BeLOnGings

I quite often at the last minute will be lead to switch my blog message. This is another example of the verse I have often quoted, “Be very careful then how you live…… not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity……..for the days are evil.” (Eph.5:15)

In scripture the word ‘live’ and ‘walk ‘and by extension ‘run’…..are synonymous, for we move forward in life one step at a time.

Last night Father had me make one of those last minute switches changing where I set my foot, so as to speak, with this blog. He reminded me of my morning run along the windy, circuitous, narrow, hilly paths in our local wood.

I have over the years learned where to place my feet along this path so as not to trip, but this morning I noticed that because of the heavy rains this summer, many roots that had not been visible before, were now poking up above ground…… so I had to be extra careful!

“I AM exposing the roots” Dad whispered.

Then as I turned around to run home, the second part came.

“Justice is coming.”

When I got home I discovered there had just been released the second movie by the makers of probably the most viewed and most banned documentary of all time. PLANDEMIC II INDOCTORNATION. I would encourage you to watch with an open mind and judge for yourself. Click here.

Homepage

I then began reflecting on certain developments in the past week or two within the US Department of Justice. An FBI lawyer has pled guilty over falsifying a document completely reversing it’s meaning by adding the simple word, ‘not‘. This single step will likely lead to further steps uncovering a treasonous plot to remove a duly elected President.

The Mainstream Media who for four years focused incessantly on what have now proven to be groundless accusations against the President of Russian and Ukrainian collusion….barely mention this piece of substantial news that is true and not spurious propaganda.

Attorney General Barr’s solid Christlike character is illustrated in this humorous review of the recent hearing by Larry Adler.

The name of the FBI lawyer who plead guilty was Clinesmith, or might that be C lying-smith?

God has set his Barr as the standard of justice.

Just a few days ago someone from the political right was also indicted illustrating the impartial nature of the justice that is coming. Bannon happened to be the name of the person the Ban was put on.

Barr’s first name, William means ‘will helmet’ In 1 These. 5:8 is we are told to put on “the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

Who writes this stuff? The answer is in Romans 15:13.

“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.”

Inspired by the early Methodist’s greeting to one another, “Do I meet you praying?’ ……..I received this poem while cycling down a country lane this morning, as I was reveling in the old hymn, Loved with everlasting love, lead by grace that love to know…….. to encourage one another in that aspiration toward uninterrupted communion with the Divine.

Do I meet you smiling?

If not

Then stop

And tell;

“Yes! All is well

In heaven and in hell,

For He in heaven abiding

Is now in you residing

And over all presiding.

And all that blocked the flow

Of joy to earth below

Was in the Lamb residing,

Who cancelled debt outstanding

To make earth, heaven’s landing

……..In your heart,

……..And in mine.”

To not smile?…..but to whine?

It’s very simply……….asinine!

You’re reading my mail again…

Subject: August 16th — Daily Devotional by Watchman Nee

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. John 12.24.

Here the Lord Jesus reveals the principle of fruit bearing: the grain of wheat which is sown must first die before it will bear much fruit. Hence death is the indispensable process for fruit bearing. The fact of the matter is, death is the only way to bear fruit. How we ask the Lord for greater power that we may bear more fruit; but the Lord tells us that we need to die, that we must have the experience of the cross if we desire the power of the Holy Spirit. Frequently in our attempt to achieve Pentecost we bypass Calvary, not realizing that without our being crucified and thus losing all belonging to the natural, the Holy Spirit cannot work with us to gain many people. Here is the spiritual principle: die, and then bear fruit.

When I was given the titles “Block Lives Matter” and “Blog Lives Matter”  I said,

“But Lord that could be offensive?”

