BeLOnGings

Language is a funny thing. What I mean is, there can be a lot of humor in the translation of one language to another!

I just came across an interview I gave in S.Korea in 1999 that was published in ‘Reader’s Life’ in both Korean and in English. As I read the English version of what the Korean interviewer heard me say, it brought a smile to my face not because something was lost in translation, but because something fresh was revealed!

The opening paragraph quoted me as saying,

“We need a smile for resolution. God gave men smile. Song and smile effectively resolve every conflict.”

These comments relate to the song Good Morning’ Dad which proved to be very relevant for Korea. Korea is best known for the conflict between the North and the South and yet Korea means, “The Land of the Morning Calm.”

When each morning we awaken with the song in our hearts……

“I open my eyes I see your smiling face warming my heart,

“Good Mornin’ Dad’

I open my ears I hear your word of grace warming my heart,

“Good Mornin’ Dad’“

……….Then the chorus becomes our experience….

“All my hope and all my fears all my joys and all my tears get swallowed up and swept away.”

…….and we enter, ‘The Land of the Morning Calm’

As I read these words from the article again this week I felt I was prophesying to myself (and to you?) from 22 years ago!

“We need a smile for resolution. God gave men smile. Song and smile effectively resolve every conflict.”

We certainly need some ‘Resolution’ in our 2021 world where so much ‘craziness’ remains not only unresolved, but to the natural eye less and less likely to find a good resolution anytime soon!

But to the eye of faith Jesus is the smiling face of God hanging on the tree to bring hope, a hope that finds an initial fulfillment three days later as that smile bursts out of the grave as a song that continues to be heard by faith throughout creation from our singing savior’s position of ascended glory!

Jesus had sung Psalm 22 many times.

The one who sang in suffering, “My God my God why have you forsaken me.” (22:1)

……..now sings in triumph,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.” (22 :22 quoted in Heb.2:12)

I reflected again on the masking issue which is about something much deeper than a mere ‘virus’

It is an attempt by the ‘father of lies’ to destroy those who have been made in the image and likeness of a good God, by dividing and conquering them through the age old weapons of fear and shame.

The truth is the real enemy was disarmed and conquered at the cross. (Col.2:15) His defeat is inevitable under the feet of those who by faith, have seen the smile, and know it cannot be obscured, and have heard the song, and know it cannot be silenced.

We join our smile (‘halel’ literally,‘shine’) and our song with his …...Hallelu-jah!

May we like the apostle Paul each have a De – Mask -us Road experience, as we too see ‘a light from heaven‘ shine around us in order that we too might shine as “a light to the Gentiles” in these difficult days. (Acts 9 and 13)

Although we are engaged in the battle of the ages, we are not fighting for victory but from a victory that has already been secured and is now being played out on the stage of our Father’s setting and in line with his perfect timing.

This morning I went for a bike ride and found myself singing the song.

As I came to the line “all my tears…. get swallowed up and swept away” I glanced to the side to see at that very moment, this little shrine under the bridge.

I had stopped to look at it a few days earlier. Painted on the column were the words, “This life isn’t easy for any of us.” I had stooped down to read the note from a heartbroken mother describing how she had come into her daughter’s bedroom only to tragically discover that she had shot herself in the chest. I paused for a few minutes, feeling their pain and uttering a sigh ‘too deep for words’ before proceeding on my way.

This morning the sound of the river reverberated under the bridge as it ‘swept’ through the narrows. It was a divine convergence of time and place, song and circumstance…..our ‘Dad’ whispering to me a confirmation and reassurance that indeed,

……. in the light and warmth of His loving smile, all of our ‘tears‘ will in the end be ‘swallowed up and swept away’.

“Song and smile effectively resolve EVERY conflict.”

P.S. In two weeks time we look forward to seeing ‘the victory of the cross’ further made manifest as captives are set free at FREEDOM! here at the Big Green House! Please join us in prayer….or in person, paulkyle.org/events

P.S. 1 Dave asked for the words to “A Rising Sun” So click on the song again and then follow along……..

