Lust is any human desire let off its chain

".. the inevitable disintegration that lust produces in the world." 2 Peter 1:4

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So let's just say that lust is not desire

per se; but also, that's all that it ayes.

In other words that lust is not like fire,

but wild-fire, which is dangerous always.

The knowing just how dangerous is fire,

is necessary, so to use it well.

We must not think it evil (nor desire),

but keep it in the places it should dwell.

For if it gets away, and so it "tries"

(by just the way it works it always will),

it will destroy most houses by and by,

and grasslands, bushland, often also build-

ings, for the softness of our human nests,

for comfort of our little baby chicks

is often just the stuff that will burn best,

so, we must always leash our fire on wicks

or keep it locked within its fire-place.

For then the fire itself is a good gift,

a way to serve our kids, but also space,

in fact all life on earth gets all it's lift

and energy from "fi-re" kept at bay.

And solar panels in each house (and tree)

employ the energy they gain this way.

This way it's always been; acknowledge we!

We won't let fire go wild, we'll keep it well,

which means we will not fear it, yet we must

(though fear "itself" can push us into hell).

All life comes from our choosing  love and trust.

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It's not the fact of a flame, not the heat of a flame that is a problem, but whether it is boundaried safely is the issue. e.g. A gas oven, or fireplace can feed and keep a family warm in sleety weather. 

In the same way, it's not the fact of a human desire, not the kind of desire, nor the strength of a desire that is a problem but whether this person in whom it resides, has at this time in their life, a safely bounded place for it, or method of leashing it.

The destructiveness of any human desire comes from letting it rule over us. From the human not ruling it, and giving it its boundaries. Then it will end up ruling us, & giving us our boundaries, instead of getting them straight from the Creator God. The word of this God is to us our food and drink.

God spelled this out to the first SON OF ADAM (Cain), "Sin is (like an animal, that humanity was meant to rule over) crouching at the door, it desires to have you, but you must (& with my help, you can) master it".  (GEN 4)

Jesus had strong desires, he says to his disciples.. "with desire I have desired to eat this passover  with you." He acknowledged his desires & he ruled them, underneath what ruled him - the word of God.

In fact, the human dilemna is entered into as we let our lives be ruled by our desires, like an animal, that normally is simply a ballancing of bodily and "genetically & socially programmed" desires. GOD made us to have, but appropriately rule over our desires. In fact the psalms say: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:3‭-‬4 NIVUK 

Extra reading: Prov 27:20, Hab 2:4; Ps 56:11 ; 1 Thess 4:1-8 ; 1 Peter 5:2; James 1:14; 

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they woke up

 

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Oh God, please help us. Give us leaders who 

have wisdom and will work to serve your kids;

who'll help their re-al growth, and not eschew

resisting mechanisms with no lids.

The mechanistic bureaucratic ways 

that guess without the hard work born from  care;

that only care for box-ticking displays

of nice neat rows of children who are there

upon their seats, who feel good, even though

they don't have Dad, or Mum to raise them up.

So without careful village elders, woe

is likely to envelop, and erupt.

Oh God please give us wisdom and the folk

who lead by serving others as they can,

and who connect to you, so now they've woke-

-en up to creativity's good plans, 

& hopes, and will work with reality

and care for others, that won't balk at pain,

though will not harm, for creativity

has ways forward that comfort would disdain.

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Not sure how I'm going. A prayer..

Oh God help us please now to learn to love. 

And not to give up just because we're babes, 

and still depend on who is up above, 

'coz foetuses are at the learning stage.

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To the fathers of our grandies.

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Well Happy Father's Day to you the Dad's

who are the fathers or great grand-dad's of

our grandchildren. You are the men, the "lads",

who will be looked up to. We think that's "TOV!*";

or even "Tov tov*!" - "very good", you know.

So we are glad these kids (or "little lambs", 

-as "Gran" would say), have been this blessed, to grow

within this fam'ly, which is the I AM's.