“Precisely” came the reply, ….”and blessed is he who does not take offense at me.‘ (Luke.7:23)

The blessedness comes when like Jesus we have finally died to ‘self’ and are unoffendable! As one of my friends put it, “You can’t offend me ’cause I’m dead'” 

Death to ‘self’ of course also means that your words and actions are carefully weighed to make sure it is Christ rather than your ‘flesh’ that is the cause, if we are found to give offense. So I always ask one or two people to check the blog before posting what I believe God is showing me, and to give me honest feedback about whether or not there is offensive ‘flesh’ hanging out : – )

Jesus said he had come to cause offense that would result in even families being divided (Luke 12:53), and that as his followers if we were true to him, speaking what our Father says and doing what our Father does, we should expect the same. (Jn.15:18) 

The root of all fear is the fear of DEATH. There seem to be two fears that have gripped the world currently, the fear of physical death from a ‘virus’ and the fear of social death from being “Cancelled” by those who have taken offence at us.

These death fears can take over and direct our lives when we loose the life giving ‘FEAR OF THE LORD”.

Proverbs 19:23 is one of my favorites! “The fear of the LORD leads to LIFE; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”

Ps. 25;14 says”The secrets of the Lord…. are for those who fear him” and Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord…. is the beginning of wisdom.”

The fear of, or reverence for the Lord, who is perfect in love, wisdom and power, is the key to getting true understanding and then getting true wisdom to know how we should live.

Hence the titles Block Lives Matter and Blog Lives Matter is to make the point that it is for me, to simply take the next step to ‘walk in’ those ‘good works prepared.’ (Eph.2:10) by loving the people God places before me in my life, on the Block and on the Blog! Put another way, rather than trying ‘to fix the world’ I just need to ‘Do the next right thing’

Growing in understanding and wisdom is a journey I have been on that I believe I have been given to share with you step by step in the blogs over the past 4+ years, as we awaken together!

As I said back then, this is  a ‘family blog‘ that let’s Hilary and I stay in touch with a group of a few hundred friends from a dozen countries. I try to be sensitive to the diversity of the group. I can hear some of you say when I post, “Well of course I knew that!” while others say, “What! Really!?” I am so thankful for your feedback as true friends, whether it be encouraging or challenging, and try to always respond personally.   

I am able to track who opens the blog, and as I each week read your names, gratitude, love and joy rise up in my heart, as I picture and pray for you. 

Last week we had a good friend come for dinner who reads the blog. She happens to be a Native American sister and like Josie, a very gifted artist (see above) She wanted to thank me for confirming in one of the blogs her instinct that ‘conspiracy’ was not a bunch of wacky theories but was in fact a biblical truth and real life reality.

At the same time she wanted to talk with me about one of the links I posted that she had some difficulty with. I should say that in posting links I am usually trying to make one point and it does not mean I am necessarily promoting everything that person says or believes.

We had a very good conversation around the table, at the end of which we knew we didn’t see eye to eye about everything, realizing we both still only ‘see in part’. We did however conclude, that we were in full agreement about the things, and the One, that really matters the most, and that we were together, in ‘the minority’, for God always chooses to work, not through the majority, but through a ‘remnant of grace.’ (Rm.11:5)  

When we prayed at the end of the evening she gave thanks for the meal of meat and fruit and for the ‘meat’ of ‘mature’ conversation (Heb.5:14) characterized by the ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit.’ (Gal.5:22,23) we had all enjoyed together.

That evening ‘speaking the truth in love.” (Eph.4:15) we experienced the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, in stark contrast to that other kingdom, ‘the world’ with it’s contentiousness and bad fruit.

It reminded me of the prayer of the original people of this land, “All my relatives” and of the similar prayer of the newbies, the Pilgrim Fathers, “Thy kingdom  come thy will be done on this part of earth and then from this part of earth to the uttermost parts of the earth as it is in heaven.”

This is the common destiny God has for every citizen of this ‘island’ (and every land) as we discover one another ‘in Christ‘ and reveal his glory, of true unity in the Spirit. 

The American form of government as a Republic, largely shaped by the bible, is now in the process of being replaced by a Technocracy, where we are ruled by an elite of unelected, unaccountable, technocrats, who have no fear of the Lord.

