The final photo and comment on the previous blog was an “off the cuff” idea. But the night I posted it Father started speaking to me about how nothing is “off the cuff”

We had attended a wedding in the Cotswolds of a wonderful couple who had chosen to sing 5 hymns at the service including the epic “And Can it be” by Charles Wesley. Charles was  the songwriter for the greatest revival ever known in England spearheaded by his brother John.
The final verse is magnificent.

No condemnation now I dread.                                                                                                                                Jesus and all in Him is mine.                                                                                                                                      Alive in Him my living head                                                                                                                                           and clothed in righteousness divine.                                                                                                                       Bold I approach the eternal throne.                                                                                                                         And claim the crown, through Christ, my own.

Father highlighted the last line to me and connected it to the crown of St. Paul’s on Hilary’s head! Is this the “prize” that St. Paul aspired to attain at the beginning of the Millennial bridge/age? (Philippians 3:10-14) The word for resurrection in this passage is best translated the “out – resurrection from among the dead” (See Companion Bible footnotes) In other words Paul is not doubting he will be raised but hoping to be part of the first resurrection of the Overcomer company prior to the general resurrection of all who have ever lived at the other end of the Millennial bridge/age. (Revelation 21)

Then the phrase, “my living head” was highlighted and Father reminded me of an incident back in Stratford. When Hilary and I had wandered in different directions I ended up in the Guild Church. There the guide pointed out a  mural on one of the walls. Apparently this painting had been purged during the Reformation. In fact it was said to be William Shakespeare’s father who as the city chamberlain had been responsible for it being ‘whitewashed’ over!

The mural had been ‘lost’ until some renovation work was being done in 1804 when it was rediscovered. It was now being painstakingly restored. The intriguing thing about it however was that the depiction of Christ was headless. Different theories had been proposed as to why, but there he was – a body but no head!

That night in Kingston, London, I was wakened in the middle of the night by a cry of distress. Was it a child? I didn’t think so. An animal? But it seemed too regular….. and the plaintive cry was growing steadily in intensity by the minute!

I got up and went to the restroom (or to the toilet for British readers : – ))  I opened the window to observe – a fox – walking slowly but deliberately right up the middle of the street!

As I lay down again the scripture came to me, “foxes have holes and the birds of the earth have their nests but the son of man has no place to lay his head.” This forms a verse in one of my songs whose chorus drawn from Psalm 132 goes, “Arise O Lord and come to your resting place”

I knew this was the cry of the Lord, our ‘living head’ to find his resting place – on his body!

Then the final piece came. The year the headless Christ was discovered in Stratford was 1804. You will remember from my previous blog,” Madeline Island and the Capstone” the significance of the number 204. This is the Capstone layer of the Great Pyramid. If you take 204 from 1804 you are left with 1600. You’ll remember from the blog “WE have Overcome” that 16 represents love. 100 represents fullness. So putting this together.

When the head comes upon his body we will have an expression of the fullness of love. 

Surely the cry emanating from that fox…… is about to be answered!

“The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!”…”Yes, I am coming soon”…Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev.22)

 

 

 

 

 

Hilary and I sing one of my songs together. The chorus goes:
“This is the greatest love story ever…………toward which all other stories laid claim.”

One of the world’s greatest ever storytellers was William Shakespeare. His plays remain popular because we identify with the timeless portrayal of The Human Experience.

One of his most famous speeches by Jaques in As You Like it begins:
“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” 

I suppose the ‘All’ would then include Shakespeare himself?

Through spending time in Stratford-on-Avon and London (and reading a children’s storybook : – ) Hilary and I became more familiar with his life and got glimpses into how he too was indeed a player in The Divine Play – a comedy and tragedy…… but ultimately a love story.

In Stratford we wandered in different directions before meeting again at the clock tower. While waiting  I began reading on it an inscription from a play I was unfamiliar with, Henry VIII.

