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BeLOnGings

.....and being with you nothing else I desire.

“I Will Speak To You….”

by on in I Will Speak To You

 

It didn’t take long to hear the ‘blog breath’ on this week’s bike ride! As we emerged from our driveway I noticed the two cher-ry trees in our front yard, and Father (who is ‘Hooked on Phonics’ to help those of us are a little on the slow side) whispered, “I will speak to you from between the cher – (umbim)” (Ex.25:22)

By the end of the ride I had received a a full series outline for the above title and all five headings beginning with “S”!!!!!.

The first was that when God speaks to us, he speaks Symphoniously, i.e. in harmonious agreement or accord. 

The most immediate outworking of this in my own life is in our marriage.

At one point on the ride, as Hilary and I were poised to take a left, we noticed a group of serious bikers approaching on the other side. “Can we make it before them?” Hilary muttered, pedaling hard to make the turn – just in time! As I followed at a more leisurely pace, and paused to let the group pass, the lead rider, an older man, gave me a both exasperated and thankful look, as if to say, “Some people just have to speed ahead………thank you for waiting!

“Here we have the two ‘cherubim'” I thought, “Hilary – the Accelerator. Paul – the Brake.”

I went on to meditate on the purpose of our union being to learn how neither of us are in the driver’s seat and so rather than focus on how my partner needs to change and become ‘normal’ like me, we both need to learn sensitivity to the Paraclete (the one who comes alongside) and learn to respond to Him rather than react to the ‘otherness’ of our partner. For it is only “between the cherubim”  – i.e. in our togetherness, that we will hear His voice.

Sitting in the sunshine outside a coffee shop a few minutes later, we shared a lunch and coffee from the one plate and the one mug, the one conversation ebbing and flowing naturally as we reflected together on the many lake side ‘mansions’ we had just passed…. on Jesus words about the ‘mansion’ being prepared for us that “where He is we may be also”….. and on how that ‘mansion’ is our heart where he has already taken up residence, and is at work that we might happily and compatibility occupy the same space (Matt.12:40  : – )

We talked about our heart as the ‘secret place’ of Psalm 91 and ‘the shadow of his wings’ the place of not seeing fully, but learning ‘to trust’.

Hilary then commented that she had just sent a message to someone, encouraging them that the ‘shadow’  they had been in was that in the ‘secret place’ of their hearts they might learn this ‘trust’

At the very moment she spoke these words, a ‘shadow’ passed across us. I looked up, and there above, was a plane whose ‘wings’ had blocked the light of the sun, for an instant, putting us both in ‘the shadow’!

We smiled knowingly at one another.

Hearing God’s voice requires our learning to symphonize what is going on inside of us with what is going on outside of us. It also requires our learning to symphonize our own heart with the other human heart Father has placed along side of us.

This does not have to be a marriage partner. When I communicate with certain friends I now expect that when we talk about ‘ordinary’ life there will be a cacophony of ‘pings’ in both our hearts.

I believe Father gave me Symphonizing as the first qualification to hearing Him speak because we are so bad at this! Like the naieve crab being slowly boiled, we may be in a church, or a marriage, but we are being stewed in a culture of independence – still operating in isolation.

Jesus warns about those who point out to the desert or in to the closet to find the Son of Man at his coming.(Matt.24:26) Neither in a big name on the internet nor in the privacy of our personal prayer closet, will we ever fully find Him. We are meant to connect with Him in our hearts as we engage in real life with the real ones who he has sent to us…. for “You will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” (Matt.23:39)

As I typed these words Gilbert arrived into my study and said, “Were you calling for me?” I said “No?” but immediately recognized this was Father confirming what I had just written, through the story of Samuel and Eli……where there needed to be a paradigm shift…….in recognizing God’s voice…… as we symphonize with the people and the circumstances of our present life. 

There is a place for prayer closets, podcasts and prophetic lists, but none of these these can ever substitute for the music of a two way relationship in which we experience the blessed communion of the Godhead.

Speeding up to Hilary on the ride home, she said, “You did your sprints yesterday…….you know you need to take a day off and just enjoy the ride through the spring woods with your wife.”

“There you have it.” I thought. “Paul the Accelerator. Hilary the Brake. Ha!!”

That is why we need to both grow in sensitivity to the one in the driver’s seat. For it is only “between the cherubim”  – i.e. in our togetherness, that we will hear the voice, of our good shepherd.