Here is an excellent article that gives an up to date description of how the ominous spirit of Babylon has been at work in our society for many decades. It contains an illuminating interview between two men of integrity, Joseph Mercola of mercola.com and Patrick Wood of www.technocracy.news

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/08/13/coronavirus-vaccination-campaign.aspx

I found it contained helpful insights as to how we can respond in prayerful and practical ways to what is going on.

Thankfully we know that this Technocracy is destined to fail, and yield to the true Theocracy with the coming of the one true and good King, and his unshakable Kingdom of ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ 

…..for “Now is the Time” 

Yesterday I posted a blog which talked about the Spirit of Truth being poured out, and I used the scripture….

“AWAKE sleeper; rise from the dead and Christ will give you LIGHT” (Eph. 5:14)

For your encouragement, last night Hilary and I experienced this literally……

We fell asleep to a LIGHT(ning) display (no thunder!!!) that lingered for hours the likes of which I have never witnessed before! Then suddenly we were AWAKE as a downpour of heavy HAIL swept through. 

Is. 28:17 says “HAIL will sweep away the refuge of lies.”

This verse follows Is. 28:16. which is the basic scripture for the Course we developed and have taught for years of the ‘true’ FOUNDATION of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I blogged about this on 28/6, “Confessions of Peter’s Son”

As we lay there Hilary asked me, “What time is it?”

I looked, and the clock said ‘346′

Exodus 34: 6.. is the basic scripture we use at our FREEDOM! Retreat….the first and fullest description given by God, to Moses of his ‘true’ nature.

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

God is indeed pouring out his Spirit of Truth to sweep away the lies and reveal to all men what he is really like – his ‘true’ nature.

…… Again as I wrote in yesterday’s blog “the LIGHT of the glory of God in the FACE of Jesus Christ.”

Father then said to me that this is the time…… when His judgments are being poured out on the earth. But His judgements are His mercy, and they make for peace, and by them the nations learn His righteousness. Then as with a thunder and lightning storm, balance will be restored….. and ‘shalom’ will come on earth.

The apartment Father assigned us on our Boston trip was #714.

I immediately thought of 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

We have been called to much Identificational Repentance and actions demonstrating this, over the years. I have found that authentic identification repentance is something that we enter into freely, as we are made aware of “the sins of our forefathers” (Psalm 79:8) It is orchestrated and directed by the Holy Spirit. It is often hidden from public view and always bears good and lasting fruit in the lives and relationships of those involved.

I remember this being deeply impressed on me when visiting St. Augustine with a spiritual mentor. I was showing him the site where the first European Christians set foot on ‘turtle island’. I was lamenting the fact that the Spanish mission Nombre de Dios i.e. the Name of God failed to fully manifest the Nature of God. He spontaneously dropped to his knees, and prayed,

“Father Forgive us!”

The counterfeit to Identificational Repentance is Identity Politics.

Here, Identity is drawn primarily from a human grouping, rather than from the divine creator from whom we have all come. It could be along racial, religious, cultural, socioeconomic or idealogical lines. The ‘enemy’ highlights this secondary identity and capitalizes on the fear between groups fostering hostility in order to gain political power.

Jesus resisting the tempter in the wilderness could be seen in terms of his staying true to his primary identity as God’s son. Rather than making a political power grab, he chose, in identification with the sins of the whole world, to become THE victim going the way of suffering love. Right up to the end he did not ‘protest’ his or our innocence, but became ‘obedient unto death, even death on the cross’

At one point in Boston, Robin confessed to finding it difficult to wake up, and had to ‘push through’ to regain ‘reality.’ When we arrived home another brother in our group unaware of Robin’s experience reported two dreams that week also involving difficulty waking up. I too had a dream in which I was driving a car. I was finding it almost impossible to keep from falling asleep at the wheel. Fearing I was about to crash, in desperation I slapped myself violently on the face with both hands. Yes! I actually did this – waking myself up! – and Hilary in the process!