Paul & Katrina Walker 

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* "tov" is the Hebrew word for "good"; while "tov tov" means "very good"!

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Online Class

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Well, Mr. Harpe is busy for today,

just marking stuff and ringing carers up,

and thinking what it is he'd like to say

to each of you, to help you join the club..

of folk who are still growing (never stop!).

But you're in luck! Another teacher's come

to help you do assignments, and to hop

right into work - and not say you are dumb!

So Mr. Walker's looking on today

and maybe we can meet up on that Zoom?

And you can tell me what you'd like to say,

and tell us what you're doing in your room.

Those animals you picked, what are they now?

And other things you're set, with "Friday" ends?

I hope to hear, and maybe help somehow,

What do you think of 1 pm my friends?

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c temp le tation

 After https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2021/09/b-temp-le-t.html

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c templetation

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Mark chapters 11-13..

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So TempleOne is made to make a splash 

& catch attention from around the place.

The other might be missed, it aims to  catch

the eye of One who sees all secret space.

For TempleTwo (quite like Sudoku games),

will trust some certain axioms and move

ahead in ways opaque to folk who claim

some myst-er-y to keep folk in their groove;

or else who won't accept the Holy Word,

mysterious, out-giving life, hesêd.

For TempleOne folk give what they afford,

and feel they now have less, but they can get

by - they have ingenuity, you see.

But TempleTwo folk know they can not give

enough to even up some scales that be

in minds of folk who think that's how to  live.

So T.Two folk will give, though small, their all,

but secretly, for that's the way they see

the Presence giving to them, they're enthralled

to trust the Universal Presence we

know little of. They have themselves been borne

from universal dust as heirs of God,

not nuisances, with bad habits they mourne,

but embryonic persons, love begot.

Yeshua said his temple would display,

not hide, the word of God within its stones,

but if you watch you'll c around today

his spirit's life and fruit, which still atones.

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b temp le t

 After https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-temp-le-t-ation.html 

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b templet

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Mark chapters 11-13..

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Two opposites in temple worship state

and came to be, soon after time was framed

they both acknowledge that its designate:

"The house of God" is central to what's claimed:

The one, i'll call "the first", employs big stones,

and architecture to enhance the awe,

it emphasises pow-er, and atones 

for wrong-doing and says that's what it's for.

The other, based on hesed (loyal love)

gives of its best, and listens carefully.

It copies what it sees done from above,

and learns from God's own heart du-ti-ful-ly.

It's like the genie, who would hear a wish,

take that as its command, and do it straight-

away, no matter what, it tries to fish

for motives, and it always celebrates!

This one could be quite small, but it's alive,

and as a tiny seed grows to a tree,

it can then be a home, where folk survive,

producing fruit, and shade  and shelter, see.

The first one can be built in 40 years,

and lasts for cent'ries, if it's not pulled down.

The second one takes lifetimes, and sheds tears,

and rare-ly stays in one place, it moves round-

abouts where all God's children are these days,

and even if they moved to spots that stunk,

it moved with them, not in a static  "place",

it takes up space, and still gets rid of junk.

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followed by: https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2021/09/c-temp-le-tation.html

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a temp le t

a templet

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Mark chapters 11-13..

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God's way of doing "Temple" isn't first

what we've grown up to think, our culture's way.

It came before creation, and it busts

what's "practical", what we would likely say.

It mucks our preconceptions; but ah, salts, 

and lightens up a lot, our heavy loads!

The heart of one who doesn't look for faults,

but looks for fruit, like love, joy, peace; and goads,

if necessary, so to wake kids up.

The diff'rence is between a house and home.

And if you've thought this through, you'll see enough,

to live with his own kids, in tent or dome,

to have the chance to share life  is the stuff

this father's heart is open to, he wants,

to share like this, through easy and through tough

times, helping them grow up, and act (not ponce),

to make & build, to hear & think, in truth.

