Author Archives: Brian

Erosion

EROSION
 

I don’t want the erosion of my prayers to be my story.

Distractions that take my focus from You.
I’m after something so much more than my fading appetites.
SomeOne that can make my desires submit.
 
You made me, You know me.  I am Your child.
My thoughts betray the trust You have shown me.
I need Your strength to carry me beyond
where my legs are unwilling to go.
 
You went there.  Your light makes bare the path.
I surrender my resolve for Yours.
Your legs are so much stronger than mine.
You lift me to heights I would never know.
 
The peace You give, even the crumbs, are worth more
than I could ever earn.  I have nothing to bargain with.
My robes are rags, my glory is fading.
Worth less than a car driven off the lot.
 
Those stars, the work of Your fingers, even their dust
is of heavenly currency.  I have not a penny to offer.
You make my sinking vessel sea worthy.
Nay, You set me to sail beyond the stars.
 

Spiritfire 24:28-29 “The Proverbial Doughnut, I mean Do Not”

“Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,

or use your lips to deceive.
Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
     I’ll pay that man back for what he has done.”

Here we have a pair of ‘doughnuts’, I mean ‘Do Nots’.  The proverbial ‘Do Nots’ always stand as warning signs along the pathway to Wisdom’s house.  Only those who wish to avoid the traps and be left for the “Do not” maker’s cart, heed them.  The “Do Not” maker looks familiarly like a doomsday Swedish chef from the Muppets.  If you happen to witness him as he goes about his work you will see that he pushes what looks like a large lopsided bakery cart.  His business is to retrieve the trapped foolish pilgrims that have fallen into the cages the signs warned to avoid.  He would then load them onto his cart.  He only has one stop after he picks up all his passengers, Folly’s house.  If you listen closely as he passes by you will first hear the odd song his cart plays as its wheels turn.  Then you will hear him boisterously sing to the music, repeating the sayings of past “Do not” warning signs.  “Do not lie in wait…”

As we read this pair, I offered that we should look at them separately to be used for two Spiritfires.  To me, they seemed to be speaking to separate audiences regarding two separate warnings along the path to Wisdom’s house.  My daughter disagreed.  Over the years, I have learned to listen to her as her thoughts are often sharper than my own.  “She has an ‘old soul,’” people would say who knew her.  They don’t know the half of it.  So, I stopped and looked at the proverbs again and saw how both could be applied to the same person as a complete thought.  In an offense/defense sort of play, or to keep with the doughnut metaphor, half of it has chocolate frosting, the other vanilla:  The first warning is what may have been done to you, the second what you may want to do in return.  This was demonstrated the most obviously in the answer to my favorite question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”

At the end of Jesus’ days among us which culminated in His crucifixion, death and resurrection, there were those who testified against Him and made false accusations about Him.  They didn’t fulfill this proverb as much as fell into it by disobedience, Mark 14:55-59.  The music of the “Do Not” maker’s cart could be heard as Jesus’ accusers were stuck fast in the cage of the first proverb’s warning.  The “Do Not” maker then loaded them onto his cart bound for folly’s house.  As previously stated, their lies lead to Jesus’ crucifixion at which point the 2nd proverb found its fulfillment by obedience, Luke 23:34.  By offering His attackers forgiveness instead of retribution, we see the great love accomplished there for the salvation of those who repent and believe in Him, John 3:16.  The “Do Not” maker’s surprise was genuine as he looked over at the empty cage of the 2nd proverb.  At that moment, Jesus not only escaped the clutches of Folly’s house, where the dead lie, but He offered a new ride to a new House, one not made by human hands, 2 Corinthians 5:1.  

In another light, we find how these two Proverbs’ receive fulfilled reflections in the character of Jesus.  “Tell your neighbor, whom I love, use your lips for Truth,” John 4:39.  Or again, “I’ll do for him what he can’t do for himself; I’ll forgive him all his debts.”  In this way, we see how “An eye for an eye” – Leviticus 24:19-21, becomes the healing of both eyes and man, John 9:1-12.  Each of the “Do nots” become “Do’s” and are a foretaste of God’s Kingdom instead of traps headed for Folly’s House, that precursor of Hell.  We see the invitation given by the sharing of the Truth.  It opens them up to repentance and the redemption offered by Jesus’ blood on their behalf.  The “Do not” maker is given a new task.  Now he posts lights upon the way to God’s Kingdom as He sings of His amazing grace.