This triple witness emphasised to me the urgency of this message, that we push through the discomfort in order to ‘Wake up!’

We realized Robin’s difficulty in Boston was likely due to the strong cocktail of pain killing drugs he was on at the time. The Greek word “pharmakos” from which we get the English word Pharmacist, is translated ‘drug related sorcery’ in Rev.17:23. This points to how Babylon has seduced or bewitched people bringing them under her control. In Rev. 22:15 we are told those who practice ‘sorcery‘ will not be classed as Overcomers and allowed into ‘the Holy City.’

We knew that part of our assignment in room 714 was for the three of us to to pray identificationally on behalf of all ‘my (God’s) people’ that they would, Puddleglum-like, push through the pain – to “WAKE UP!” from their Babylonian spiritual stupor.

“Awake sleeper; rise from the dead and Christ will give you light!”(Eph. 5:14)

Just last week I was reminded again of this experience when Hilary heard about a Facebook post of 2 Chron.7:14 being ‘taken down’

The reason given was that it did not meet Facebook’s ‘community standards’

“Well of course it didn’t!” I exclaimed.

For this is the first step in waking up……recognizing that there are 2 communities. – 2 kingdoms. The community of ‘my (God’s) people’ and the community known in scripture as ‘the world’. These are antithetical.

1 Jn. 5:19 plainly states “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

The evil one is also called ”the father of lies’ So of course Facebook and the other vehicles of ‘the world’ will do everything in their power to suppress the truth that sets us free. Their goal is to keep people blind and bound.

I find it significant that this was the verse we saw was taken down. It speaks specifically about God’s people being those who ‘seek my FACE’.

FACE book is an “in your face” counterfeit of the FACE we are invited to seek and gaze into, that alone will fill us with peace and joy.

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.” (Ps.27:8)

The good news is that the Spirit of Truth is being poured out in our day. The internet is giving people more access to a different narrative from the increasingly mistrusted Mainstream. Check out for example questioningcovid.com

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters……..You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt 6:24)

Here is a very practical example of how the monied interests that have curated science to enrich themselves are being exposed. Dr. Paul Mason talks about the ‘atrocious nutritional advice’ we have been given for decades leading to common chronic illnesses. We have seen such ‘uncovered truth’ transform Robin’s health and likely save his life. You might recall the interview I posted of Ivor Cummins and Paul Mason on how this ‘bad advice’ is the underlying cause of the mortality associated with Covid 19.

In the vernacular…..if we ‘follow the money’ it helps us know who to trust. That is why I give more weight to an Andrew Kaufman, Ivor Cummins, Sayer Ji, or “an old bloke in an armchair” like Vernon Coleman who do not seem to have financial ‘conflicts of interest’ and do have ‘the ring of truth’, than a plethora of manipulated ‘facts’ presented by BIG Harfung ‘experts’.

The ‘body of evidence’ is more about the humility, integrity and the wakefulness of the body that carries the evidence than about the so called ‘evidence’ presented.

This is another reason I have received much from the bible teacher, Stephen Jones whom I have known personally for many years. He has written some deeply insightful and hope filled blogs over the past few days about the outworking of God’s perfect plan at godskingdom.org

When we begin to ‘wake up’ we may at first be apprehensive because of the evil our eyes are opened to. The psychiatrist Kelly Brogan in her essay, “Why We Stay Asleep When Covid 19 is Trying to Wake Us Up.” describes how we are experiencing a “Global Stockholm Syndrome” This is a condition where the traumatized child is unable to acknowledge an abusive authority because they are afraid of loosing their only hope of security.

However as the eyes of our heart open, we see beyond the darkness….to “the light of the glory of God in the FACE of Jesus Christ.”

I open my eyes …….I see your smiling face

Warming my heart….Good Mornin’ Dad.