 

Caring for Those who have Fallen Between the Tracks

by on in The House (Rivendell)

 

Last week was a very full one here at Rivendell….. between completing the work of getting a new heart (of the home…..photos of the reborn kitchen soon!) and a full day’s filming for a documentary about the house (video link to another miracle story also coming soon). The critical reason, however, why I didn’t post, was because the ‘blog breath of God’ I always wait for…….only came this morning!

As usual, it is on our ‘day of rest’, that our Father does His best work; and so it was only this morning now that the long hard winter seems to have finally passed, and spring is well and truly sprung, that as Hilary and I were enjoying once again our weekly bike ride – the ‘blog breath’ breathed!…… as Hilary almost ran over the little fellow pictured above, caught in a ‘tight spot’!

As we stopped and picked him up from between the railway tracks, it occurred to me that this is what God has called us to do in this home with some of his human creatures who have also ended up in a ‘tight spot’!

Last night I received a double witness to this thought. I was awakened to a bloodcurdling scream just outside our bedroom window. I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs and noticed through the window as I paced to the door, a fox running past. Turning on the front lights I opening the door and spied Mr Fox, sitting staring at me from the neighbor’s yard. Moments later, the prey, a local stray cat we are familiar with, stepped gingerly out of his ‘tight spot’ onto our front porch. He paused looking at me for a moment as I stood before the open door. Then it was as if he said, “Thank you for the offer of protection and hospitality, but I think it’s too late to change, I’ll  just continue to take my chances out here – on the wild side.” ….and with that he slipped away into the night of the other neighbor’s yard.

Last Friday, present and former Riven-dwellers gathered for a time of thanksgiving for all God has done here over the years as one by one folk have accepted our offer of hospital – ity. One brother who had originated the phrase, “The only way into this house is through the door of desperation!’ described how although he came in through that door when he had been in a ‘tight spot’ of anxiety and isolation, during his time in the house he had become passive. However since leaving, Father had ‘taken him to the wood shed’, and blessed ‘desperation’ was reawakened, so that now a number of the things we had discussed with him while here, he is now embracing and implementing, to further change and heal.

What a joy to witness him and many others continue onward and upward on their journey into God!!

As Hilary and I lifted our little stuck turtle friend and set him back on his feet, we pointed him in the opposite direction to the tracks, for the purpose of being brought to that point of desperation is not to end up back ‘on the tracks’ of a rigid external religion where, as Jesus said, man’s traditions make void the living word of God. Rather our desperation is designed to reconnect us with Him, that we be done with the proud tree of the knowledge of good and evil and humbly set our face like our little friend (click below) to stride out toward the shade of the tree of LIFE by the river of LIVING water. (Psalm 1)

IMG_3733

 

Signs Following

by on in Uncategorized

Thank you for praying for the Freedom! retreat.

The day after, we flew to St Augustine, Florida for a rest. Driving around the city looking for a (free-dom : – ) parking place, we spotted it, pulled in, and looked up.

 

We were parked on St. George’s Street. Remember? That is our Father’s name! (Jn.15:1′ georgios’). We were in front of house number 317. Zephaniah 3:17 was the scripture that inspired the song “On the Day You were Born I Danced Over You”  Then the ‘WELCOME’ sign above the rocking chair. It all seemed like Father’s smiling invitation, “Come, sit with me….let me dandle you on my knee.” (Is.66:12,13)

Walking across the Bridge of Lions we spotted the two ships pictured above. In the foreground is the Black Raven Pirate ship replete with skull and crossbones. In front of it the a more stream lined nippier vessel with the name FREEDOM! It reminded us of what we had just experienced as yet again folk escaped from the one who “seeks to steal kill and destroy” into the freedom of The One who came that we “might have life and have it abundantly!” (Jn.10:10)

I was reminded of a scripture Eugene had sent before the retreat from Ps.124:7 “We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.”

Little did we know Father had another ad hoc Freedom! retreat lined up for us over the next two weeks in the living room of dear friends, Larry and Jenn, two Riven-dwellers who now have a similar home in St. Augustine. What a joy to once again see captives being set free in the Father’s love from years of wounding and bondage!

Interestingly they like us (photo below) are in the middle of ‘upgrading’ the kitchen ‘heart’ of their home, where they constantly feed people who are healing in body, soul and spirit, together around their table.

Our new stone worktop is called Ocean Foam. Their new stone floor is called Aquamarine.