We then set off for London where we visited The Globe theatre. It was circular with a canopy over the stage depicting a sun and stars…..“like a whole world…..which is why it was named The Globe.”

There I discovered Henry VIII was in fact Shakespeare’s last play and that it was during a performance of it that some sparks from a cannon had set fire to the straw roof…… and the original Globe was consumed by fire!

William’s fellows were eager for him in the light of his success to begin again. His response was, “No thanks I’m going back home to spend the rest of my days with my beloved wife, Anne.”

I believe all of us on This Globe share the same fate, for in 1 Peter 3:7-10 we read,

The present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire……..But the day of the Lord will will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements [Greek: stoicheion, “first or primary principles] will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Col.2:8 says,  “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles [stoicheion] of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

I believe therefore what this fire of God will destroy is the world’s philosophies such as atheism and materialism, not the physical creation. On the contrary God has promised  that the whole of creation which was declared ‘very good’  will in the end be filled with his glory as the waters cover the sea. (See for example Num.14:21)

In As You Like It, Jaques continues his speech describing “The Seven Ages of Man”

The seventh age is  “Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything!”

It is when we like Shakespeare are “sans everything” – when there is nothing left for us to take pride in, when our ‘ego’ is reduced to ‘absolute zero’, that God can then fill us and the whole of creation with his glory and become “all in all”. (Incidentally I am writing this blog in Belfast where Lord Kelvin the discoverer of ‘absolute zero’ was born. That is the point (273.15 Celsius) where molecules come to complete ‘rest’).

I believe this is the purpose of God’s fire, not to punish but to purify so that we rest from our own works in order to enter fully into ‘his rest’ ….and be united as the bride of grace (Anne) with our bridegroom (Jesus)…..” the author and finisher of our faith” – play : – )  (Hebrews chapters 4 and 12)

We are now 6,000 years from Adam. Barnabas writes in his epistle, (13:4,5)

4 Consider, my children, what that signifies, “he finished them in six days.” The meaning of it is this, that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. 5 For with Him one day is a thousand years; as Himself testifieth, saying, “Behold, this day shall be as a thousand years.” Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, shall all things be accomplished.

I think Father had purpose that it was at the clock tower that I should read these final words of Shakespeare, echoing the old testament prophets such as Zechariah describing the immanent Sabbath Millennium, for I believe ‘the day of the Lord’ is indeed ‘at hand’

“In her days, every man shall eat in safety under his own vine, what he plants:and sing the merry songs of peace to all his neighbors. God shall be truly known: and those about her from her shall read the perfect ways of honor and by those claim their greatness, not by blood.” (Henry VIII. Act 5 Scene 5)

(At The Globe Theatre in London. Hilary, crowned by St Paul’s on the Millennial bridge : – )

 

 

 

On the last day, each of us guessed how many barrow-fuls still remained to be shifted. We loaded up 26 for the back yard and then I realized I wanted to keep the remainder at hand to use in the front garden – so we only needed to move it a few feet. So as not to abort our guessing game we decided to count how many shovels it took to fill one barrow and then count the shovelfuls it took to move all the remaining wood chips to create the new pile a few feet away. Ana (GRACE) would count and then do the calculation dividing that number of shovelfuls by 15 to reach the final count of barrow-fuls. Many shovelfuls later the math was done and the winning number announced – it was ‘42′ barrow-fuls – the exact number Hopa had guessed!

In Matthew 1:1-17 it speaks of 42 generations between Adam and the Christ but if you count there are only 41 until Jesus (v.16)…that is because the Christ (“anointed one”) consists of Jesus the head joined to His resurrected body at His coming again.

The children of Israel’s 42nd encampment on their wilderness journey was after they had crossed over into the Promised land. This is a type of our crossing over to receive our lost inheritance…the ‘Promised land’ of immortality we will enter into at the resurrection…when our bodies are redeemed.

“We know that the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this HOPE we were saved….”(Rm.8:22-24)

Another perfect set up by Father for a final lesson for…..