A rising sun o’er sparkling dew
Hillside clothed in yellow hue
Skipping lambs, a wisp of cloud in boundless blue
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

A painting done, a life portrayed
A new song sung, a truth conveyed
A garden planted, harvest comes, a banquet laid
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

O to know as we are known
By the one from whom we’ve come
And to love as we’ve been loved
‘til we become…….Son of God and Son of Man
The fulfillment of God’s plan
Peace on earth, good will to men, the King is come

A faith-filled wife, a jewel rare
Wise and strong beyond compare
Anamcara, closest friend, one life we share
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

A father’s joy a mother’s son
Bound by love his freedom comes
Watch him find the road of truth that leads him hone
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

O to know as we are known
By the one from whom we’ve come
And to love as we’ve been loved
‘til we become……..Son of God and Son of Man
The fulfillment of God’s plan
Peace on earth, good will to men, the King is come

A kindly neighbor, nasty boss
We nurse a hope, we grieve a loss
The rough and smooth the sour and sweet the stone and moss
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

A pain uncovered long concealed
The root exposed, a wound is healed
Debt forgiven, captive freed, true self is sealed
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

O to know as we are known
By the one from whom we’ve come
And to love as we’ve been loved
‘til we become……..Son of God and Son of Man
The fulfillment of God’s plan
Peace on earth, good will to men, the King is come

A turtle found, a child’s delight
The puzzle solved, a fresh insight
A story told of how she journeyed to the light
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

To find the hand that fits the glove
The parting hymn with one we’ve loved
The perfect time to catch the wave and rise above
All these blessings on us fall
But the greatest gift of all
Is to know, the one from whom
These blessings flow

O to know as we are known
By the one from whom we’ve come
And to love as we’ve been loved
‘til we become…….Son of God and Son of Man
The fulfillment of God’s plan
Peace on earth, good will to men, the King is come

P.S. 2. Just as the last blog went out, Eugene sent this link to an interview with Rod Dreher. So many resonances with recent blogs…Hope, Truth, Trust, Courage, Persecution, Standing, Family etc. etc. Worth listening to….every last minute! We’re ordering his book, “Live Not By Lies” Thank you Eugene!

Last week Hilary and I attended a service of thanksgiving for the life of Don Pfotenhauer at Way of the Lord Church. The church was full for the first large gathering many had attended in months, as the restrictions in Minnesota were recently eased “…..for Don, Lord?” I chuckled…..for such was the stature of the man.

Don and Marty welcomed us when we arrived in Minnesota with the Father’s loving delight which characterized their lives and interactions with every person.

A few years ago I sang “A Rising Sun” at Way of the Lord. Afterwards Don came up to me, put his hand on my arm and said, “I’ve got to have copy of that song!”

Every time I subsequently encountered him over the next months he would ask me, “Well have you got that song recorded for me yet?”

It had got stuck in the works of an album that had ground to a halt because of Ben’s poor health. So eventually I asked Ben, “Would you be able to dig into the archives and see if there’s a decent enough rough mix of “A Rising Sun” I feel it is important to honor Don and his request for that song.” Ben managed to burn a couple of CDs and I was able to deliver a version of Ben singing the song to Don.

If you listen to the words and you knew Don, you would understand why he had such an affinity for the song it as it talks about encountering the blessings of God in every aspect of life, and the desire above all to know him and have him be fully known on earth.

The final verse goes….

“To find the hand that fits the glove

The parting hymn with one we’ve loved

The perfect time…….. to catch the wave…… and rise above.“

I realized after recording the video for this post it lasts 9.10. Don died at 91 years….the perfect time!

I also realized the last blog was entitled Caught up in the Divine Weave ………close to….. catch the wave.

Just before dinner I changed the title of the blog from ‘Moving Forward by Standing Still’ to ‘Moving Upwards by Standing Still’ …..then realized later, that too, was reflected in this last line of the final verse…… and rise above.

Bill who lives with us, like Don, is a brother whose life Father has woven together with ours. He just happened to say over dinner, “I’ve been listening to Watchman Nee again and he says there is a point in your life as a believer where you no longer are moving forward, but Moving Upwards!”

On this weekend we celebrate our common destiny and victory as “A RISING SON”!

Don came from a family steeped in the Lutheran Church, and when the charismatic movement hit in the 60’s and 70’s he paid the price to STAND in this new found freedom in the Spirit and was ‘put out’ by that denomination.

The church in Blaine which he founded changed it’s name a few years ago from Way of the Cross to Way of the Lord. I realized how Don’s life experience reflected how as disciples of Jesus we must go the same way he went…

“Who though he was in the form of God did not think equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself taking the form a servant. And being found in the likeness of men he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a CROSS

……therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.” (Phil.2)

The Way of the CROSS precedes The Way of the LORD. Before the exaltation must first come the humbling.

We follow a Jesus who “was despised and rejected by men.” (Is. 53:3) “Men” here represents what the bible calls,“the world” system. It is embedded in -“the establishment” and adhered to by “the collective.”

