glad..patient..prayerful

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in times of trouble, and always be prayerful. Romans 12:12 (PM Version)

Be glad for all your father
has in store for you.
Be patient in times you'd rather
not have to go through.

In case you missed it, trouble
is not a fake idea,
some people can take double
if God's love is near.

So I need to be careful,
grounded in the Lord,
and always to be prayerful,
patient, not just bored.

(TW & PW version)

Prayer for a brother, and his son...

Txt2me: Yeah just juggling things. Struggling with my son's behaviour .... would be good to catch up soon . Cheers...

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Oh God, please give your wisdom to this man,
and cre-a-tiv-i-ty to see new ways,
and means, and plans, devices that he can
employ to help his son to take his place,

that's “what it was you dreamed for him, when he
was being made in secret in his mum”.
You let his Mum & Dad join in and be
his pro-creators, co-creating some

of what he would become, and struggle with,
and eas'ly overcome, along the way,
[along with you, whose help is not a myth.
I'm sure you won't say "No!", to them today.

In fact the scriptures say that if we lack
some wisdom, then we only need to ask
you who made us, and ev'rything in fact.
You're very fit to help with such a task.

And more than that, you'd love to, if we're tru-
ly willing to do fasting from "that fruit"
(technology, we thought would make things new),
and learn to trust in you again, to boot.]

Well, please do help my brother, and the rest,
to know the way to work with you, for him 
- the young man, that he really will be blessed
in growing up, and choosing who will trim

and prune his inclinations, so he'll grow
more useful to the universe where he's
a part, and yet apart, so he will know
as he is known, and loved, not just appeased.

Will I wait?

I just got another text from that friend in Central Australia. When i can i try to let that scripture sink into me and respond back. That has been fun. Because you appeared to be interested too, I'll cut & paste Paul McLaughlan's text below, 
with my poem-ish thoughts sparked from it and life in God's world below that.

I wait on the LORD, for He is the one that renews my strength. I will soar with wings like eagles. I will run and not grow weary. I will walk and not stumble.  Isaiah 40:31(PM Version)

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I wait on the LORD, for He 
is the one that renews my strength. 
I will soar with wings like ea-
-gles. I will run and not at length

grow weary. For his love gives
energy as I allow it
to move me, and then it seives
my motives. O God, please plow it

into the soil of this plot.
And I will make choices to let
you choose what grows (and does not)
in the garden of God (our "bet*").

Then, as I look at my plight,
since you own me, & you're around,
I will walk (even at night) 
and not stumble - on holy ground.

Or maybe, though I stumble,
the "new me" won't fall and be lost,
on holy ground it's humble,
though "old me" must become compost!

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* "bet"(Hebrew)=house/home/dwelling-place. (e.g. bet-sepher, bet-lehem, etc. with conotations from the Psalms: "Oh God you have always been our dwelling place/house/home..."); and also the English word's normal meaning of something you put a wager on..

good wine, watered.. * (a sign of the times)..

Isaiah says this message* from The LORD,

about God's people and their leaders too,

about some precious things he now abhorred,

now worthless, hated, things he would eschew.

He told about a wife, who was belove’d,
and faithful to her husband and her vows,

that now had gone a-whoring, and was shoved

into a market-place to cry for hours.

A city that was filled with righteous folk,

who cared about it's thriving, justice too.

But now was filled with people who would joke

at the expense of poor (the needy who

could not defend themselves). Inhabitants

who’d murder people just for their own gain.

Jerusalem, you were like silver once,

refined, and treasured, strong and bright, unstained.

But now you are as worthless as it's dross.

You were like good wine, made to celebrate,

as at the wedding before faith was lost;

but you have been so watered, now of late.

Your leaders, they are rebels, friends of thieves,

and rip-off merchants, keeping their control,

by getting/giving gifts and bribes to ease

their power base, but they have sold their soul.

They'd not defend the fatherless in court,

or listen when a widow put her case^.
But when Messiah came his life was fraught

with signs°, and godly leadership & ways.

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* Isaiah 1:21‭-‬23 GNTD "The city that once was faithful is behaving like a whore! At one time it was filled with righteous people, but now only murderers remain. Jerusalem, you were once like silver, but now you are worthless; you were like good wine, but now you are only water. Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend the fatherless in court or listen when widows present their case." Isaiah 1:21‭-‬23 Hebrew & various translations...