GRACE had just declared HOPE the winner after 42!

I should finish this Overcomers series where I began…with Ivan….the initial workman.

 

Ivan of course had been a good resource…..actually more for fun than for work. “Papa if you could adjust the length of this shovel……..if you just get up on top like this and then loosen the pile…….if you turn the shovel like this….. ”

I smiled. All the while he was trying to perfect technique I was quietly loading and removing barrow after barrow as the Old Sinai works mount gave way to the New Jerusalem grace mount (Gal.4) – the big old tree now serving as foundational mulch for our new hedge of hazelberts (but that’s a whole other story!)

 

I chuckled how like Ivan we all are, taking ourselves so seriously as we “Do the Work of the Lord”  when all the while Father (with a little help from his (Jn.15) ‘friends’) is completing the business.  GRACE does indeed have the final word.

I look forward to seeing how ‘wrestling the hawk’ will work out in the life of this budding Overcomer : – ))

 

 

The next morning we managed 30 barrowfuls.

“So what does 30 mean?” I said to the three older girls, who had persevered to the end. “Here’s a clue. What age was Jesus when he began his work?”

“Preparation?” said Amber Sky. “Yes…..Preparation for leadership” I filled in.

“Isn’t it interesting that there are only the 3 of you left at 3-0 today? You do know that is because you three are being prepared to be Overcomers – leaders  to serve in your generation ?”

Shy smiles of acknowledgment all around.

The following morning I thought I’d get a little competition going. “What if the boys fill the blue barrow and girls fill the yellow?” I said.

The only problem was that the blue barrow was twice the size of the yellow barrow and the girls were twice the size of the boys!

The competitive approach worked for a while but the boys were beginning to despair of ever catching the girls. At 9-7 to the girls we paused for another “numbers moment.”

“So what does the 9 mean?” I asked.

“Yes, the 9 Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”

“Oh, that’s like the 7 Grandfather’s!” Hopa chipped in. Hopa and her sister Amber Sky are Native Americans.

“What are the 7 Ojibwe Grandfathers Teachings?” I asked,

“Love, truth, courage, kindness, respect, humbleness, wisdom.” They answered, and then Hopa made a suggestion.

“Why don’t we just all fill both barrows together?” 

“What an inspired idea!”  I said to the budding Overcomer.

“That reminds me of something that happened in the  Olympics woman’s race where Abbey from the US and Nikki from New Zealand collided and instead of each getting up and running on to get the medal for themselves, they stopped to help each other. Now that was Love…… and that is the ‘more excellent way’ (than competition) that Hopa has just suggested! Wasn’t love first in both the Fruits and the Grandfathers?”

” ……..and what is the total of barrows we’ve filled-  7+9 ?  ” I asked.

“Yes! 7+9 = 16….. That’s the number –  for LOVE!” (Sixteen aspects of love in 1 Cor.13.)

I think Father is sending us a message loud and clear about what Overcomers are being trained in! Agape love is the mark of an Overcomer.

It reminded me of another example of selfless teamwork that was seen worldwide when the Fijian rugby team won the Olympic gold in the 7s tournament as reported by NBC

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/fiji-rugby-players-sing-after-winning-gold

They are singing :

We have overcome. We have overcome.                                                                                                                     By the blood of the Lamb and the Word of the Lord                                                                                                 We have overcome.

 

P.S. I find the timing of Father’s orchestration of this post interesting….

The one national prize I won at high school was as a player on our school’s (GHS) winning 7’s team in the Northern  Ireland Medallion 7s rugby championship!

Tomorrow we fly back to Northern Ireland. (We will be away for 7 weeks.)

We have invited some old friends to join us in hosting a FREEDOM! retreat (Overcomer training!) in the Loft (Upper Room) in Belfast on the weekend 7-9 /10 – during the ‘10 Days of Awe.’ It will be awesome to see what Father has in store for this time!

Please join our team in prayer.