This is what Don discovered.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:16)

Sadly a reader just commented. “It’s difficult in these days to share one’s thoughts with others without being called ‘a conspiracy theorist’, when actually you are just genuinely seeking truth and have some questions as to what in heaven’s name is going on in the world today! I feel we’ve lost the art of debate…. so we have not stated our position on some things unless asked.”

It seems that people who are wondering about an alternative narrative are mocked as ‘conspiracy theorists’. A reasoned conversation about ‘What is the truth?’ then gets shut down because they are ‘written off’ as ‘crazy’.

One of my friends pointed out that, the story of the whole bible could well be described as “The Grand Conspiracy” We remember at this time how that conspiracy (“But the Pharisees went out and conspired how they might destroy him. (Matt 12:14) came to a climax on “Good Friday” and then continued with the lies and bribery on “Easter Sunday” “So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”(Matt.28:19)

As Don’s time came ‘to rise above’, the service provided a beautiful opportunity for the kingdom antidote to MOCKERY, as person after person gave HONOR to the legacy of a man who modeled beautifully our loving heavenly Father.

These two opposing spirits were both present at the crucifiction. We read that the Roman soldiers ‘mocked him’.(Lk.23:36) Then as Jesus yielded up his spirit on the cross another Roman, a centurion, who had withheld judgement and simply watched and listened until he saw the whole drama play out, uttered these words of HONOR, “Truly this was the son of God.” (Lk.27:54)

Although we can say a clear “Yes” to some things and “No’ to other things, we would be wise to, like the centurion, with much of life, say, “Maybe. I’ll stay open minded. We will see.”

As Don had been ‘genuinely seeking truth’, he had, once he had found “The Spirit of truth”, then courageously moved to live on the street where we live – PARK-VIEW….. by doing what the bible says, “STAND STILL …and see the salvation of God.” (Ex.14:13)

The root of division is not religion or race or politics or gender, but the fear and pride that give rise to this mocking spirit

“Drive out MOCKER and out goes strife. quarrels and insults are ended.” (Prov.22:10)

Let us as the bible instructs, rather seek to, “Give HONOR where honor is due” (Rm.13:7) so that God might open hearts to a love that humbles us and casts out our fears in order that we find true spiritual dialogue, or as my reader put it, recover ‘the art of debate’, and enter into true oneness in Christ.

Here’s the English version……..

https://www.bitchute.com/video/Iyo4CziMpC0o/

https://vod.whitedoveministries.org/the-sons-of-light/

The day I published the last blog about The Sons of Light someone sent me a talk that had been given that same day by Paul Keith Davis also entitled The Sons of Light which I have posted above.

It was another example of what I am calling the Divine Weave of Faith.

This Paul references a dream he had a number of years ago where he had a shocking encounter with EVIL that involved him seeing historic personalities like Hitler and Stalin. A few weeks ago I had a similar dream in which I too had a shocking encounter with evil, only the person I saw was not from history but from our present drama, someone who I believe future history will prove to also be responsible for the death of millions.

Paul then recounts an experience he had last Wednesday morning where the Lord highlighted for him the scene in Gethsemane where Jesus asks the Father if he might be ‘saved from this hour.’ He knew the answer was that it was for this hour that he had come into the world in order ‘to glorify the Father.‘ Paul delivered it as an anointed word of encouragement to the ‘Sons of light’ who may be tempted to lose hope in this, the hour of trial.

This in turn reminded me of a the subsequent scene that the Lord had been speaking to me about throughout last week, where Jesus is then arrested in Gethsemane. Father highlighted to me how in this ‘action scene’ of the armed gang of accusers coming to arrest Jesus, they fall backwards before surging forward again to take him while Peter lunges violently at one of them with his sword, cutting off an ear. In the midst of the mayhem, Jesus models perfectly for us the posture we are to adopt as children of light when we are assailed in this present darkness…….

NOT RESISTING

“..….But I say unto you, do not resist the one who is evil………..I lay down my life…of my own accord.”

but,

PEACEFULLY STANDING.

……………..secure in the knowledge of who we are as Sons of the Most High God, and why we are here.

“……………and knowing that he had come from the Father and was returning to the Father……..”

That is, we are to respond ‘in the Spirit’…...rather than react ‘in the flesh’

I have been told a number of times, “You should write a book.” One person even gave me the title, “Travelling Light.” As I continue to read, “The Turning” I am resonating with John Larson’s book. It tells the story of a world turning from darkness to light. …you might say it is about Traveling (Turning) Light.

In the last blog I mentioned Robin’s powerful song with his version of a similar message I had also been given in a song a few years ago about death and resurrection.