Last night as I envisioned this reality for the thousandth time, Dad impressed on me that his smile was not only to do with his delight in me (and YOU) personally, but his satisfied look was in all that he saw taking place around us in our world today. For not only are we invited to trust that “All WILL BE Well’ but that “All is NOW well.” Everything is playing out as it is meant to and everyone has their own unique role in the Divine Drama.

All of us still ‘see in part’, but I believe one day we are all destined to fully ‘WAKE UP’ and with joy or regret acknowledge our role as ‘vessels of honor or vessels of dishonor’ (2 Tim 2:20,21) Then if we have not in this life embraced the purifying fire, we will certainly experience it’s cleansing action in the next. For scripture assures us that “EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.2:10,11)

1 Jn.5:9 affirms, that while we are called to be ‘salt and light’ in ‘the world’, we cannot expect to be ‘Main – stream’ with the current ‘world‘ which is under God’s judgement, but as we remain faithful to the name and nature of the humble servant son, Jesus Christ and his gospel, we will continue to be found – in that glorious ‘Martyr – Stream’.

…………..until that sure and certain day when the prayer we were given to pray will be answered, and his kingdom is fully come and his will is perfectly done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Yes, I come quickly!’ Amen! Yes, be coming, Lord Jesus! (Rev.22.20. YLT)

“Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash! in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable. and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with imperishable and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Cor. 15.51-53.) 

Last week our friend Josie Lewis came to visit with her daughter Gigi. She also brought with her one of her 60 cocoons waiting for their moment to transition into beautiful butterflies. Then just as she was about to leave – it happened!!!

We all, kids and adults, gathered to watch the awesome spectacle of the monarch butterfly emerging from it’s cocoon in the glass jar and then being patiently passed from little finger to little finger until it’s wings had dried enough to launch out into it’s first glorious technicolor freedom flight.

Here is our email exchange the next day

Appreciated your visit with Gigi! 

P.S. The ‘millions’ was not an exaggeration! You too can become one of her half a million Instagram followers at her website https://www.josielewis.com

The phrase, “Think Globally…..Act Locally.” is a noble and wise aspiration.

Sadly the culture in which we find ourselves nowadays nurtures the opposite as does our fallen human nature. We have been increasingly conditioned to “Think Locally….. in the sense of think first and foremost about ourselves not in the sense of being self aware, but rather self important, and then arising out of our foolish pride, to imagine, “I can change the world!” – as I Act Globally.”

This has not always been the case. It was the last Century that was dubbed “The Century of the Self” at least by the makers of the BBC documentary series first shown on Channel 4 in the late 90’s (and still available for viewing on YouTube.) This in itself illustrates how far we have fallen in a few decades, when the source of an insightful objective account of the history of PROPAGANDA, the BBC, has now along with most mainstream media outlets, been gobbled up by the Beast it described back then.

In biblical terms we could call it The Century when the Soul of Man, the seat of thought, emotion and desire, has sought to eclipse the Spirit of God, the source of truth. Practically speaking we have been brainwashed to believe that what I think and what I feel and what I want matters, more than what God says. 

Now more than ever do we need to echo the words of the old hymn writer,

O let me hear thee speaking in accents clear and still

Above the storms of passion the murmers of self will. 

……and so one shocking video of a man being suffocated is enough to inflame thousands of Souls to instantly echo ‘the cheerleader’ ominously standing in the shadows hissing simplistically from behind the tree…

“The world would be a better place if we could just fix ‘this’ about ‘them’ “

People’s emotions of fear, grief, anger and hatred are co-opted by ‘the puppet masters’ to perpetuate the separation and destruction of one another, ensuring the subjection and bondage of all.

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. I remember my embarrassment at school about the (what seemed like enormous) patches sewed over the holes in the seat of my worn shorts.

The Scottish Presbyterian virtue of ‘thrift’ was much applauded in our home. My grandfather had at the age of 13 as the eldest in the family been sent from the family farm in Co.Tyrone up to the big city of Belfast to try and ‘make a living’ and send something back to the farm. He ended up with a small milk delivery business that supported his wife and 6 children.