 

I’ve found as a Dad I get a lot of abuse for my humor. But that’s OK………I know who I inherit it from : – )

At the end of my last blog I quipped that the YouTube recording could be the first in what I called the “Duct Tape Series”  (because that is what Stephen used to secure his iphone to make the recording.)

Well Father reminded me of another photo I took the other day, and whispered,

“It’s the second in your Duct Tape series  :- ))”

Our son Robin has become passionate about Permaculture. This is his ‘start up’ permaculture truck. This is one of the advantages of living in the US because it certainly would not pass the “MOT test” in Northern Ireland.

It reminds me of an Oswald Chambers quote, “God does not give us overcoming life. He gives us life as we overcome.”

In all seven letters to the churches in Revelation we read, “To him who overcomes I will give….” Not all believers are overcomers, The apostle Paul sought to be, “I press toward the mark for the prize……”

I’m enjoying my son ‘fathering’ me as he learns from his heavenly Father (whose name by the way is George…. from Gk.”georgos” = gardener Jn. 15.1) to do again what our forefather Adam was instructed to do in the garden at the beginning. My earthly father was called George, but I was too immature as a boy to learn all I could have from him about gardening at that time. Now I’ve grown down a bit, hopefully I’ll be a better learner!

“And Jehovah God taketh the man, and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it, and to keep it.” (Gen.2:15 Young’s Literal Translation)

As I journey with Robin back to Eden before the fall I am learning  about tending rather than toiling in the garden…..and engaging more in this ‘rest work’ in the whole of  life.

(A great documentary about this if you have some time is: http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/)

The basic material for this ‘rest work’ approach in tending the land is mulch….which Robin seems to think is like “gold-dust’! So when the other day a sympathetic neighbour arrived at the door with the offer of a load of wood chips, we jumped at the opportunity even though it came with the condition that it would have to be “all or nothing”

Well the ‘all’ certainly filled Ben’s driveway next door.

 

Robin’s second name is Paul, as is the case with grandson Ivan Paul pictured on top of the mulch mountain.

I quickly realized this mountain was not a problem but an opportunity to overcome !! ……a chance to listen and learn from Dad while having some fun with numbers and some of the 9 kids in our home as we redistribute the motherlode around the garden.

“Let’s shoot for 25 barrow-fuls.” I said. “It’s the number for Blessing.”

After emptying the 25th barrowful I asked,

“What about going for 26? It means the Power of the gospel….Anyone want some power?”

“Yes! I do” asserted Ivan Paul. The 26th was quickly filled!

The next morning at breakfast Ivan asked,

“Can you be stronger in your dream than in real life?”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I had a dream last night that I wrestled a hawk!”  he said.

“Well” I said “You know a hawk can be a sign of blessing, (Heb. “nets’ = blossom) so you were wrestling for the blessing. Do you know there was someone in the bible who had to wrestle for a blessing? His name was Jacob (the schemer) and after years of using his own strength he wrestled with a winged creature too…an angel. It was a power struggle because he had to give up his power and acknowledge God’s power in order to receive the blessing. That’s why his name then got changed to Israel – which means ‘God Rules'”

This decisive encounter in Jacob’s life left him with a holy limp, as the one line he is afforded  in the Hebrews grandstand of faith describes him as “….bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” (Heb.11:21)

Or to put it in another Paul’s words,

“When I am weak……then I am strong.” (2 Cor.12:10) 

 

 

“Hey Roy, Ivan. Want to go to the woods and chop down some trees to make a fence? ”  I said.

“Of course!” Replied the boys in unison.

Axes and saws in hand we tramped along the trail on our adventure.

“Right or straight?” I asked.

“Straight” said Ivan immediately, never short of an opinion.

A full throated song bird overhead greeted us. A mother duck took to the water leading her 6 babies out of what looked like harm’s way. Myriads of tiny frogs scattered in green algae ripples. They were not running scared, just following nature’s instinct in a broken world.

 

“I think we’re on the right path.”  I said, stopping to examine what looked like an eagle feather.