Thinking I would have liked to have written John’s book, preached Paul’s sermon, and sung Robin’s song, our Father said,

“You did.……. because “you are members one of another” in the one living body of Christ.“ It is OUR Journey into Hope

The scriptures tell us we each get to choose whether we are

Caught Up in this Divine Weave of Faith or stay Captured in the Diabolical Web of Fear

“Do not be conformed to this world but be TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF YOUR MINDS that you might prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rm. 12:2)

From our birth our minds have been programmed as to what is ‘reality’. The WEB or Matrix is in our thinking. This is where our Journey into Hope takes place, as we escape the programing of fear and shame to discover and delight in this proven weave of faith which is good and acceptable and perfect.

One of the families that have found the blogs and their links helpful in their awakening to this greater reality is called TRUMAN. It reminds me if another movie, The Truman Show. In this movie the main character who thinks his life is ‘real’ discovers that he is actually on a ‘set’, and his life is being filmed and offered as entertainment to the TV audience – I suppose a form of ‘Reality TV’ long before it became popular. In the movie however Mr Truman has not consented to this and realizes he has all the while been deceived and used! The climactic moment is when he gains access to the two dimensional back drop, and incredulous, steps behind it!

We all must wake up to ‘The Stranger in the corner’, who we have allowed into our lives, and who has been spinning this deceitful web.

In listing the ‘idols’ we are prone to worship in the last blog, I omitted three of the the most prevalent and insidious; Comfort, Convenience and Complacency. More and more people however are becoming uncomfortable with what they are seeing happen around them and are looking for an alternative more hopeful narrative than the one Mainstream Misery Media offers.

The main idol Jesus pinpointed was Money. “You cannot serve God and money” he said. It is by following the money that we can often discern motivations and get to glimpse behind the backcloth of the set…….. and discover the wizened old wizard with the microphone behind the sheet who is really ‘pulling the strings.’

Have a look for example at how “Amazing Polly” applied the maxim, ‘Follow the money’ to uncover the story behind the (Tell-lie vision) story about the death of President John Magufuli I recently referenced.

The ‘Sons of light’ who arise at this time, the Body of Christ to be jointed to Jesus, THE son, and the Head of his Body will include some who are alive but many, many more who have paid the ultimate price as they have taken a STAND in faith for truth and love throughout the ages, their lives part of the WEAVE in God’s tapestry of His-Story

“We shall not all sleep……those who have died in Christ will be raised first …..after that we who are still alive …..we shall all be changed….” (1 Cor.15. I Thess 4)

In contrast to this ‘world’ we continue dealing in the ‘currency of the kingdom’, as with integrity we honor one another in the little family/communities our Father provides, giving thanks as we serve each another in love as the “Sons of light” in the darkness. Like our Father, we joyously give the gifts we have been given by him, and in return receive.

Just as I was writing this, the photo below came through from brother Brian. He has been building a family/community bench for us!

A carpenter by day and preaching on the resurrection next Sunday morning? He sure sounds like the ‘Son of light’ to me!

As I pondered Brian’s message, I realized his name means ‘hill’ or ‘noble.’ Brian Boru was the High King of Ireland.

It was another message of HOPE for these days from The High King, the ‘King and Judge of all the earth‘ about His bench. The Bench is where the Judge sits to issue his judgments……

“CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED; NOW IT IS TIME TO FINISH.”

“Don’t allow the actions of evil men to cause you to burn with anger. Instead, burn with unrelenting passion as you worship God in holy awe. Your future is bright and filled with a living hope that will never fade away. “ (Prov. 23: 17,18 TPT)

When we were moving the family from Ireland to America a wise old sage told us, “Don’t be afraid to ask God for as many confirmations as you want for such a big move. He won’t mind !”

Below is a helpful meditation a friend in Ireland sent me a few days ago. I was busy working on the blog about ‘idols‘ this morning and only got to read it a few minutes ago………

Thank you Father for your abundant confirmations that guide each of us on our journeys!

Note again the date of the meditation!

