nicest guy ever, a teacher and family man who dotes on his kids," getting caught with a jump drive of kiddy porn.

So many stories. None of us planned to be edging our way past the city worker blasting the sidewalk with a high-pressure hose.

That's what I remember from Istanbul. God Almighty gently nudging me, "and I love that one, and that one, and yes, especially that one."

We are creatures of His handiwork, beloved just because. He whispers, "Come drink, oh you who are thirsty."

And that is enough.

Selah.

Just before he got tossed into the lake of healing

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that is therein. Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy before the LORD when He comes, when He comes to judge the earth. Psalm 96:11-12

. . . everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of Him that cured them all. Then fixing His eyes on his disciples He said: ‘How happy are you who are poor: the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry now: you shall have your fill. Blessed are you who are weeping now: you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, look!—your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets. But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have plenty to eat now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who are laughing now: you shall mourn and weep. Alas for you when everyone speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’ Luke 6

Yesterday morning, just sort of randomly during swimming, I heard Jesus say to me: People are going to act really surprised when they find out that I meant it when I said, "If you have two shirts, and someone is without, give him one of yours."

And oddly enough He gave me a perfect opportunity shortly thereafter to give away a figurative shirt.

So I was surprised with this morning's verse, and the great joy that will greet Him when at last He comes to judge the earth.

And I can see that it is a time when the wrong will be made right, and every tear will be wiped away in the future tense. But there will be a fresh round of grieving and gnashing of teeth as all is made clear, and the chaff will be blown away.

But what I noticed this morning anew is that the poor have the kingdom of God now, present tense. This power and happiness somehow belongs to those huddled in Gaza UN schools, and in South Sudanese ditches, and border bus stations. I don't understand that, unless they have the opportunity to experience the lovingkindness of Jesus with no distractions.

Something to think about as I swim this morning.

And feeling pretty stripped-down naked myself, as in Aslan-peeling-the-beastly-stuff-off, with the "first tear so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart," leaving me smaller than I had been.

And I am pretty much left holding a basket of emptiness.

Let me hear of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I put my trust in You; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalm 143:8

In You alone.

Do not dare not to dare.

Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high, but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth? Psalm 113:5

So last night I started The Horse and His Boy, yet another of the Narnia books. And the main thing about rereading a book, is that each time you read it, you are a different person.

And the main thing about this book is that it is full of truths about Aslan on the move.

And I whisper, “Who are you?'
And He responds, “One who has waited long for you to speak.” 

As I stepped onto this pathway of wholeness, the question was, “If you can't ride, can you fall?"
"I suppose anyone can fall.”
"I mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling?” 

And I discovered that “When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.”

And if I ask the question, He answers, “Child" said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not theirs. I tell no one any story but his own.” 

And He reminds me, “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mill so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.” 

Aslan is on the move.

And really as I look into His eyes, I can only echo Wynn the sensible mare, “Please,' she said, 'You're so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I'd rather be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.” 

Happy are they that mourn, for they will be comforted

Porque las armas de nuestra contienda no son carnales, sino poderosas en Dios para la destrucción de fortalezas;  destruyendo especulaciones y todo razonamiento altivo que se levanta contra el conocimiento de Dios, y poniendo todo pensamiento en cautiverio a la obediencia de Cristo, 2 Corintios 10, 4-5

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Let your loving-kindness, O LORD, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you. Psalm 33:22

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Jesus taught us, saying: ‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

I was driving to swimming this morning, thinking about all those years I had the "taking every thought captive" verse taped to my windshield. Maybe I need to do that again. I sure know I wake up every morning ducking flaming darts.

So I just stumbled across my notes from the first few days of Potter's Wheel, dutifully transcribed before I knew that God was going to take out those big fat adobe walls I had been praying about all these years. And it is sort of stunning how spot on the teaching was before I was even aware of what lie ahead.

I get it.

He is faithful with Hie little yellow arrows pointing the way, even if it looks like I am headed into a pricker bush or straight up a cobblestoned path.

I get it.

Right now it is all about obeying Christ, even if I have no clue what lies around the curve up ahead.

He is faithful.

"But they won’t believe me!" said Lucy

Heal me, YAHWEH, and I shall be healed, save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

I will call upon God, and the LORD will deliver me. In the evening, in the morning, and at the noonday, I will complain and lament, and He will hear my voice. He will bring me safely back . . . God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me. Psalm 55

Out of the depths I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice; let Your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. Psalm 130:1

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

Prayer: Father, thank you so much for your goodness. I pray that You would show me Your goodness to a whole new level today and that it would cause me to be transformed by the renewal of my mind.

So Jack wrote me today, and asked, “How do you know this timing is the Hand of God?”

And I have to say that the Mexicali word from God was the clearest indication: The pain you are in, it is not your fault. I am at work, even as you are here in Mexicali. Do not be afraid.

And the gift of my trip through Istanbul, Italy, France, Spain, Italy, London was God saying over and over and over: I am powerful throughout all generations, I love people that one and that one and that one, I am trustworthy even though you cannot see around the curve, I am The Healer, and Stand back and be amazed.

And even now, step by step, He is there in conversations, in Scripture, in clarity, in chance meetings that shout to His timing from the dawn of ages.

But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, “Courage, dear heart,” and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.

Aslan is on the move. He has heard my lament.