My father too, had to leave school with a basic education and served his time to eventually be able to own a small furniture store that supported his wife and enabled his three sons to all graduate from medical school. 

He taught us the value of ‘honest, hard work’. He also always had a heart for ‘the little people‘ …….just like Jesus.

I’m often asked. “So how are things in Minneapolis?”

Pretty good for the politicians who want to defund the police while having the little people whose businesses they failed to defend pay for their personal body guards.

Not so good for those little people whose businesses have been squashed by the deceitful one two punch of Covid 19 hysteria and rioting.

Last Sunday one of our group told how she was mugged last week in broad daylight in this increasingly lawless city. 

Then this week the City of Minneapolis leadership decided to again completely deny the true scientific facts about Covd 19 and cancel school this year. The ‘little ones’ once again sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. Jesus words about ‘a millstone‘ and ‘the depths of the sea‘, come to mind.

I’m posting a link below of what you will never see on Mainstream Media. Tim seeking to be an honest ‘independent’ (self funded) journalist began his career with the Mainstream press with whom he has become increasingly disillusioned as he tells what he sees really happening across the nation.

What really grabbed my attention was photos of stores, literally a few BLOCKS away from us, at the end of our street, here in Minneapolis! 

So now for The Good News!……… 

Every crisis brings with it both danger and opportunity……..

In the devastated neighborhood where the rioting began, Source Ministries, lead by our friend Peter, has given out over 120 tons of food to the victims of the violence and destruction.

At the other side of the world, we spoke this week with Paddy and Breda in the sleepy little village of Ederney, buried in the beautiful Fermanagh countryside. They told of how the current Covid ‘crisis’ had brought about an outpouring of loving kindness in their little Catholic community. The tone was set by the godly Parish Priest who a few years ago announced from the pulpit he really didn’t need all the salary he was receiving, so they didn’t need to give as much, but if they continued to give, he would pass the extra on to a needy situation in Africa. The people’s giving increased! When he later announced he was leaving, tough farmers were seen weeping. The fruits of the Spirit of Christ continue to be enjoyed amongst the villagers today.

Here is a short video about how one Black ex-cop sees things. I love where he lands in his final sentence!  “I’m an American who deals with my fellow Americans ‘One on One’. Try it. It works!” 

A few days ago an obviously perturbed One, called John, who lives on our BLOCK, arrived on our doorstep. 

“So how, for goodness sake, are you supposed to get a haircut with this thing tied round your face?!” He frustratingly demonstrated. 

Half an hour later he left with a lot less hair…. and a lot more smile.

“God so loved THE WORLD that HE GAVE his only begotten SON”

This ‘Son-life‘ within us, provides the key to how we can lead by the Spirit of truth, “Think Globally and Act Locally”, and make a difference

……One neighbor at a time

……One BLOCK at a time

……One village at a time

……One city at a time

……until his kingdom comes and his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

P.S. Just this morning I came across this headline…

Christians Beat Newsom at His Own Game : 5000 People Just Showed up on the Beach for Church Services

California Christians have just beat Gavin Newsom at his own game. They’re heading to beaches and other public areas. It’s the “Let Us Worship” events and they’re stretching all the way from Redding to San Diego………..“JUST NO WORDS!!! Thousands gathered! Hundreds saved and baptized! Unity released! Hope restored! Courage instilled! We are declaring A NEW JESUS PEOPLE MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN!!!!!!”

Add to my list

….one State at a time

….one nation at a time.

“Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain.” (Ps.84:6. TPT)

Father reminded me recently that there are two verses in scripture which have the gematria 2721, the number of our house on Parkview. These verses capture the calling we feel we have had in this place over this season.

One of the verses is Ps.51:15 which says, “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.”

At our home fellowship last Sunday we revisited my song “All Day Long” taken from Psalm 71, with the chorus

Declaring your splendour

Proclaiming your righteousness

Announcing salvation

Singing your praises ……….all day long

I discovered that the Hebrew word translated “shew forth” means to declare, to proclaim and toannounce,

It also means to be “courageous and conquer.”