Monday, March 22nd, 2021   Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation From the Center for Action and Contemplation   Week Twelve: Prophetic Imagination The Path of the Fall   In spirituality, there are basically two paths, what I’ve called the path of the fall and the path of the return. The path of return has been the message of the priestly class. True priests talk of religion, communion, love, transcendence, connecting this world with the next, and generally offering a coherent world of meaning. In contrast, the path of the fall is directed and legitimated by the prophets, who teach us how to go into our shadows creatively and how to lose gracefully. They teach us how to let go and let things fall apart without fear. The role of the prophet is to lead us on an individual and collective level through the necessary deconstruction of what I would call the false self. The prophet’s path is of descent and is never popular or easy. It is about letting go of illusion and toppling false gods. People usually like priests, which is why they are established and comfortable in almost all cultures, but the prophets are almost always killed. The prophets are disrupters of the social consensus. What everybody is saying, whatever the glib agreement is, prophets say, “it’s not true.” They do this primarily by exposing and toppling what the Hebrew Scriptures called idols, things that are made absolute that are not absolute. The tendency of religion is to absolutize. I’m sure it comes from a deep psychological need for some solid ground to stand on, but the prophets remind us that God is the only absolute. And don’t try to make the institutions of God absolutes either! Jeremiah said, “The Temple, the Temple, the Temple, don’t you get tired of talking about the Temple?” (see Jeremiah 7:4) This was a good Jewish man who surely loved the Temple but recognized that it, too, had become an idol. Through Jeremiah, God reminded them: “In speaking to your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I gave them no command concerning burnt offering or sacrifice [in the Temple]. This is rather what I commanded them: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk exactly in the way I command you, so that you may prosper” (Jeremiah 7:22–23). I hope we can sympathize with the people of Israel who so often rejected their prophets. It’s scary whenever we’re offered a new synthesis or paradigm, especially for those who are heavily invested in the old. Opposition will rise, just as it rose around Jesus. People inside the status quo usually have much to lose. They don’t necessarily have ill will; it’s just that they’re living in the only world they’ve ever imagined. Perhaps my favorite understanding of prophets is that they’re lovers of spiritual freedom who keep humanity free for God and God free for humanity. It is harder than you think.

Please click below and have a listen!

https://robinkyle.com/single/33180/perfectly-aligned

The First Step we teach at the FREEDOM! retreat is described well in Paul’s words to the Thessaloniams…

“….you TURNED from idols to serve the living and true God.“

Or in the words from Robin’s song, released March 22, with the number 22 serendipitously in the background visual, and our March 22 Oswald Chambers calendar reading in the kitchen above!

“……you’re never going to die, when you’re perfectly aligned.”

The song says, “……. life creates the conditions for Life.” for it is in learning to appropriate the grace to rightly respond in faith to the ‘death’ conditions life creates, that the TURNING (also called repentance) takes place, that brings us face to face and into perfect alignment, with “the living God.”

March 22 was also the date when this other TURNING word was given and brought to my attention…

I referenced John Larson’s book, THE TURNING last week. I was prompted to order 2 copies. They arrived the next day, just minutes before two brothers arrived at the house. I knew the two copies were meant for these men. Yesterday I was prompted to order another 2.

Would that be another 22?

I don’t orchestrate these signs. Our Father points them out when he wakes me during the night : – )

22 is the number for “Sons of Light“** whom our Father is bringing forth in these days.

That process involves our being made aware of the ‘idols’ of our heart and then ‘TURNING from idols.’

The final instruction in John’s first epistle seems rather cryptic,

“Dear children keep yourselves from idols”…….. and yet this is in fact the gospel in a nutshell!

At the FREEDOM! retreat I do a play on the word ‘idol’ in this way…

“…..you turned from I (is the) DOL(l) ” In slang to be “a doll” means to be the object of affection. God’s plan is that we turn from every other thing that could claim our affection ahead of Him in our lives.

That “heart idol” could be My wife, My husband, My children, My church, My denomination, My theology, My opinion, My perception, My hobby, My team, My career, My profession, My ministry, My dream, My appetites, My politics, My ideology, My health, My race, My money and so forth……………

As we receive the gift of repentance and God TURNING us from these things which we have allowed to become “idols” in our lives, we can again come face to face with “the living God” and experience our DEAR-ness to Him as His CHILDREN, His Life in this life as we choose again to delight in Him even as he has without wavering been delighting in us!

Embracing with joy our true identity ‘in Christ’, we are then made ready to be raised up in due season as ‘sons of light’ for this is the final step of our HOPE………

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Pt.1:3)  

” …we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this HOPE we were saved.” (Rm. 8:23,24)

“Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your affections on the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col.3:2,3)

The first step in this blog was Robin’s song about this aspect of the journey, the last step is a song I was given a few years ago. The lyrics and arrangement are simpler, the message wonderfully similar!

** From The Biblical Meaning of Numbers by Dr. Stephen E. Jones

Twenty-Two (kaph-beth)

Sonship, Sons of Light

To write twenty-two in Hebrew, they wrote two Hebrew letters: kaph-beth. These signify the open palm in the act of giving something to the house or household. It speaks of the Fruitfulness Mandate in Gen. 1:28, “be fruitful and multiply.”