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:27 “The Master Plan”

Finish your outdoor work
     and get your fields ready;
     after that, build your house.
 
For a long time, the fulfillment of the wisdom of God was a concept I had not fully realized.  I believed Jesus was that fulfillment, but to see how He did so in such a practical manner when applied to the book of Proverbs is breathtaking.  The Gospel of Jesus has become even more vividly clear when seen through that book’s fulfillment.  I had only vaguely heard about such an OT appropriation from a seminarian professor who sarcastically told me about Origen’s comparison between the arks’ wooden floor boards and Jesus’ saving power.  I feel I must make something clear, I didn’t read ahead and prepare what we would talk about before our time together.  We would pray and invite the Holy Spirit to fill us and our home and open our eyes as we read.  It was a simple prayer, but has become filled with excitement as the Holy Spirit would show up and answer us every time.
 
Again, I didn’t research or prep myself in any way.  We would simply read the proverb, then I’d ask my kids what it meant.  We’d talk about it and Betsy and I would answer any questions, or look up stuff in case we couldn’t.  For this one, we looked at it from the perspective of farmers, which we are not.  The proverb showed that they have an order to their work, and we spoke about the wisdom of it.  If we finished our outdoor work, and got the fields ready, then built our house, the fields would grow as we would build.  Then harvest time and a finished house would converge!  If we did it the other way and built our house first before we got the fields ready we’d miss the window by not planting the crops in time.  It’s probably much more practical than this and is about money.  Sell the harvest then build because now you can afford it.
 
Then, I asked the question, “How did Jesus fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?”  That is when this proverb got interesting.  My kids each took their turn seeing this as Jesus’ master plan.  “Finish your outdoor work” could be applied to His ministry among the disciples.  “Get your fields ready” could be applied in a similar way as Jesus’ statement in John 4:35, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!  They are ripe for harvest.”, or as He said in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  His work of guiding His followers to a better way through his teachings by parables helped to clear the fields so they could receive His message. Miracles, signs, and wonders also helped to plant the seeds of His Kingdom.  “Build your house” could be seen as in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”  And as said in 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  Hebrews 13:14 also states, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
 
As it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:24, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,” we see Jesus as the Master Gardener using this plan as recorded here as His plan for His ministry among us.  Growing us as His new crop, 2 Corinthians 5:17, clothing us in His righteousness, Galatians 3:27, and preparing for us a home in Heaven, Hebrews 11:16.

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:26 “The Honest Answer”

An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
 
When we looked into the window of this proverb to gaze upon the seed of wisdom it contained, we were met with a vision; a journey already begun, and we found ourselves looking deeper in to discover its mysteries. I looked to my kids and asked, “What do we need to have before we have an answer?” They thought it over for a second, then Caleb announced, “A question!” “Yes! Now we’re getting into the thick of it. And what is the question?” As I asked this my daughter made the curious whine of the Skeksis Chamberlain from the Dark Crystal. We spoke of the courtroom scene many of the proverbs find their meaning and application within. We discussed again briefly the previous verses 24:23-25 and my son Jack summarized by asking, “Are you guilty?”
 
We created a scenario of a father who stole bread for his starving family. Yes, he was guilty, but the answer he gave to the judge was an honest one and had a really good reason. Now it was the baker, honest or corrupt, who needed recompense. In that scenario, and in this proverb, we realized it wasn’t a ‘guilty’ or ‘innocent’ verdict that was desired but an honest one.
 
Then I asked, “Where is Jesus? How did he fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?” We were eventually lead back to the question, “Are you guilty?” Romans 3:23 states clearly that no one is perfect, all are guilty. Jesus, then, is our honest answer. As in the preceding and following verses, Romans 3:21-26, Jesus is our righteousness through our faith in Him. We are justified not by our actions but by His, Romans 5:1. For it was by God’s wisdom that the earth was made, Jeremiah 10:12, and it was fulfilled in Jesus, 1 Corinthians 1:24. Now, because of Jesus and what was accomplished through Him on the cross, we are made into new creations, 2 Corinthians 5:17. May His name be praised!