As I ran along the shore of the Atlantic one morning reflecting on this, the childhood chorus came back to me;

Wide wide as the ocean; high as the heavens above

Deep deep as the deepest sea, is my Savior’s love

I though so unworthy; still I’m child of His care

For his word teaches me,

That His love reaches me.

Eeeeeeeeeverywhere. 

As we walked to the other end of St. George Street, there was our Father showing of again!

 

Did we get our rest? Well of course we did, because walking down His street all our work is now His ‘rest’ work! (Heb.4:9,10)

P.S.Kitchen upgrade will hopefully be revealed – next week : – ))

Dear Robbinsdale City Council

by on in The House (Rivendell)

 

A number of you have enquired about developments with the alleged City code violation I blogged about on the 24th March. The photo above is the official warning letter we received. We were given a right of appeal and following is the letter we submitted to the Council:

2721 Parkview Blvd.
Robbinsdale MN 55422
4/2/2018

Dear Robbinsdale City Council:

Thank you for allowing us 45 days to respond to the alleged Ordinance violations relating to our home at 2721 Parkview.

First a little personal background. Robbinsdale and 2721 Parkview has been my family’s home for 16 years. We have lived here 16 years peaceably, without incident or controversy.

I grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland where I trained as a doctor. In 1980 at the height of “the Troubles” I left medical practice to work for peace and reconciliation by leading a faith based community of Catholics and Protestants.

In 1994, Hilary, my wife of 42 years, myself and our 7 children immigrated from Ireland to Minnesota to continue this reconciliation work in our new homeland and to contribute to it’s wellbeing. Part of this work involves our opening our home to members of our faith family who are in need of healing so they can live for a time in a stable and loving family environment.

Our children have in turn been able to make their contribution here. For example, our eldest son (Robin) is a life health coach, another son (Luke) has opened two restaurants in North East (The Anchor Fish and Chips and The Draft Horse), while another son (Ben) has contributed as a songwriter to the arts. I believe he has done a house concert in Mayor Murphy’s home. We now have 10 American grandchildren.

1.  In answer to alleged violation of SECTION 505.09 SUBD 48

We are not in violation of this Ordinance because we are a single family related by blood.

Our faith instructs us that we are a “family of faith.” Galatians. 6:20.

Every person that lives in our home is part of our single family of faith because everyone in our single family of faith has faith in the blood of Christ:

“God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Romans. 3:25.

We are therefore a single spiritual family of brothers and sisters related through the blood of Christ.

Christ affirms our position:

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? ”Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew. 12:47-50

2. In answer to alleged violation SECTION 515.01 SUBD 3.R-1

We are a single family related by blood and we do not rent rooms to our family members. We believe God sends people our way and when we invite them to come and live as part of our family we make it clear that it is not a commercial arrangement but a relationship. We tell them we do not charge rent because our understanding of hospitality is that it should be an extension and reflection of the immeasurable and free grace that we have already received.

Again, our faith instructs us:
“Offer hospitality without grumbling” 1 Peter 4:9, and “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews. 13:2.

This is the belief of all main branches of the Christian faith. The Jewish Torah also commands care for strangers 36 times, even more times than love for God.

At the hearing on this matter, we will show the Council that we have fully complied with the letter and spirit of the Robbinsdale Ordinances by using our property in a manner that best protects the public health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Robbinsdale (505.03) and further that our interpretation of the ordinances above is consistent with the Ordinances because in “in interpretation and application,” the Ordinances require that its provisions be held to be “the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, and welfare.” (505.05)

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for me.” Matt. 25:40.

Yours faithfully,

Paul and Hilary Kyle

P.S. God knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. Just before the violation issue surfaced I started my post with following photo.

Brian Rupe commented:

“Paul, great message in today’s blog. I noticed in the top photo the front door is open which is quite surprising, knowing it is winter.

Behold I stand at the door and knock . . . Come on on on in . . . !”

P.P.S. We continue waiting on the Lord and awaiting a response from the City Council.

“Learning to Run Together”

by on in Uncategorized

A few days ago a friend sent me a link to a recent video someone had made featuring 55 year old footage from the ‘village’ where we were raised. It brought back many memories seeing my old childhood friends and the fun events like the Primary School sports day that tended to make their way onto Percy’s screen. Back then Percy was held in awe as the one man who could afford the luxury of such a hobby………..changed times!