Twenty-two is the number of Sonship, or the Sons of Light.

This is the first promise of Sonship, which, along with the Dominion Mandate, formed the Birthright. This Fruitfulness Mandate was later given to Joseph when Jacob said in Gen. 49:22, “Joseph is a fruitful bough” [ben, “son”], the builder of God’s household.

Ed Vallowe’s book, Biblical Mathematics, pages 138 and 139, says that 22 is the number of light, but Psalm 22 does not support his interpretation. Vallowe says,

“TWENTY-TWO is the number that is connected with LIGHT. There were TWENTY-TWO bowls to hold oil in the candlestick in the Tabernacle… The purpose of the candlestick with its lamps was to give light.

“The saved are called the children of LIGHT…

“In the Gospel of John the word LIGHT is used TWENTY-TWO times.”

Certainly, 22 includes the idea of light, because the overcomers—the sons of God—are the children of light. But the meaning of 22 is more inclusive than just light. It includes all aspects of Sonship, including authority, as we will see shortly.

As Vallowe says, there were 22 almonds on the 7 branches of the candlestick in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-37). The candlestick gave light to the Sanctuary and is a picture of Christ, as John 1:9 tells us,

⁹ There was the true light which coming into the world, enlightens every man. 

But this is also connected to the concept of authority. In Numbers 16 we read about the Korah rebellion. Korah disputed the authority of Moses and Aaron. After God judged him, the next chapter establishes the authority of Aaron and the tribe of Levi in general. The princes of each tribe had to bring their rods of authority to the tabernacle, where they were laid up over night in the sanctuary. Num. 17:8 says,

⁸ Now it came about on the next day that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms and it bore ripe almonds. 

In this we see that almonds have to do with divine authority. So the almonds on the candlestick speak of those God has chosen to be the light of the world and to rule in the Kingdom of God. That highest Authority is Jesus Christ, but it also speaks of those called as priests of God to rule with Him (Rev. 5:10; 20:6). Thus, the candlestick is more than light; it is authority as well. Putting them together, we see that these things characterize the sons of God. So 22 is the number of Sonship.

In Num. 3:39 there were 22,000 priests of Levi that redeemed the firstborn sons of Israel. A thousand is the number of glory, so 22,000 speaks of “the glorified sons.” Thus, these 22,000 priests of Levi represented all of the firstborn sons. They represented the manifested sons of God, the true children of light, whom God has set apart to teach the word and to administer the law to the people by the mind of Christ.

In 2 Chron. 7:5 Solomon offered 22,000 oxen when he dedicated the temple to God on the eighth day of Tabernacles. This again speaks of the 22,000 overcomers dedicated and given to God, who are the glorified firstborn sons. In this example there is no mention of light. It speaks of oxen. Oxen speak of strong servants, the overcoming sons of God.

In the New Testament, Saul is mentioned precisely 22 times in the New Testament, all in the book of Acts. The reason for this is because he is an example of Sonship. Saul was converted and his name changed to Paul. He shows us the way to go from Pentecost to Tabernacles. The 22nd time Saul is mentioned is in Acts 26:14, where he tells King Agrippa of the glorious manner of his conversion:

¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 

Most people do not understand this last statement, because they do not know the Hebrew language. The word for God is El, which is spelled aleph and lamed. Aleph is an ox, a symbol of strength. Lamed means an ox goad, a symbol of authority over the ox. El thus means the strong authority. So when Jesus told Saul that it was hard for him to kick against the goads, He meant that Saul was fighting God Himself, the strong Authority, the Sovereign One.

Thus, when Saul was forced to recognize the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, he was converted and ultimately began to go by the name Paul. Paul means “little,” and it contrasted with what was said about his ancestor, King Saul, who was tall and stood head and shoulders above everyone else (1 Sam. 10:23). When Saul became little in his own eyes, he stood taller in the eyes of God.

The 22nd time that Abraham is mentioned is in Gen. 25:5, “ Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.” Isaac was the inheritor of the promise, and he was a type of Christ in this regard, for after He died and rose again, He ascended, and the Father put all things under His feet (authority). And the sons of God are co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17).

Likewise, the 22nd time Joseph is mentioned is in Gen. 37:4,

⁴ So Joseph found favour in his [Potiphar’s] sight, and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house and all that he owned he put in his charge. 

Joseph, the type of Christ in His second coming, was given authority over all that Potiphar owned. Even so, Christ the Head and the Body of Christ will be given authority over all that He owns—the creation itself. This speaks of ruling as Sons.