It seems he'd rather share with them the scant-

ty times, and help them learn to love "unroofed".

He'd rather have them than a chance to rant

about the carpet, or the polished boards.

He'd rather share with children in a slum,

than have a lot of "worshippers" in hoards.

The meaning of a temple is .. "Come, come!

- and see - it's more like "house of God" you know..

Yet, God dain't need a house, God wants a home,

for God's children to live belov-ed, so

- it's tenting holidays, beneath a dome!

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Followed by: https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2021/09/b-temp-le-t.html

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Grace in place

 My mum's sos alarm has gone off I cannot contact her so I need to go and check on her... Sorry 😐

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Oh God, our God, give grace to Jack and Jill.

Pleace give them wisdom, creativity,

from you, to be a breath of life that will

feel something like that first nativity.

Oh no, that seems so powerless to us,

much pain and shame and ignorance and such.

If you have got another, with less fuss,

more certainty, but still with your clear touch…

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… with us

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Oh God, we love to work

down here with you today.

We do not want to shirk

the part you gave (to play)

to us, though immature,

and mostly ignorant;

we see that He was sure,

and trusted where you sent

for Him to be, and do

and watched about for you,

your work was his perfume,

knew when you're in the room.

As you yourself had said,

you're … with your people and,

you'll not leave them to tread

the path alone… at hand.

So he could "know" as you,

and act as you would do,

to bring your kingdom here

within his body - near!

Oh God your job was done

so beautif'lly in him,

to show us what a son

could do, when not "his whim",

but steadfastly, and sure,

would trust his father to

look after him, and more,

would always be with you.

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brutal bits…

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Hi Paul.  How are you going? I'm assuming you are an essential worker so life goes on similarly to you. A question :- the parable of the 10 ladies with lamps waiting for the bridegroom has come into my radar a number of times lately......I can't get my head around the idea that God/Jesus shuts the door to people who want to be with Him - be it that they were ill prepared and came late - they still desired to be with the bridegroom - surely God does not shut the door to anyone who wants to be with Him - there must be something I not understanding in this one ? Ideas please ?

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I love your attitude and statements.

The "smell" of God has to be on it..

Yeah, and the next two parables in Matt 25, and the bit in John 15 "..My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit"; similar stark, sharp demarkation,... 

Let me know as you come up with thoughts too, the Passion translation translates around the John 15 problem...

It may just be a difference between what the "not having enough oil" meant in those days for a bridesmaid. Was it like salt that was not salty??

Did it mean that the "Master of the house", who appears to be the Groom(?), was saying, "If you weren't ready to help my wife in the way called for with ordinary forethought from someone who is committed to her as a friend, and not freeloading; then I also have no use for you. I didn't ask you to come as my guest, you only came as her attendant - and that appears to be beneath your commitment. I've never met you myself, ...  so don't worry about coming... ? In other words if actual friendship with the bride is below them (do they just want to be part of the wedding party, and to be pampered and spoiled, but not (wear the bridesmaid dress, or) get enough oil to last the night.. was "not having the oil to last the night" then, the equivalent, for us now, of a bridesmaid not wearing the appropriate dress that goes with the wedding party plans, and  just coming in her own white dress, or her own comfortable jarmies??

I'm thinking too…

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Oh God, we like you very much, and ask

that you would help us make sense of these things.

Your wisdom for our living and the tasks

of following your call through what He sings

to us. We know that only birds that fly

might make it into nests up high above.

And cookoos in the nest of birds which try

to push the others out, might need a shove

themselves, if other species would keep on.

But maybe in a bigger scheme of things

both cookoos and the other ones could bond

and help each other, since they've all got wings...

I s'pose the people that He told these to

would have their stories tailor-made for them.

I wonder what he'd say, and what he'd do

if he were here today to speak again?