The clip above was the only one I found of myself! My friend, Paddy and I are going up to receive our medals. We had just won the three legged race!!!

I grew up in the Protestant/Loyalist community. The name “Paddy” represents the Catholic/Republican community. Little did I know at age 10 how prophetic this photo would prove to be 55 years later, as I reflected on  my life’s calling to participate in the “repair of the breech” between these two factions in Northern Ireland (Is. 58:12).

God selected me to run with others I would not have chosen and who I would have to learn to ‘get along’ with in Christ, running as the “One new (three-legged) man” so that together we could win the race (Eph.2:14-18).

Jesus said “You did not choose me, I chose you …..and chose who you were to stand beside” (Jn: 15:16, 1 Cor:12:18).

We don’t get to choose. We just get to refuse when God calls or resist when we don’t like those we find ourselves placed alongside. We think romantically about dying a martyr’s death,  but most of us are called to “martyrdom on the installment plan” as we die daily by laying down our lives for those He puts us alongside to run with in life. This practical loving in the “here and now” is the heart of the short song I shared last week. It’s worth repeating:

Our life has been so enriched as we have sought to embrace and stick with the motley crew of friends God has given us over the years, all over the world, of every shade and slant and persuasion and perfusion, for it is only together that we will go in…and access our victory in the Victorious One who has been lifted up that ALL men might be drawn unto Him (Jn.12:22).

 

 

 

 

There are only 2 things I HAVE to do today

by on in The House (Rivendell)

 

 

It was Benjamin Franklin who said “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”

Actually to update you there is only one thing I need to do today.

A month ago I put together my tax documentation and sent it to my accountant. Her name is Kristi and she has been a real “Christed one” – a Godsend to us! She replied instantly, and amazingly only needed a few details from our driver’s licenses, and low and behold, within an hour, we had our returns completed and submitted.

The net result was that the Federal government paid me $2 and MN state $1. Last year it was $1 and $0.

“CRAZY!“ was Kristi’s comment. We just chuckled. “God who has called you is faithful and he will do it.” He has always provided for us down to the last dollar………So we asked Him “Why the 2 and the 1 dollar or the 1 and the 2 dollar refund?”  knowing there must be a message in it – because Father’s accounting is flawless!

Well, the number 21 represents Jacob’s trouble or rather then end of Jacob’s trouble, because this is the number of years Jacob had to do hard labor in order to win his bride. The number 12 represents authority as in the twelve elders around the throne. Putting these two together, the message we got was that in order to exercise kingdom authority there is a necessary training period.

Interestingly when we first moved to the US we lived at Washburn (Mal. 3:2 says “He will be as a refiners fire (Burn) or a launderer’s soap (Wash)”  Those were challenging years of training. For the last 16 years we have been on Parkview, learning increasingly to “Stand (Park) still and see (View) the salvation of your God.” (2 Chron.20:17)

We believe this is being played out in a very real and down to earth way with this recent showdown with the City Government over our call to HOSPITAL – ITY.

We are actively waiting on (binding ourselves to) the Lord, to see His victory in this.

So it looks like all that is left for us……… To Do To Day  – is TO DIE : – )

Our Father gave me a song about this:

 

Sitting in the middle of a Minnesotan snow storm with 10 inches fallen and more to come encourages resting from our works and entering into God’s work.

The photos above and below feature the remnants of our family Resurrection Sunday celebration. Sitting around the table, munching our feast of Moroccan lamb, roasted vegetables and toasty baguette, nana asked the Grandkids, “What do the butterflies on the windows represent?” Right away the answer came …..“Life from death!”

Hallelujah! He is risen……and so shall we : – )) 

 

Looking For Another City?

by on in The House (Rivendell)

Well this has been an interesting week at Lake Wobegon……..(An ‘insider’ joke for Minnesotans and Prairie Home Companion listeners)

In my last blog I wrote about how Babylon’s days were numbered…… but she ain’t going down without a fight. We Irish though, do ‘love a fight.’  The key of course is to recognize, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers…..the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual to the pulling down of strongholds.” (not of people)

The same day I posted about an example of Babylonian thievery (“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy”) we had an official come to our door from the City of Robbinsdale where we have lived peacably for 16 years. We had been “accused” (Rev. 12:10,11) by someone in an email of violating of the City “code” by having people live with us so that we were not a “single family” made up of “blood” relatives!