Joshua is another great type of Christ, since he had the same name as Jesus (Yeshua). The 22nd time Joshua is mentioned is in Deut. 31:7, where he was given authority over “the church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38) and was charged with the duty of giving them their inheritances:

⁷ Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.” 

The 22nd time David is mentioned is in 1 Sam. 17:34, where he tells Saul that he delivered a lamb from both a lion and a bear, so why should he fear Goliath? As a type of Christ, David delivered the lambs from death. Jesus, the antitype, delivered the lambs (people) from death as well by giving His life for them on the cross.

This inspiring documentary just came across my path. “WAKE UP CALL” features two of the ‘good’ people referenced in the last blog…..and many others. Please watch.

https://youtu.be/SEsjvkIJlZs

While in “the days of Noah” when the earth was CORRUPT, most were carried away by the Mainstream (media) flood, we read in 1 Peter, “a few people, eight in all were saved through the water.” (1 Peter.3:20)

Now the really good news (which I will get to later) is that these eight were I believe not the final total but the first fruits, but let me add to the 4 in the last blog another 4 modern day ‘hostage loosers’ who have courageously been STANDING and SHINING for the TRUTH that sets us free!

.…….. after all as I spotted the deal above in Hy-Vee this morning, we can celebrate all the time because….”Hey, it’s St. Patrick‘s day somewhere”

President Maufuli of Tanzania’s anti corruption stance won him the admiration of many, but when he revealed a goat and pawpaw tested positive for coronavirus his skepticism of what he called a ‘scam’ made him many enemies. Otherwise healthy, this good man was said to have ‘died’ last week aged 61 years.

Nearer home the good Dr Scott Jensen who blew the whistle on the corruption of The US government’s CDC Covid reporting is running for governor of Minnesota.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=768504080458642

As I have previously written, I believe the issue is not political, right or left, but biblical and spiritual…..good or evil?

Another good lady I have come to respect is Sherri Tenpenny who in this interview uncovers corruption in science.

…..and eighthly the good and wise Catherine Austin Fitts, who we listened to this morning, and who is alert to financial corruption offers her actionable advice at solari.com

A few readers have expressed concern that the blogs will ‘scare people.’

Mario Murillo has said that before there can be a Great Awakening to the hope of the gospel there must first be a Rude Awakening to the hopelessness of this world system which the bible tells us is under the power of ‘the evil one.’ The ‘denial of death’ in our culture goes hand in hand with ‘the denial of evil’.

It would become overwhelming if we focused on a world where 100 million were killed under communism in the last century or 50 million children are aborted annually or 1 million children go missing to be trafficked every year!

However the shock we experience as we discover these truths about the depths of the evil of Lucifer is a necessary prerequisite to the peace we can then find as we discover the truth about the height of the goodness and sovereignty of God.

Noah’s eight were ‘delivered’ out of one realm into another realm – a better one. Eight is the number for ‘a new beginning.’ We are privileged to live in such a time as this!

In this particular month of March, different persons all close to our hearts have also been delivered out of one realm into another – through the experience of a birth, a marriage, and a death. As ‘members one of another’ it is as if we too have entered into these experiences all of which have embodied the emotions of both sorrow and joy.

The birth was ‘premature’ because of illness. The (re)marriage was subsequent to what seemed an ‘untimely’ death due to brain cancer. The death was at the end of a long life well lived in service to God.

As I blogged before, by finding and ‘Beholding the Beauty’ in these ‘life’ experiences we are doing what we are exhorted to do in Philipians 4, thinking on the good, the noble, the lovely, the admirable the true the pure and the praiseworthy and are then able because our eyes have been opened to the mystery of the greatness of a loving heavenly Father’s gracious plan, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”….. and share the Good News!

In another St Pa’s words……

“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rm.14:8)

“For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Phil.1:21)

During our season of “St. Brendan’s Launch” in Kieran’s Irish pub, we wrote and performed a play called “Would the REAL St. Patrick please stand up.” It was a humorous attempt to debunk the notion in the US that St Pat was all about green beer and bagels! At the end of the skit we drew the audience into joining us in a prayer for the resurrection of the true spirit of Patrick embodied in the lives of many Irish heroes of faith, sung, and unsung, over the centuries.

“ARISE and SHINE O mighty one

ARISE and SHINE your sleep is done

ARISE and SHINE your light has come.

Your light is Christ, Ireland’s true Son.”

Subsequently God opened doors for us to perform the play and lead this prayer all over the US in Australia and even back in Ireland.

What is REAL is a crucial question in this ‘VIRTUAL’ age in which we live in which deceit and corruption run deep.