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The Way one lives as an heir in God's world.. (Part 2)

Journeyman’s notes:

• The way previous generations in Christendom used the term "the kingdom of God", has often led people to a static, concrete, place centred view of the text within the greek writings of the early followers of Yeshua Bar Joseph, who record this term (or its equivalent, with it's Aramaic and Hebrew roots) as extensively used in the mouth of Jesus: "βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ" transliterated into English as 'basileia tou theou'. The εὐαγγέλιον (euanglion) was the announcemnt of the rule of any Ruler, the “good news of this ruler's kind of authority” being instigated or maintained, with every ruler having a slightly different way (in Jesus' case, a significantly different way) of exercising their authority.

• Mark 1:14,15 in Greek looks like this: “⸂Καὶ μετὰ⸃ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων τὸ ⸀εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ λέγων ὅτι Πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ· μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.”  ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 1:14‭-‬15 SBLG …   And the Common English Bible translates this as: "After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”" Mark 1:14‭-‬15 CEB

• From the Encyclopaedia Britannica:“Though the phrase itself rarely occurs in pre-Christian Jewish literature, the idea of God as king was fundamental to Judaism, and Jewish ideas on the subject undoubtedly underlie, and to some extent determine, the New Testament usage. Behind the Greek word for kingdom (basileia) lies the Aramaic term malkut, which Jesus may have used. Malkut refers primarily not to a geographical area or realm nor to the people inhabiting the realm but, rather, to the activity of the king himself, his exercise of sovereign power. The idea might better be conveyed in English by an expression such as kingship, rule, or sovereignty.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kingdom-of-God (accessed 13.08.2021@6pmAEST) 

• Notes from N.T. Wright on the Kingdom of God. 

• Jesus’ world was filled with horrible Kings & their rules. https://youtu.be/rLiy-WlS9mA?t=2938 

• He is reclaiming the biblical notion of Kingdom from the psalms… 

• Often Truth is grasped more by the imagination (love, healings) than by arguments.

• If God’s kingdom has been inaugurated, why are things not getting better? https://youtu.be/rLiy-WlS9mA?t=3124 

• There wasn’t any sort of public health care, or public education in the ancient world… 

• it was their lives that won over people to be Jesus’ followers.

• Jesus often offers an interpretive phrase with his parables: "The 'basileia tou theou' is like…". This can now be understood, not as describing the realm of heaven, or even any specific "realm", so much as the type, or kind of "rule, or reign, or leadership of God", the "way that God rules or exercises his authority. ie. "God's authority over humans is like this…."  a pearl merchant, a crop of wheat, a mustard seed, a lump of dough  etc… This is an act of interpreting the announcement of the gospel that Mark gives us so pithily twice in chapter one.

• Jesus (as recorded by Mark in ch10) makes a big deal about the way authority is used within his group, as distinct from the way it is used, or the kind of authority wielded, by "the kings of this Earth")...

• This, after two scuffles for prominence and leadership from his disciples.

• This has the same function as the parables… their life together IS an enacted drama/parable.

• In the NT writings, people are expected to have delved and seen this distinction for themselves. They are expected to have understood "another kingdom", another way of wielding and using authority, the way of Jesus, and the writers are often speaking, not of the powerful miracles and acts of Jesus, not even memorizing &  quoting his wise words all the time, but noting the actual coming of, and now this new and living Way of being God's regent or the ambassador or model of this new and living  way of wielding humanity's rightful authority on Earth. So we get exhortations like this: 

• "I, Paul, make a personal request to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ… 2 Corinthians 10:1 CEB (the gentleness & kindness of Christ, is something they pulled out of the story that enfleshes what we call the gospel)

• Paul speaking of "the most excellent Way" that makes all human power, knowledge, and insight, useless without it. (See 1 Cor 12:31 -14:26, 1 Cor 12:31-14:26;16:13-16)

• When groups of Jesus followers around the Roman Empire started (like Jesus' early disciples before them, the apostles) vying for prominence, power and influence, putting others down, or puffing themselves up, the apostle Paul does not command with any force of compulsion, just the power of a life of love known for what it is.

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