° John is interested to note that Jesus does the opposite of the (above-mentioned) process of "good wine, watered", he is providing another kind of leadership. ... John 2:1‭-‬11 NRSV  "On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him".  John 2:1‭-‬11 NRSV.

^ James 1:26-27   "Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself. What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of the fatherless and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world." James 1:26-27

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play my part - don't try to do it all..

Well play my part (don't try to do it all),

and be aware that my part is so small.

And sit in tension, telling what I see

in love, don't mention things to bolster me.

Oh God, you're good to let us work with you

in such ways should we learn to be quite true.

God please help me to kill bravado off,

as it competes to “play the Sydney toff”*.

So, measured speech, that tells it like it is.

God, not to preach my views, but aid the biz-

nus of a lis'ning ear (to all that's truth),

and telling tales of others in their youth-

full strength, where they contributed to me

and others, praying often un-word-ly.

Oh God, in me there's an actor ‘who “blows”’*

himself up freely, yet he hardly knows

his own faults, please save me from all my sin's.

I puff and wheeze, and tell my bit to win.

So, here I go, my God, to learn to ask.

I'm still so slow to tackle such a task.

It's HE who gives me hope to follow on.

He freely lives, with rope to hang upon.

And banks it all on God's own faithfulness,

who's in what's small, yet big enough to bless.

You work in both dimensions all the time.

You keep your troth - & call me to keep mine.

Yet screw those corporations who do that.

For you employ a justice that is “flat”°.

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*  from “The Man from Ironbark” by Banjo Paterson.

°  e.g. “flat” authority structures are “figures” of a flat justice system, where people choose the way they want to be judged, simply by choosing the way, and with the style and methods, they use to judge others. e.g. Jesus’ stories… “But Abraham said, ‘Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain. Luke 16:25‭, and “He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear! The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you—but with even greater severity.” Mark 4:24

“Follow me”

He started just responding “Come and see”,

not everyone saw what The Cleaner saw.

. But when The Cleaner spoke, some folk would be

attentive to him, so these heard some more.

The Cleaner kept no secrets long, yet those

who would hear him must take a longer hike,

he hardly hung about and interposed

within folk's coffee breaks. He was more like

a voice that speaks within deserted space,

and folk who think it's true, or right, or good,

must make a move from any other place

they find themselves, before they ever could

begin to hear and understand and know

the truth, reality, and goodness that

his message, or his deep cleaning could show.

But when The Cleaner said, he was the Act -

Supporting, and before the Main Event,

and introduced the next upon the stage,

those round him, and who listened, and too leant

right forward, heard, and followed up the Sage.

. He turned and asked them “Whatcha lookin’ for?”

(For they already followed him, quite near)

They called him “Teacher”, said they wanted more

more contact details - not to interfere.

That’s when they heard him say, “Come on, and see”.

Late afternoon they hung around with him.

They even learned from him a thing, - or three.

Picked up his method, so they weren't just dim.

. And when they followed on, not just in space,

he claimed from them a deeper loyalty

to learn to live like him, who was the Ace

(and Jack, and King, & Queen, God's royalty)!

He'd demonstrate his culture, so they'd learn

to live, and act and speak and do, to trace

his way of thinking, and speaking, in turn.

In short, to follow, not just him in space,

but him in showing off his Way to BE.

To follow his own Way of living here,

to learn the culture of eternity.

To manifest God's rule, he has appeared.

. But afterwards if we would follow still,

we'll find he sends us off to do some job.

The question now is can we do his will

and in a way that adds and will not rob.

While keeping true at heart to his own way

can we be loy-al, doing all his will.

Can WE take his words in, recall today

what he said other times, and them fulfil.

And take as our commands his slightest wish?

We won't do this for anything but love.

And sometimes it might make us look foolish!

We'll follow our genetics “from above”.

. And following his train of thought, his views

that sometimes seem so counter to this world's.

The kind of things that he saw as good news,

the facts with his interpretations curled

around them, and right through them, as poems,

or pictures, illustrations, metaphors.

His stories (and his life) might just  show 'em

some formulas to help them to think more,

and logic’ly, to motivate as truth

does when we then appreciate it for

an insight into what's above the roof,

though it might be unseen by us, it's sure!