“Yet another round!” I thought reflecting back to our first of many encounters with this ‘power’ The flashback was to a meeting 42 years ago in Belfast. The officials then were also holding “code” books (not bibles) and ‘accusing’ us of a violation. As Dr Kennedy emphasized in Fluoridegate last blog, this ‘power’ always puts THE POLICY before the people, and the letter before the spirit.

In the Torah the most frequent law, occurring even more often than the command to love God, is “Do not mistreat the stranger” (the one without power) It is repeated 36 times! Currently we have 2 single moms who happen to be native American and 2 single dads and their children finding shelter and support under the large roof Father has given us. It is hard for those of us from an Irish or Indian culture to understand that for offering hospitality freely – we are now “Outlaws”! 

It’s apparent to me that this little personal crisis for us actually represents a much bigger opportunity for the Lord. Whatever the outcome, in the process we will do our best to show the City that the former strangers living with us are our “single family” and that we share the same holy “blood”-line. We believe it is the time for Christ’s victory over these ‘powers’ to be seen in this City and for captives to be set free.

As I have often written before, we do not believe in co-incidence but rather God-incidence as it is “the Sovereign Lord” who “works ALL things together for good.”

Consider the following “God incidences”:

1. Ben has given a concert in the home of the Mayor of Robbinsdale.

2. Our next door neighbor for the last 16 years has been the City’s Chief of Police with whom we have a very cordial relationship.

3. Last Monday I attended a funeral at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska, I had intended slipping into a back seat because I had never actually met the deceased! When I stepped through the door I was approached and asked to sit in the front seat and was then privileged to be asked to read the following scripture “…..and I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband…….…He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain….”(Rev.21)

If we have to move on from Robbinsdale because we are forbidden to practice hospitality in this City the way we have done throughout our married life, that’s OK. The verse that brought us to America was, “For he was looking for The City which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.…..for here we have no lasting City.”(Heb.11:10, 13:14)  It is the Holy City, the New Jerusalem that our eyes are fixed on here in the middle of the USA as the hat in the above photo humorously illustrates. (The hat and the little St.Patrick figure and the Dakota prayer of thanks were all gifts from those who have received hospitality here.)

The New Jer-usa-lem, the antithesis of Babylon, is our ultimate destination……that we become, that City of God.

It has just occurred to me that the Lake Wobegon joke at the beginning may have been unwittingly inspired,

“Woe! Woe! O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!” (Rev. 18:10) 

In the New Jer-usa-lem all Woe will be gone : – )

We had already planned to fast and pray next week. These developments give us a heightened focus for our intercession. Please join with us as we pray the Lord’s prayer together, confident that His kingdom will come on this part of the earth, and on your part of the earth beginning with the earth of our own hearts………as it is in heaven.

Finally a poem I was given for this time:

Let go. Let go. Let go

……of the earth beneath

So we can go

with the flow

……the grace flow

that shapes

the to and fro

the stop and go

the ebb and flo

of unfolding,

evolving,

becoming,

returning

into Him from whom we’ve come.

The Grounded One.

He Rose.

 

St Patrick’s Conspiracy

by on in Uncategorized

 

 

Conspiracy isn’t a theory. It’s in the bible!

Ps.2 says, “Why do the nations CONSPIRE…….against the Lord and his anointed.” and in 1 Jn.5:19 we read “The whole world is in the hands of the evil one.”

The truth is there are men driven by evil who care nothing for people and who will go to any lengths to exploit others as fodder for their own selfish and avaricious ends. The bible describes this corrupt system as ‘the world’ or Mystery Babylon, but prophecies it’s demise when,

“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes anymore…… (including) the bodies and souls of men.” (Rev.18:11-13)   

The power of Mystery Bablyon resides in it’s mysterious or secretive nature. Increasingly however the controlled monopoly of news brokering is being challenged for example through increasing access by more and more people to the internet. “FLUORIDEGATE An American Tragedy” a film by Dr. David Kennedy – YouTube  is one example. It illustrates how from the moment of birth the most vulnerable are under threat from this evil and how a child on the first day of it’s life in the ‘modern’ world will often be given, through the suppression of honest science, two deadly neurotoxins through vaccination and the tap water used in it’s feed.

The US Cathedral of Babylonian Materialism happens to be in Minneapolis. We made a visit on St. Patrick’s weekend to The Mall of America. It has recently had ‘a facelift’ and is now ‘on steroids’ from what we remember from a few years ago!