“I told you we should go straight” said Ivan smiling smugly

As we emerged onto the railway track we discovered the prize –  two beautiful trees already felled lying on the bank.

“Ivan, What does a vulture do?” I said. Our encyclopedia of animal knowledge rattled off an answer

“Yes”, I said, “And every living thing including these two young trees, and you two young  boys, have been created by God for a purpose. It looks like someone cut these trees down…..but then just left them lying here. Today we are going to bless these trees! We’re going to use them to build a fence so that they will not have died in vain but will have fulfilled their purpose.”

 

So with reverence and gratitude we set about our business in front of the bridge where another young man I had met and talked to earlier who was searching for his purpose had expressed his artistry in this broken world that teaches nothing is sacred and everything is scary.

 

We hauled our treasure toward the car……now that had proved the main challenge…..finding a place to park…… with signs everywhere forbidding it for this reason and that.

As we emerged from the wood I realized we had just bridged two worlds.

The first world, well described in the book “Indian Boyhood” by Charles Eastman, is were we are walking sacred because all things and events are reverenced as originating from our beneolent Creator. Ours simply to recognize and receive with grateful trust all that comes our way as ‘sent’ from His loving hand.

The other world is were we are running scared. Forgetting that “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things” we have fallen for the illusion that we are in control and so we are driven by the fear that “We’ve got to look out for ourselves!” and so instead of delightfully receiving we find ourselves desperately seizing and then fiercely protecting our meagre pickings…..external rules and regulations replacing internal reverence.

 

I realized we had ended up parking ‘illegally’ in Killarney. Well no, not the original, but likely named by a fellow Irishman who had found a place to settle with a lake that reminded him of home.

Having taken possession the newcomers had to protect their property from others who might seek to do to them the same skulduggery that was done to the original custodians of this place!…..hence a highly controlled and fearfully regulated little cul de sac with just a handful of houses and no through traffic!!

 

As you can see from the photo we were forced to opt for the first world as ‘Renegade Injuns’ rather than the second world as ‘Law abiding Wasichu’ : – ) (Though Hilary said we weren’t parking – just loading : – )

Today we observe the world’s political, economic and religious pantomime that trades in these same fears because there is a scarcity of ‘clean’ fear. (Psalm 19:9) “The fear of the Lord ” motivates us from the heart to honor the Creator and as secure sons to ‘do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God’ (Micah 6:8)

And so we see the ship of humanity lurching in this current catastrophic storm, man looking anxiously to man (or woman : – ) for help – because the “sacred” rudder is broken.

Yet there is deep peace in the midst of the storm, for those who have heard the words of the angel,

“Fear not, for God has graciously given you the lives of all on board”

‘…….so keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.‘ (Acts 27:24,25)

 

I never know where I’ll ‘come ashore’ when I begin to write, but this reference to Paul’s shipwreck story in Acts 27 lends itself to my sharing a never recorded song with you. It captures the essence of why we don’t need to run scared!

This was recorded with the help of our son-in-law Stephen who with daughter Abby was recently visiting from Belfast. We did it literally in 3 minutes. Maybe it will be the first in “The Duct Tape Series” recorded at “One Take Studios”  : – ))

Please sing and share the truth!  (Go to YouTube for the lyrics)

With a houseful, Hilary and I have to schedule some ‘down time’. So each week in the summer we take a bike ride ending up in a favorite coffee shop. Last week as part of our ritual while munching a shared chocolate pistachio Danish we picked up the ‘real’ news paper to browse. Our hearts sank as we read the lead local story:

Nebraska crash kills Minneapolis family of five. Missionaries in training, they were rear-ended by a semi in construction zone.

Jamison and Kathryne Pals and their children, left to right: Ezra, Violet and Calvin. The vice president of a local nonprofit called the couple, “the most selfless people you would ever want to meet.”

Subsequently we discovered the couple were good friends of a number of our good friends.