. And follow his affections, make them mine,

to learn to have his feelings like he did.

Born from his views, commitments, these then shine.

His glory is: he's like a little kid,

or child of his true father (God, that's you!),

with loves, and hates, capacities inside,

priorities, and dreams, and treasures too.

He angered, and he pitied, loved, and cried.

True followers, like Steven, took them on

and prayed for those who took away his life,

forgiveness, for he followed where he'd gone,

through time & space, through culture, thinking, strife!

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• The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, when he saw Jesus walking by. “There is the Lamb of God!” he said.  The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, “What are you looking for?” They answered, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” (This word means “Teacher.”)  “Come and see,” he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him. The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come with me!” ( “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” answered Philip.
  John 1:35‭-‬39‭, ‬43‭, ‬46, “sell..., give…..., have riches in heaven, then come and follow me” Mk 10:21)
• be where he is, (“..that where I am, there you may also be”  John 14:3
• do what he does, (1 Peter 2:21, 1 John 2:6 NRSV)
• “Do whatever he tells you to do” (Mary to servants at Wedding) John 2:5; + 1 John 2:4-5)
• think what he is thinking,- follow my train of thought (= “Do you still not understand?”) Mark 8:‬17‭-‬21
• feel what he is feeling - “I have pity for these people, they have been with me for three days and have nothing left to eat, and if I send them home, some of them will drop along the way” (Mark 8:1-3)

Try Praying: My big issue is...

Been noticing I get frustrated, or,

at times I get reactive quickly too.

I've seen it four or five times (well there's more

as now I think about it). What to do?

And that's the secret common thing about

the times I get there. Mostly I don't know

which way to go, I’ve tried a few, run out

of options (that I  know of here below).

Right then, the circumstances are my friend,

they show me (& could  even help to train)

the place where I am heading in the end.

They're feedback so I focus right a-gain.

I'm in a process God shares with me now,

of growing up a tiny baby god,

from zygote, then to embryo somehow,

and on to foetus, then out comes the lot…

The other day, while teaching at a school,

and after we had had a quite severe

and honest talk together  - yr 10 girl,

the bell rang, then she burst right into tears.

Please help me God, to learn how to be more

like YOU are, gracious. I know what to do!

I WILL look UP to you, to ask you for

your wisdom and creative options too.

And after other things with other folk,

I realise sometimes I must accept

my own discomfort, just sit there and soak

up pain and injustice. He even wept!

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some REAL GOD plans for you...

And as you trust in Him now may the pow’r

of pure and holy spirit fill your life

with His abundant hope for all of our

existence, with it growing through our strife.

“I know the plans I have for you," says God

the one who is and evermore shall be

the one who understands, and can give nod,

“some real good plans for you - grown to be free;

not for disaster, hopelessness, demise.”

Above all, guard affections of your heart,

(for your part in my plans is TO “grow wise”,

-  don't listen to that snake there at the start)

the focus and the motivation are

important for a heart, for they affect

all that you are, and will become - future!

Another dange’rous trap is derelict ..

emotions that are weak and don't help much,

until, in zombie fashion we can see

these gods before us - whom we  fear as such.

Whoever trusts in Yahweh now will be

(& is) kept safe, for we're inside of him.

As embryo in mother starts to see,

but sees not mum at all, for it's within.

So we are safe in him, doomed to be free.

And Jesus said: "Be careful re. your heart,

don't let it be caught here, and thus grow cold.

Whatever happens then, you’re not off guard.

I'll give my thriving shalom. So, be bold!”

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I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (PM Version)

Above all, guard the affections of your heart,for they affect all that you are!!  Proverbs 4:22. (PM Version)

The fear of man is a dangerous trap, but whoever trusts in The Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25 (PM Version)

The words of Jesus
"Be careful that you never allow your heart to grow cold. Remain passionate and free from the cares of this world. Then you will not be caught off guard by what happens. Don't let me come and find you drunk or careless in living like everyone else" Luke 21:34  (PM Version)

I am leaving you with a gift- the gift of peace!!This is not the peace the world has- but this is my perfect peace!!
Don't yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts- instead be courageous!  John 14:27 (PM Version)