I was initially drawn to the (bigger and better) Rotunda performance stage by the sound of Irish fiddle music. Walking toward it, I recalled how just after we arrived in America we had somehow found ourselves on the more humble version of the stage in March of that year. The invite came because the manager of the Irish store in the Mall for some reason liked us, and wanted to stock our ‘O Ireland’ album. So myself, a couple of sons and a few friends formed a rudimentary band, while Abby and Josh (as he was then) added the visuals – a cute couple of kids with big eyeglasses and basic Irish dress doing some elementary Irish dance steps. With my usual patter, the modest crowd that gathered were treated to a little more Irish “family fun” (like I wrote about last week)

As I rounded the corner, and the music built to a climax, my gaze was met by an entire dance company of intense little girls bedecked in bright sparkling sequins and bumphly Shirley Temple wigs, performing the finale of a veritable 4th grade version of Riverdance in all it’s glory!!

Show over, I made my way back to the foodcourt where I was to meet Hilary. She had stopped off to look for (and inevitably find…she always shops with the Holy Spirit) bargins in Nordstrom Rack. So I wandered around the Supersized Foodcourt. Once again, Mystery Babylon was in full view for those with eyes to see. I took the following shot outside a ‘sugar’ outlet.

In the foreground you see a life-size cardboard cut out of the friendly looking founder of the business, casually resting a rolling pin on his shoulder. Behind him is the line of victims, sorry, customers ready to buy. I noted many were obese and then spotted the man in the wheelchair. Little do most folk know that the number one dietary culprit for most of our chronic debilitating diseases in our ‘modern’ world’ is this legal drug that is more addictive than opium! That rolling pin he welds will really do a number on you!!

My soul overstimulated and my spirit groaning I felt I had had enough, and as I escorted Hilary with her loot out of ‘the Rack’, I noted the background music of this Babylonian liturgy:

In contradiction to the whisper in my spirit my soul was being brainwashed to “Shout it out loud…….I want candy!!”

….but now the really GOOD news – we participated in the alternative conspiracy this St Patrick’s weekend! 

It is revealed in Psalm 2 verses 4-6

“He who sits in the heavens laughs……….. I have installed My King”      

Following last week’s blog I got an email from a wonderful young Irishman now in Australia who represents this other conspiracy that is going on, visible only to those who have eyes to see.

Cam had a flare for business from an early age. While still at high school he had developed the ‘Random Acts of Kindness‘ brand – clothing with a message! When we did a FREEDOM! retreat in Belfast a few years ago he came along and knew forgiving his Bablylonian betrayers who had stolen his brand was God’s first order of business.

As he has complied with his Father’s continued training as an Overcomer he has continued to be blessed and to be a blessing to many.

Before MOA we had been in IKEA. The girl at customer service who had helped was particularly pleasant. She commented to me what a beautiful sunny day it was outside.

“Well you bring the sunshine inside with your pleasant disposition.” I said smiling.

“Oh thank you!” she replied. “Where is your accent from?” she inquired.

“Ireland.” I said.

“Oh my family are from Ireland – and I just got engaged.” she said eagerly showing me the Claddagh engagement ring.

“We’re hoping to go to Ireland on our honeymoon.”

I finished my business and then hurried down to the car. A few moments later I slipped in between customers to offer her an “O Ireland” CD.

“A gift to prepare you for your honeymoon trip.” I said.

“O really!?” she said, blushing. “Thank you soooo much.”

As I reflected further on St. Patrick’s weekend it dawned on me how I had unwittingly been a part of God’s alternative conspiracy – ‘labor prompted by love’ (1 Thess.1:3) or ‘(not so) Random – Acts of Kindness’ in the true Celtic Spirit of the young Irish Overcomers – Patrick and Cam.

Let me give Cam the last word with his insightful comment about the last blog;

Loved this post Paul. Something struck me about the part where Gilbert shared his story. I think he saw a perspective most people just don’t see. For most people the climax of the story was when he stuck the ring on his finger – I can imagine everyone sitting in expectation for that part of the story. For Gilbert though, the story wasn’t about the world-changing power-ring dangling in Frodo’s pocket – it was about two friends having a laugh on a table. How beautiful and God-like a perspective. Similar to your post, God isn’t anywhere near as concerned about the climax as we humans are – he’s more interested in family fun night. 

Hope you are all well,
Cam

 

 

Exposing Man’s Number One (hidden) Addiction

by on in Uncategorized

I left off last week, on the Highway of Holiness and with the song, Lord I Have Nothing. Pondering this, inspiration came for this week’s blog and title.