As I pondered this event, Father began making some connections in my mind and imagination.

The image of the semi ramming the license plate of this families car as they were instantly ‘snatched away’ out of this life pointed me back to last weeks blog called “Learning Sign Language” (Before reading on you might want to review it.)

I had seen in our new license plate a message of how we are being prepared in this life to ‘cross over’. 1 Thess.4:17. talks about the ‘snatching away’ (Gk. harpazo) that we believe is immanent. Personally I do not believe this means ‘Christians’ will be ‘raptured’ out of a perishing world but rather a prepared company of believers dead and alive will be “raised” or “changed” in order to “rule and reign with Christ” in a Sabbath Millennium restoring the earth. (However the main message of this post holds true no matter what your end times eschatology)

My friend Eugene from Ireland responded to that blog with a question “Might there be something in the VXL to do with Roman numerals?”

I realized V is the number for 5. Then Father began piecing it together:

Although from an earthly perspective this crash was a tragedy, from a heavenly perspective I believe it contained a message of grace (the biblical meaning of 5). These 5 in preparation for crossing over (an earthly ocean) had sold their worldly possessions in order to engage with Joy (Their blog: For the Joy of Japan) on the other side. “The most selfless people you would ever want to meet” were 5 who had chosen “the more excellent way” (VXL) – the way of self donating love.

At our fellowship meeting last Friday I was lead to John 15 where Jesus at the end of a season of preparation  says to his disciples:

“I no longer call you my servants…..I have called you my friends.”

It was then that it dawned on me this family was called “Pals”..as in buddies!

The final piece of this revelation came when a friend said to me “They were both 29.…the biblical number for departure.”

Their time had come to depart – this life, as “Jesus’ friends” 

 

This morning I read another headline about another family of 5:

“Pennsylvania family of five dead in ‘murder-suicide”

This family was called Short.

Were their lives not cut tragically Short?’…… Is this one not a totally hopeless story?

I believe not.

In order to make sense of “This Life” book (whose ‘author and finisher’ is Jesus) we need to understand 3 things:

Firstly we need to know “The Whole Story” I believe that sadly most of us who profess to be Christians know little beyond our own ‘personal salvation’ story. But consider these two questions:

1. What does it mean that, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” ? (Romans 11:36)

2. Does the “all” include the Short family?

At the end of The Story we read,  “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne  and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power. for ever and ever.”‘ (Rev.5:13)

Secondly we need to know “The Timeline” I think it cannot be said of most of us as it was said of the Thessalonians, “Now, brothers about times and dates, we do not need to write to you.” (1 Thess.5:1). I know for most of my life I had a pathetic understanding of God’s “Secrets of Time” and of how God’s word has been and continues to be fulfilled in current events with absolute precision. Have we in assuming death the final deadline compromised the sovereignty of God to do all that He has said He will do?

“For as truly as I live all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.”(Numbers 14:21)

Thirdly to make sense of “This Life” book we need to learn “The Language” of a living God who is constantly speaking to each of us sovereignly, simply and specifically.

As we allow our Father to expand our understanding of these 3 things we discover a “God of hope” who can “fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Rm.14:13)…..Hope both for the Pals family and ultimately for the Short family, because I believe, that although one of them was ‘short’ of hope in this life our Father never ‘shorts’ anyone….for it was Jesus closest friend of all who said, 

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) 

P.S. This morning I noticed a 913 sticker on a bag in our bedroom. As I finished the blog I noticed the word count was also 913. I turned to Psalm 91:3, “Surely He will save you from the fowlers snare and from the deadly pestilence.“ I believe I received this message because I am being taught “The Language” so I can grasp “The Whole Story” and understanding “The Timeline” have hope for all.

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet . The last enemy to be destroyed is death…..When he has done this then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor.15.24-29)  

 

Last week we got a new license plate in the mail. Before putting it on the car I did something I wouldn’t have thought of doing a few years ago, I paused to listen.