Spiritfire Proverbs 24:21 “Caleb’s Answer”

Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with the rebellious,
for those two will send sudden
destruction upon them,
and who knows what calamities
they can bring.
 
We had company over the day we did this Spiritfire. After the intro’s and the declarations, we began exploring this Proverb through the lens of fear. What did it provide? A choice. We chose to obey rather than to rebel. Much like there are separate houses for the discerning and the fools, our obedience parted ways with the rebellious. If we were to join them to their destination, then their destruction and calamity would be ours as well. The deterrent would not be clear who it was for and justice would not be served. Fear kept us on a better path free from punishment and calamity.  Obedience aligns the kingdoms’ citizens with the will of their sovereign. When justly appropriated, then “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
 
When I asked my kids and their friends where was Jesus? How does He fulfill this proverb to make us into new creations?  I heard many answers. A few said, “He is the LORD!” Some also said, “He is the King,” or “Jesus is the Son!” I heard them all, and nodded to each in turn.  When they had quieted down, I asked again, “Yes, but where is He?” Then my son Caleb, who is normally silent, said, “He is with the rebellious.” Everyone paused for a second and let the truth of that thought take flight like Noah’s dove. It is true, time and time again, we find Jesus, our LORD and King, the Son of God, with the sinners, the rebellious.  And the calamity of the cross was not evaded (Mark 15:21-41). The fulfillment of this proverb was acted out upon His flesh and a door was opened, the salvation of humankind.  And through that door flew in Noah’s dove with a leaf in her mouth (Genesis 8:6-12).  Jesus is the Living Water (John 4:14) which flows from the throne in Heaven (Revelation 22:1), giving life for all who believe in Him (John 3:16).

Thrones Tower Path 

When you don’t agree with those who make the ‘rules’ here, prepare to be on your own. I kept saying to myself everyday for years, “But, that’s not You, my Lord.”  Now either I’m wrong and I am following someone/thing truly maniacally evil, or…

We will see.


Thrones, we make them on many things. It is up to those that follow who make the ones atop them reign. Jesus’ throne was in Heaven, not here. He denied what we spend our entire lives rebuilding, and we killed Him for it. 

When the Temple became the Tower.


The path is void of glory. Every step denies our own natural vanity. It is a process of rebirth and smells like death to everyone else, even to ourselves. Yet, there is a voice that calls us onward. Every day, we make a choice to follow or not on this arid path. Its destination is not here, sometimes I wish it was, but am ever glad it’s not.

2 Healings & A Google Earth Journey

 

SMOT to remember:  This was the beginning.  We – a student of mine (In Seoul, South Korea) and I (In America), traveled north in Mongolia to Khovsgol Lake because she wanted to see a lake that was bigger than Jeju Island.

We started off on random dirt roads near ‘guest houses’ that didn’t look like they had been rented in many months.  Then while my student visited a nearby town, I saw a squiggle of a line on the lake.

I clicked it and found myself on top of a frozen lake.  I told her to get out here.  Then I saw tracks on the ice.  “They bring vehicles out here!”

Then, in the distance, I saw a small horse.  “They bring horses out here?  You got to see this!”  “Who does that?  The horses might fall through!”  Then I clicked forward and found myself on a sled pulled by a pony.  “I guess I do,” I said shocked.  “You really need to see this!” I called to my student.  “Where are you?” she asked.  “I’m heading into the shore.  I don’t like being out here.”  “Is your horse white?”  “Yes!”

 “Wow there’s a lot of people.  Oh my, are you seeing this?  Ice statues!!!”  “Wow!” 

This ended our travels in the North.  This also happened to be our last class.  During our time together we visited many places and traveled the world via Google Earth.  France, Egypt, New York and South Korea, to name a few.

During lockdowns and quarantines, it is good to breathe a little and explore.  Adventure is everywhere if you look for it.  For example, when we were in Paris trying to get a view of the Tower, I appeared right in front of a police car!  I ran for it and ended up clicking off the side of the road by accident, which was a bridge.  Suddenly, I found myself on a boat traveling down the Seine.  Of course, I didn’t plan that, but I acted like I did.  I called my student down so we could make a quick getaway, but the boat was super slow.  So with the police yelling down at us from the bridge, we continued onward to visit the Louvre.