May you be strengthened from God's boundless resources, so that you will be able to pass through any situation and endure it with courage and joy. Colossians 1:11 (PM Version)

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? —Jeremiah 12:5

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Psalms 34:4 (PM Version)

May you be given strength
from God's boundless resources, 
so you may come at length
to be able to run with horses,

if it’s that God chooses
(he’ll be your vindication),
everything he uses,
and helps through any situation

if it’s that we’ve sided
with him, & asked to work with
him, and then decided
to contribute, and not to shirk with

the time that we’re given;
then we know we’ll be going
where folk have been driven
in desperation. We’ll be showing

God’s love, for it’s needed
right there, and that’s where God is,
for their cry he’s heeded
& wants to help endure with courage

and also with deep joy.
It’s there I prayed to the LORD,
and he answered this boy, 
freeing me from all my fears galore!

not only.. nineteen..

after that Psalm*

Above the Earth there’s a plur-al-ity°

that's telling out the glory of the God,

and heralding his creativity,

a body language saying quite a lot..

They use no speech (no words or voice are heard),

& yet their sign or message goes on out.

This makes me think of quite another WORD,

that showed us signs - he scattered them about.

And when he had infected with true life

the men whom he had made Ambassadors

of his new reign (especially when in strife),

they were to take his message (or his cause)

right all the way to the “ends of the world”a,

or as we'd say today, the whole world round.

And in these heavens God’s word was who hurled,

and made a place, and time where could be found

the fury of the sun, which comes out like

a bridegroom from his wedding banquet bed -

he's won his woman, he could almost hike

a hundred miles, he's quenched and quite well fed.

He's won before he starts, a stronger man,

who runs his course with joy.  He rises up,

from one end of the heavens, and God's plan

means he goes to their end, still not bankrupt!

So nothing's hidden from its heat, undrained

it then returns tomorrow no less bright

than it was here today. It has not feigned,

it is not shadowed from reflected light.

A sun of righteousness was set to riseb,

to not just dry, and bake and scorch; but heal,

and give life down to Earth, from in the skies

(no fear that you would burn, and crack, & peal

that's if you fear God's name, serve who he sends,

and don't usurp yourself a higher place,

there's something pure in that that never ends,

and altogether right, his ruler's straight.

If God's anointed one commands a thing,

his word will bring a clarity to life,

his generosity will flow and bring

fresh light of love and grace to us, so rife.

The style and way of God's a path to tread,

they make your footstep firm and sure, and wise.

His rules of thumb, can save you lying dead.

His principles can give you nine lives twice!

His teaching is worth trying to recall,

reviving soul, and spirit, both complete,

so, perfect then, in helping out this Paul.

They're more desirable than gold. More sweet

than honey, or the drippings of the comb.  

And by these things your servant (me) is warned;

Since I'm with you I can not be alone.

In keeping them, there is some great reward.

Who can detect the errors of their ways?

They seem to them quite right in  their own eyes.

Clear me from hidden faults, and by your rays

please heal me from pride's cancer and demise.

Then I shall be quite blameless, innocent

of trespassing, for I'll have done like you.

Oh that my words and thoughts might be yours sent

this way, O Lord, my rock, redeemer too!

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*  Psalm 19:1‭-‬14 NRSV

°  The words “heaven” and “sky” are almost always singular in modern English, but in biblical Hebrew, the word shamayim is plural. That’s why we sometimes see “skies” or “heavens” in our English Bibles instead of “sky” or “heaven.” Hebrew grammarians call this a “plural of extension,” meaning the word is plural because it describes something large or complex. It’s a linguistic trick that works well in English, too. By nature, the word “skies” connotes something grander than “sky.” It makes sense to think of the realm above us as a vastness of things, not as a single thing. “The sky” doesn’t do justice to a clear view of a starry night outside city lights.

from “When Heaven Meets Earth - A 12-Part Biblical Study on Heaven from The Bible Project”, p.11, downloaded from https://thebibleproject.com/explore/heaven-earth on 25 Aug 2018 @ 8:41pm

a  Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  Luke 24:45‭-‬47 NRSV

He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:7‭-‬8 NRSV

Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.  1 Timothy 3:16 NRSV

b  “See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  Malachi 4:1‭-‬2 NRSV

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