I would like to continue our Journey into Hope by pointing out a few people who have struck me as ‘lights’ in this present darkness.

Let’s begin with another PATRICK!

Patrick Woods is author of “Technocracy Rising : The Trojan Horse of Global Transformation.” Just as the original St. Patrick challenged the dark druidic religion of Ireland, I sense this Patrick is another ‘saint’ who has been raised up to take a courageous STAND and SHINE light on the challenge of the new dark ‘religion’ of Scientism.

Scientism was first proposed by the French philosopher Henri De Saint-Simon (1760-1825). He wrote,

“A scientist, my dear friends, is a man who foresees; it is because science provides the means to predict that it is useful, and the scientists are superior to all other men.”

Alex Zeck has said, “ In Science questions are welcomed, alternative ideas are cherished, and concerns are explored. In Scientism questions are not welcomed, alternative ideas are banished and concerns are ignored.”

The disastrous consequences of the arrogance where man thinks he can outsmart our God given, innate immune system are now beginning to be felt and anticipated……….

https://brandnewtube.com/watch/professor-bossche-ex-bill-gates-foundation-warns-against-the-current-mass-covid-vaccinations_3ee2eAEvfEF46W1.html

You can find out more about Patrick Woods important work at www.technocracy.news

A second man I have come across who is taking a courageous STAND to SHINE light on the shockingly rampant corruption in US government spending is Adam Andrzejewski (Did you know for example the government paid 1 billion dollars to dead people last year?) Adam talks about how the transparency and accountability his company, OPEN BOOKS began to bring, was welcomed, and was ushering in REAL change under the previous administration. This video is from last year. The recent $1.9 trillion spending bill displays current Swamp corruption ‘on steroids’

A third man I have come to respect as I have observed the corruption at the political level here over the years is Devin Nunes. His story of taking a courageous STAND to SHINE is told in the recently released epic documentry, “The Plot against the President.” which you can watch for free by clicking here…….

Home

Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matt.24:37)

In Genesis 6 we read, “Now the earth was CORRUPT.” and that, “Noah had God’s approval and was a man of integrity among the people of his time.” 

God had a way to deal with the corruption of Noah’s days. I believe the three men I have pointed to above are a sign of hope that God is also dealing with corruption in our day be it in the fields of science, government, business, media or religion.

After the last blog I received this message from a very prophetic sister in Ireland.

“Hi Paul,
You mentioning the adage, ‘March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb’. I hope it is going to be very prophetic this year. I was teaching Biblical Hebrew on Thursday evening, mentioned ח (khet) – the final letter of נח (Noah – rest) and how Noah and his family were caused to rest in a lock-down or for them, lock-up situation. ‘How long were they in the ark?’ I asked. As I shared I calculated 13 months, I said ‘Wow’ as I realised April will be 13 months. If this is prophetic for our situation of world-wide lockdown, then at the beginning of April we all should have rested enough in the Lord to be free again. If so, let us be like Noah and be quick to worship God, giving thanks to Him.“

No matter the exact timing of how things play out in ‘the big picture’ our responsibility is to those God has set before us in the here and now. We are delighted to report that the two ‘new things’ that God has begun here in the BGH are ‘springing up‘ beautifully.

One Sunday we have a dozen young people – couples eager to find and fulfill God’s vision for their marriages, their families – and beyond! On the alternative Sunday another dozen folk gather to experience Jesus setting us free, in anticipation of his using us as ‘coaches’ at the FREEDOM! retreat in April, as he sets many others free!

These folk too are all ‘little Patricks’ – ‘hostage losers’ seeking to STAND and SHINE.

A few months ago I mentioned our being at “an inflection point” Just a few days ago I got word that a book I had been eagerly anticipating for many months had just been published by our son Ben’s father – in – law. I ordered it immediately, and knowing the man, his integrity, spirituality and literary skill, would even before my opening it, recommend you read it too! Published on March 5 (Grace), the day after MARCH FORTH, I discovered it bore this HOPE filled title!

The author’s names meaning, “Yahweh is gracious” and “Crowned with laurel” guarantee the VICTORY of our God of GRACE that is coming and is indeed already here, as like Noah we enter into the ‘rest work’ of God…. that he has foreordained, that we should each walk into! (Eph.2:10)

…..and the icing on the cake! Just this morning one of ‘the children’ from our community in Belfast who is now serving with his family as a missionary engineer in Uganda sent me this video of “Lord Jesus we enthrone You….we proclaim You are King……come and take your place”….. being sung outside his window in Africa……overlooking Lake VICTORIA

“May the God of HOPE 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. 15:13)