Again, adventure is in the eye of the beholder, so if you’re trapped at home because of another outbreak, take a moment and travel the world.  Don’t be afraid of squiggly lines.  Click them because they might lead you to a digital version of a cultural highlight.  The meta verse holds many mysteries yet to be explored.

The class may have ended for one student, but 2 more had just begun their faith journeys.  I wasn’t going to include these but God left me with the impression of “Why not?”  Although I am not permitted to give details,  two students of mine were in pain, so I asked if I could pray for them.  One has experienced a problem with her lungs and the other has had constant back pain for 10 years.  Again, I was in America and they were in South Korea.  Neither of them believed in Jesus as both claimed no religion, but I prayed in Jesus’ name for their healing.  Both were instantly healed.  One student shouted, “Your God does exist!”  I tried to speak with her more about Him, but she got pretty quiet and didn’t want to continue our conversation.  God gave me patience for her and reminded me that His work will be a daily reminder of His love for her.   My other student wanted to know more about God but is also facing imminent military time.  I assured him that we could continue our conversation even amidst his tour and that I’d pray for him.

The meta verse may indeed hold many digital mysteries for us to explore; another one is God’s healing power over space and time.  

Spiritfire- Proverbs 24:11 “A Star Wars-ian Proverb”

“Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”
 
This was a rather odd way to begin a proverb.  No mention of the houses, or even of the innocence of those “being led away to death.”  True, we have read many proverbs that would allow us to assume that “they” would require innocence before such aid would be given.  Would we or should we rescue the guilty from their justified fate?
 
Our journey to explore the depths of this proverb lead us to “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”  For it was in the third episode of the book of Boba Fett that Boba rescued a gang of cyberpunk kids by paying off a portion of their debt to a local water vendor.  Since there was no work with which they could attempt to pay the vendor’s exorbitant fee, Boba Fett recruited the gang to work for him.  My kids got to witness first hand how Boba Fett used the wisdom in this proverb to secure members for his personal army.
 
When I asked them “Where is Jesus?” in this Star Wars-ian Proverb, the line between what Boba Fett did for the cyberpunks and what Jesus did for humankind couldn’t be clearer.  Again, Boba Fett paid a part of what was owed for the gang’s theft.  Jesus paid it all.  He was the One “being led away to death” – a death on the cross.  A death we deserved but of which He was innocent.  He was the One “staggering toward slaughter”.  No one rescued Him or held Him back and because of His sacrifice, a way was paid for us to become new creations adopted into His family.   Our thievery, our sins, though they be like scarlet were washed white as snow and now we are made blameless in His sight, Isaiah 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:3-10.

Bridging the Gap

Last November I unveiled a project my daughter and I had been working on for a number of years.  It all began with a question and a request.  “I want to do a lullaby album, dad!” is how I remember it.  “Do you want to do a lullaby album, Gwen?” is how she remembers it.  Either way, from there our journey began amongst treasure-keeping-waterfalls, magical forests and mystical beaches.  Mermaids, sprites, a dragon and many others greeted us on our way to find the greatest treasure known to humankind, among our common daily toil, the valued treasure of rest.
 
So go ahead, find a place to lie down and listen in on 8 stories and 1 hymn to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May they guide you to a priceless nap time, and may you have the most fantastic of dreams.
 
A word about Dreams:  Sometimes, story becomes more real than our days IRL, or at least during our sleep IRL.  Long before the meta-verse sought to create a convenient digital version of life in which we could live and work out our days, there was another reality sought by prophets and seers across the world and throughout history, the realm of dreams.  For more than being a source of entertainment while sleeping, dreams at times unraveled the future.  They spanned time and the realms of reality, many of which were often beyond the grasp of where we currently find ourselves and were filled with mystical creatures beyond imagining.  Yet, somehow they interacted with our story here.
 
Again, for children and adults alike, find that safe place and take a moment or two.  Listen to Gwendolyn’s Lullaby, take a nap and trust yourself in the hands of Your Maker.  Perhaps God has a dream for you.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quj9yTtaxUo&list=OLAK5uy_mlbqOHC3eDhh0TWlNzixOzsJrHkS_qEqc&index=1
 
https://www.path2story.com/?p=583