As one of the group pointed out, as we have in this place, followed the Lord’s instructions to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:17, ‘Stand still!’ (Park)…. in the position God has given you, shewing forth his praise….. we have indeed as a worshiping fellowship now seen (Viewed) ‘the salvation of our God.’ – at least three times.

Firstly in the Minnesota Criminal Court, secondly in the Health Insurance Court and now in the past week for a third time in the Local City Court as the authorities seem to finally have made peace with us….. and our troubled neighbor is in the process of selling her house and moving on!!!

The word translated ‘lips’ can also be translated ‘edge’

Brian, a biologist then brought up ‘The Edge Effect‘ described in the above video.

It seems that the crucial element to creating a rich diverse ecosystem full of life is to create space for the sun to shine in! We also connected ‘The Edge Effect’ to “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” which comes forth from our mouths.

These two images of the sword in our mouths and the sun on our faces are seen in Rev.1:16.“…..out of his mouth came a double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all it’s brilliance.”

Today as we went on our weekly bike ride this new understanding of “The Edge Effect” made our ride through the beautiful Minnesotan countryside even more interesting and glorious.

When we arrived at the coffee shop, we found ourselves sitting opposite an anxious lady, masked and alone, waiting for her comfort food pizza. We struck up a conversation with her. We spoke of the beauty of her bright eyes, (visible above the mask) and we three shared together about the wonderful blessing of the nearby Parkway running through God’s creation. As we said our farewells, her spirit seemed lifted, by the sword from our mouths and the sunshine from our faces.

When each morning God enables us to ‘open our mouths‘ and we ‘show forth his praise’ as we remain in joyous communion with him ‘all day long’ , our ‘Living on the Edge’ can prove a life giving environment into which those who Father brings ‘across our path’ can enter, as we are

…..“always ready to give an account for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pt.3:15)

As we set off for home, I remembered another Edge Effect, example that was given in the Hebrew Lexicon – ‘the edge of the ocean’ . I thought of the hymn writer’s lines,

“Thou who fullest all things, in thee living moving, evermore are we

Shoreless sea unsounded, mystery and WONDER, sinks my soul in thee.”

I in thee, no longer bound in self’s dark prison

And the life that fills me moves me, Christ arisen.”

…..and of the words of another contemporary jazz icon,

……….What a WONDERFUL world!

We paused on the path savoring more deeply still the endless WONDER of

‘Living….. on God’s edge.’

“Don’t apologize darling, you are a WONDER too !” : – )

Last Saturday one of our men’s group invited us to go with him to the liturgy of St. Basil the Divine at the nearby St. George’s Coptic Orthodox church.

Due to ‘Covid 19’ only five families were invited to attend in the little church building. We were considered Bill’s ‘family’ and so we 5 masked guys were shown to our distanced pew where we participated in the 2 hour liturgy, in the beautiful Orthodox way.

I personally deeply appreciated being once again in the richness of an ancient liturgical setting. The many blessings I received serving as a priest for 8 years in a liturgical tradition came flooding back to me, not least the awareness that I was fitting in to something infinitely bigger and greater than ‘me’.

This truth was emphasized in the short but profound homily about the meaning of the word ‘Way’ (Acts.9:8) in the original language. It is first of all a ‘treading on self’ – a truly revolutionary message for those of us living today, in this, “The Century of The Self”

Returning home I opened an email from a friend with a link to a sensible conversation between two intelligent academics. They used the word ‘Iconoclastic’ to describe the irrational ‘madness’ that we now find ourselves caught up in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfsH3AaoqYM&feature=youtu.be

An Iconoclast is one who ‘destroys statues, institutions and traditions,’ however, the definition of ‘iconoclastic’ also includes, “the destruction of an image”.