To end the suspense let me first give you the answer…..and then tell you how I came to this conclusion and was amusingly doubly confirmed in it.

Man’s number one addiction to which most of us are oblivious is this – “Doing the work of God.”

By that I mean we are addicted to our activities and achievements around our notion of God in contrast to Jesus words and actions arising naturally from his knowing of God.

Can you imagine what a world without organized religious ‘meetings’ would look and feel like? Jesus didn’t ‘go to meetings’ He met with His Father and then he met with people Father brought to him that day. 

Jesus had only one agenda – it was not to ‘achieve’ but to be ‘available’ to work in tandem with His Father as He revealed the plan moment by moment, encounter by encounter, for another ordinary day to unfold extra-ordinarily.

If we have any other agenda, no matter how noble it may appear it is an idol in our heart. When Jesus was told his mother had arrived to see him, he shockingly said, “Who is my mother?………whoever does the will of my Father in heaven.”

Oswald Chambers puts it this challenging way, “Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by working along the line of natural human sympathy.”

To show I have nothing against mothers, I follow my own mother’s example of beginning each day praying from Psalm 25

“Show me your way O Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior and on you do I wait all this day long.” Waiting is not passivity. My mother was a doer until she died at 86, but it was a joyful activity that issued out of the relationship

Last week’s song went,

Lord I have nothing……… Lord I do nothing……….

If that voice in your head says, “…..But I HAVE to DO…..”  It’s probably a heart idol.

Lord I need nothing………….But to be with You

Where You are in heaven,

Where You are on earth……….

We were lead to postpone on earth the FREEDOM! retreat we’d planned for last week end. Father gave us something different to do. “Have a family fun night!” 

Early the next morning he woke me and said, “Last night you were on The Highway of Holiness!”.

“How could that be?” I thought, “Irish folk songs, jokes about bullfrogs, a game of everyone trying to ascend to the Master’s chair, no ‘ministry’ and precious little preaching?”   

Verse 10 of Is. 35. describes that Highway – a company of singing innocents free of religious shackles overtaken with gladness and joy!

One by one Father revealed to me the value of each person in that room, the significance of their contribution and how it all ‘fitted together’ as part of His story being told through our company, from Ajay’s reading from his ‘comic bible’ to his brother Ravi’s “naughty joke” his cousin Roy had told him last summer, to David’s song about coming out of Babylon, to Robin’s song telling us all we had to do was die……

There was only one contribution I was left wondering about…..

Gilbert had chosen to read a section from Lord of the Rings. It was the part where the hobbits have reached the Prancing Pony Inn in Brie, and Frodo gets concerned that an over exuberant Pippin is getting too carried away and is going to ‘blow their cover’ By way of distraction, Frodo then jumps up onto the table and begins to do his party piece with a song. The narrative describes how his hand begins fingering the ring….and then quite abruptly – Gilbert ended his storytelling!

Of course those of us familiar with the story remembered that the next moment the ring slips onto Frodo’s finger – and he disappears, made invisible by the special ring.

“What an odd place to stop the story!” I thought. Later I asked Gilbert “Why did you stop reading just before the story climaxed ?”

“Did I really?!” He exclaimed.”I didn’t mean to!”

.…as if the same force that slipped the ring on Frodo’s finger, had halted Gilbert in his tracks : – )

A few days later we were having breakfast with David, one of the household.

He had been attending a nearby church, a hidden gem, off a side street in a very rough neighborhood. The founding elder had died the previous week and David reported that the tone of the subsequent Sunday service had been more challenging than sentimental! The pastor’s wife had circulated around the congregation asking them directly one by one, “Why are you here?”.…. are you here out of sentiment or because it is something you think you have to do?…… or do you really want to meet with God?”

Before even sipping his coffee David immediately blurted out, ““You’ll not believe it, but I just learned – the pastor, his name is Floyd – Well HE just died too! – on Saturday!!”

…….the inspired thought came to me, ““Well of course he did!…Last Saturday – Frodo was supposed to disappear!”

Then I realized the two names, Frodo and Floyd, both have 5 letters (grace) and they have three letters in common.

F for Father,

o for ordained,

d for disappearance

….SELAH!

At one point during our family fun evening I was moved to pose the question.

“What does it mean to magnify the Lord?”