Sure enough there was Father’s ‘gentle whisper’ in the sign.

‘9′ is to do with ‘visitation’. There are 9 fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. These are the ‘fruits of the kingdom’ that Jesus is looking for in our lives.(Matt.21:43) Jesus is the Heavenly Fruit Inspector coming to gather evidence to present in the divine court. In Luke 19 he laments over Jerusalem ‘you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’ 40 years later the city was destroyed. The few ‘good figs’  (Jer.24) were the disciples and converts who had recognized and received Him and many were expelled from the land by persecution. They were spared the judgement and began the first stage of the faith journey – justification. 

’40’ represents the wilderness training God’s people undergo as these fruits are cultivated  through testing and training. (Deut.8) This is the next stage of the faith journey – sanctification.

Between the numbers and letters there is an outline of the State of Minnesota’s border with neighboring Wisconsin giving the profile of a white face. This reminded me of Moses face that shone after encountering God on Mt Sinai, and Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration. Both these incidents prophecy about the change we are anticipating. “Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pt.1:13)

The double helix reminded me of DNA. When we are changed in our ‘atom-os’  (1 Cor.15:51,52) Our Divine Nature will be Activated. This will be the third and final stage of the faith journey – glorification where we will cross over into the Promised Land, regaining the inheritance that was lost in Adam as we are “filled with all the fulness of God.” (Eph. 3:19)

‘VXL’ spoke to me of ‘the more excellent way’  (1 Cor. 12:31) This is the way of love which is the way of God, who is Love. As we receive the heart of God and the mind of Christ we will be fitted ‘to rule and reign with Him’ in the Great Sabbath Millennium that is almost upon us. (Rev. 20:6)

I believe a major step in this coming into oneness with God is the discovery that while He is absolutely just, as the title of Pope Francis’ book suggests, “The Name of God is Mercy” and that ultimately, and for all, His mercy triumphs over His judgement. (James 2:13)

I believe this song (captured in our basement) captures that heart and mind toward which we are journeying:

I’m so glad I paused to listen……and that you paused to listen too : – ))

 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we have a house-full! The 22 people currently living in the Big Green House include our son Ben, his wife Kim and their new son, Asher Ewan, born just a week ago.

Of course it’s all hands on deck and this morning after a disturbed night for mum and dad with baby and sick kids I heard Isla, now big sister, stirring at 6 am. I thought I’d see if I could buy the parents a couple more hours sleep so put Isla in the stroller and started jogging down the Parkway, singing as we went. As a parent you learn how to kill three birds with the one stone : – )

I found myself reflecting on the difference between a dutiful son and a faithful son. A dutiful son ticks the boxes in his head. His focus is external conformation. A faithful son shares responsibility from his heart. His focus is internal transformation. One knows only drudgery the other knows only joy! 

The prodigal’s older brother in the story of the two sons is the classic dutiful son. But “out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” and his angry outburst of complaint against his father and younger brother revealed what was really going on inside.

“All these years”…it had been drudgery!

Our older brother Jesus is the perfect example of the faithful son,

“Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. “ (Prov.8:30,31)

From the start…..it has always been joy! 

I started singing Isla a happy song that I co-created with Dad (and Rogers and Hammerstein) as I drove each day last year to my sandwich delivery job at Jimmy John’s.

O what a beautiful morning, O what a beautiful day.                                                                                            I’ve got a wonderful feeling Jesus is with me today.

O what a beautiful morning, O what a beautiful day.                                                                                            I’ve got a wonderful feeling everything’s going His way

The delight of a co-creating son continued for me today…… as another verse rose up.

O what a beautiful morning O what a beautiful day.                                                                                                  I’ve got a wonderful feeling everything’s going my way,                                                                                           Cause my way is His way, in this day and always,                                                                                        Everything’s going our way!

We arrived at the 3rd tee, of the local golf course. The 333 yd hole overlooks the 3 iconic skyscrapers in Minneapolis. The perfect setting for another song.