As I pondered this in the light of the service we had just attended with a ‘masked’ priest and the instructions ‘Do not touch the icons’ – the very hallmark of the Orthodox tradition, it dawned on me the deeper spiritual significance of the current push by “the powers that (think they) be” toward mandatory face coverings.

An icon is an image, using earthly things to open a window to heavenly realities. In this sense Jesus Christ was THE icon, God become man.

“God…. has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:5-6)

As we believe and receive Jesus Christ as the ultimate icon of God, our seeing of others is then transformed, for “We no longer view any man after the flesh.” (1 Cor. 5:16) As a “new creature” we are given new eyes with which to see our fellow human beings.

We are then by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit able to appreciate afresh God’s making mankind “in his own image”.

And so as we look into the face of every man, woman and child no matter what their social, educational or economic status, their gender, their age or their ethnic background, and are able to see them as ‘children of God’ to be valued and respected even as we all are, ‘broken’ image carriers of our Creator.

This spiritual truth rather than the physical health pros or cons of ‘face coverings’ is the primordial issue.

It is the “enemy of our souls” who wants to ‘Cancel’…. every last vestige of our loving Father’s image whom we bear, quintessentially in our faces………..especially in a smile that reveals the beauty and benevolence of our Creator

This year, in the Hebrew calendar, is the beginning of the decade of the 80’s (5780). The Hebrew letter Pey with the value of 80 is represented by the mouth, and by extension, speech and breath. This follows the Ayin of the 70s, representing the eye with which we see.

I believe people are being awakened to see and then speak the truth

I wrote a few weeks ago about why the phrase, “I can’t breathe” resonates with so many. Do the desperate Queen of the Underworld and the Giants of Harfung want to cover our mouths, to also silence the voices that dissent from the toxic, Main-sewer narrative?

Here is an example of someone whose videos have repeatedly been ‘taken down’ by the Harfung Tech Giants. As another doctor turned artist. I appreciated the wry English humor of this ‘down to earth’ observer, describing how he believes we are currently, victims of, “The Greatest Crime in History” perpetrated by an iconoclastic medical and political elite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhYX8RzyMC4

It was in the May 17th blog, that I first wrote about how Father had shown me that The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis was a prophetic template for understanding the days in which we now live. As I’ve said before, I try to avoid giving my ‘opinions’ and to share what I believe I’ve been given as ‘revelation’ from our Father for your discernment.

The Silver Chair has a wonderful ending. Against all odds, Aslan’s “strength is made perfect” in the midst of the weaknesses of Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum, the three chosen adventurers, and the plans of the evil Queen and the Giants of Harfung are thwarted!

Last night Father gave me the word ‘Iconoblast‘ to stand in contrast to Iconoclast. I discovered this morning there is no such word in the English dictionary! ‘Blast‘ however as used in biology e.g. lymphoblast, is from the Latin for ‘BUD’ referring to a precursor cell.

He also highlighted to me another well known Orthodox icon (pictured below) that hangs in our Upper Room. It depicts Christ ‘the firstfruits’ (precursor) having blasted through death, taking the hands of Adam and Eve, from whom all mankind are descended, drawing them up, to in turn, share in His resurrection life.

A ‘rocket’ seems to be blasting through the overarching earth.

This reminded me of how the three in the story, escaped with the ‘missing’ Prince Rillian along the tunnel that the evil Queen had been constructing, in preparation for how she, and her bewitched prince, would conquer and rule the world of Narnia.

But now the spell that had kept the true Prince of Narnia bound had been broken. He is once again in his ‘right mind’ and on the side of good.

The four finally blast through the thin cover of earth remaining at the end of the tunnel to emerge from the dark Underworld and set foot once again in the magical world of Narnia…… even as the other Underworld captives, are at the same time being set free….. for Jesus Christ ‘led captivity captive.” (Ephesians.4:8)

The Queen’s and the Giant’s efforts will in the end prove futile, for as God affirms….

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it BUD and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is.55:11)

Lord, please make me your BUD, an ICONOBLAST, not an ICONOCLAST : – )