Do we think it’s about us doing something to make Him bigger? No!…. We can only enter into an awareness of how big He really is! “To magnify God means to allow Him to open our eyes to see how greatly and graciously present he is in everyone and everything that is around us – right here and now!”

There is nowhere were God is not, there is nothing that he is not in. God is not coming to have us fill pews at his meeting! He is coming to reveal to us how He has already met with us and completely filled our lives, far before the point of birth and far beyond the moment of our ‘disappearance’.

When the final divide between the ‘secular’ and the ‘sacred’, is destroyed then like the older brother we will awake from our religious stupor and realize the truth of our Father’s words,

“…..but all that I have is yours……and do you now believe – that I have it ALL?” 

Finally to the confirmations.

These thoughts crystalized as I was shoveling the ice off our driveway. Our new neighbor happened to return from walking her dogs. Not having spoken to her before I laughingly said, “I’m trying to get our driveway as clean as yours.”

She responded bluntly, “You should just leave it until the weekend and let the Sun do the work”

I was a bit taken aback and then managed the reply, “But the exercise makes me feel good”

“There you have it.” Father laughed, “The addiction in a nutshell.”

We could wait until the workweek ends, and let the Son do it…….but it feels so good doing the work (of God) –  ourselves!

A second confirmation came this morning as I read an article in a ‘ministry’ magazine about a very ‘successful’ front cover minister who now leads a mega church. In the interview at one point he laughingly confessed,

“I became addicted to seeing people come to Christ”

If we define success in the church the way the world does then we will emulate those who have ‘made it big’.

When John the baptizer, the greatest of the prophets, was asked if he was Elijah he said, “No” Then they pressed him further asking if he was the Prophet. “No.”

“Then who are you?”

John replied….I am nobody…..I have disappeared… so all that is left is – “a voice”

I believe heaven has a very different criteria for those making the front page of The Heavenly Post. He uses any and every ordinary little hobbit. His glory is revealed (to those who have eyes to see) – through the ones Father has ordained for disappearance….like the holy little man who made it onto our front cover this week : – )

 

 

Arising from TTT to TCC. Part 2

by on in Arising from TTT to TCC

 

Father gave me a new definition for ‘sin’. It is, “An attempt to fulfill a perceived need in our own strength.”  

Our ‘perceived needs’ are not our real needs. We have only one REAL need which is captured in the scripture that subtitles this website and the song that follows this blog “…and being with you nothing else I desire”.

This need is not something we can ever fulfill by ‘our own strength’. We simply acknowledge that we have already received “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Pt.1:3)  through Christ from our COVENANTAL God. It is experienced and expanded as we continue faithful in our covenant relationship with him and with each  another – through thick and thin.

The Paul Kyle amplified and current version of Is. 40:31 reads, “As we ‘wait on’, (literally, bind to or become entwined with.….) the Lord, we are changed (literally ‘exchange’ our strength for His) and ‘rise up’ in the Spirit ‘with wings as’ (Philadelphia – the city of brotherly love) ‘Eagles’.

The image of the carving above, sent by friends in Ireland, spoke to me of the leper who returned not only outwardly transformed but also inwardly – to a covenantal lover.

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15,16)

It could also portray Paul the destroyer on the Damascus road. Do you see those tears of self righteous anger becoming tears of joyful repentance? Do you see the muscles of religious bondage become the intertwined binding with the divine in this freshly humbled one?…. now a covenantal lover of God and man.

Then again it could be Peter the denier, one of the disciples who arose from the TRANSIENT ‘I’m out of here…..every man for himself!’ bunch of Gethsemane to the TRANSCENDENT ’till death us do part’ company of bold covenantal lovers post Pentecost.

It is by the Spirit of the Lord we rise up onto this High-way of Holiness.(Is.35:8)

As my song puts it:

See laughter and joy running past,

Sorrow and sighing flee away;

Weeping may come but she won’t last

In the morning there’s joy here to stay.

Come up onto the highway of the Lord,

Come up unto the highway of the Lord,

Come up onto the highway of the Lord

And TOGETHER we’ll go in……….as that joy-filled throng!

The really good news is that we are all invited to get “caught up to heaven” (Rev. 12:5) into the relational integrity of the Godhead as we joyfully join the Company of the humbled and now exalted leper, destroyer and denier.

Arising

from the

TRANSIENT TRANSACTIONAL TRAGEDY

to the 

TRANSCENDENT COVENANTAL COMEDY