“Let your glory, Let your glory, Let your glory fill the earth.                                                                            Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Let your glory fill the earth.”

I don’t think Isla was passive in this process. I believe her childlike spirit was engaged in this prayer just as Robin’s had been when I pushed him around Munich for hours early one morning 37 years ago and Abby’s had been when we toured the terminals for several hours at Gatwick airport in London when our flight was delayed 23 years ago.

How did these songs asking Jesus to come and restore his creation in those places play into the shootings last week in Germany or the Brexit vote the week before or into next week’s news in Minneapolis?

God only knows…… but He does know, for our “Amen” on earth to what has been decreed in heaven seeds the clouds of the Spirit.

As we arrived home, having completed the circle. Isla delightedly exclaimed.

“Look Papa. – It’s raining!”

Following Jesus can be simple……. just love every “little one” He sets in front of you in the  creative way He shows you.…..and you may incidentally find yourself a history co-creator…. for “the hand that rocks the cradle” – with Jesus joyful heart, does “rule the world.”

 

 

 

“On your left!”

Vroom!.….I barely had time to steady my bike when the serious senior cyclist brushed past me – a yellow streak of lycra with a goal in mind.

“Still chasing that American dream” I thought.

A moment or two earlier I was slowed in my tracks as a rabbit ran across the path in front of me. I recalled the words from our Creation song,

“The rabbit that skipped as His foot touched the ground.”

I too had been speeding along, but the incident caused me to slow down to a pace more in keeping with my attire – yesterday’s shorts and teeshirt, an old pair of sandals and no helmet!!

As I began to be more present to His foot-print in the woods around me all sorts of wonders  appeared. Of course they had always been there, I was just going too fast to notice.

I pondered my white-haired counterpart who had just zoomed past….. presumably a ‘successful’ man now retired and able to afford “all the gear”…..rising early and speeding ahead.

I came to a familiar crossroads and thought “I’ve never turned right here” so let the notion take me while my thoughts continued in a straight line….There in front of me I saw the first sign:

 

I remembered another “Vroom-man”, one of my fellow “Freaky Fast” drivers at Jimmy John’s when I had followed the Spirit to a sandwich delivery job for a season last year. When I asked him “How are you doing?” he would always give the upbeat reply, “Living the dream!”  I knew he was studying and aiming for something better than JJ’s delivery and that his positive confession was more about his distant aspiration than his current position.

Keith Green’s song came to the mind.

“You can run to the end of the highway…and  not find what you’re looking for.”

Then as I cruised round the next corner I saw the sign: “Damascus Way”

I chuckled, and gratitude rose up in me as I realized that just like my famous namesake, God had halted me too from “chasing a dream”  The unconverted apostle’s  earthly  dream was not ‘worldly’ but religious…..to wipe out those evil Jesus followers…..maybe the zealous illusion that we are “serving God” is even more dangerous than fame or fortune?

At the end of the book of Acts Paul discloses the secret to his change of focus. ” I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven” On the Damascus Way, Paul was ‘stopped in his tracks’, and exchanged his earthly dream for a heavenly vision.…. a vision of God, as he really is, and the good things He has in store, especially for those who seek after Him in this life. The blind prisoner in the house of Judas (Jewish law) on the Straight Street (of orthodoxy) after being knocked of his (high) horse was after three days of reflection transformed from Saul (the demander) to Paul (the little/humble one) as his physical vision was restored and true spiritual vision awakened for the first time! (Acts chapter 9)

Years later he still writes, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Yesterday I heard an interview on the radio encouraging people to consider writing a legacy letter to leave for their children.

Often people say to me. “So you left Medicine to go into Ministry?” I thought, “I don’t want to be remembered by a destination…. but by a disposition – as one who stopped “chasing earthly dreams” and started “living a heavenly vision.” 

“Blessed are those in whose hearts are the highways to Zion.” (Ps.84:5)

Praying this legacy be written on the hearts of all our children.