A Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

This will be a memorial day for you…to be observed always. ~ Exodus 12:14, MSG

…It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ~ from The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863 by President Lincoln

For those people who might not know, Memorial Day originally was known as Decoration Day. Three years after the Civil War ended, an organization that supported Union veterans established Decoration Day.

The above last fact is why, as I think about Memorial Day’s history, I find myself grinning about how, back in the day, the majority of African Americans in my hometown, my parents and siblings included, used to live on Lincoln Street, which was named after President Lincoln. I also find myself grinning, when I think about how, back in the day, the majority of my hometown’s African Americans, myself included, attended the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Junior/Senior High School (GAR), which today still is located on South Grant Street (named after President/General Grant). By the way, my hometown is located in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, and this fact is why it is ironic to me that GAR’s school colors are blue AND gray, and the school’s motto is “Sons of the Blue and Gray.”

Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Junior/Senior High School’s Shield

Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Junior/Senior High School (GAR)

Anyway, it is apparent that GAR, my old junior/senior high school, is named after the original Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). This 1866 Decatur, Illinois GAR was a fraternal organization founded on the principles of “Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty.” GAR, the organization initially made up of Union veterans, was one of the most influential networking organizations of that day that helped Civil War veterans, who wanted to share their experiences, stay connected. More important, on May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, the man in charge of GAR, established May 30^th as Decoration Day—a day when this nation could honor the war dead by decorating their graves with flowers. As a result, the first large observance of Decoration Day was held on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, a Union cemetery in which, at that time, just hundreds of confederates were buried.

The bottom line is that my old junior/senior high school’s namesake is the very organization that established Decoration Day, a day that by 1971 became the national holiday that is observed on the last Monday in the month of May. This holiday is better known as Memorial Day!

However, the actual name change from Declaration Day to Memorial Day happened sometime after World War I. The name change was so that this country could pay honor to the men and women who died in all American wars.

Now, even though many people have forgotten the history behind Memorial Day, and even though some individuals never knew its history, the fact remains that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This fact is why Memorial Day 2013 is a special day for me, not only because I served my country during the Vietnam Era, as a member of the US Air Force (1971-1977), but also because so many men and women serving in the various service branches lost their lives while they were stationed in Vietnam. For these reasons, Memorial Day weekend and Memorial Day mean much more to me than a three-day holiday. Indeed, Memorial Day weekend and Memorial Day, for me, always will be more about spending time remembering and honoring those who have died in service  to this nation!

HAVE A WONDERFUL “MEMORIAL DAY” WEEKEND AND A GREAT “MEMORIAL DAY” 2013!

Likewise, tell the older women to behave the way people leading a holy life should. They shouldn’t be slanderers or slaves to excessive drinking. They should teach what is good, thus training the younger women to love their husbands and children, ~ Titus 2:3-4, CJB

I pray that every mother has a very blessed day this Mother’s Day. May your day be sunshine and flowers, and may sweet happy thoughts fill your home.

M   is for the million things a mother does for her family

O   is for the odds she’s beaten like the victor she is

T    is for the tears of joy, love, and forgiveness she cried

H   is for the heartache she’s known yet still loves fiercely

E    is for the eyes sparkling like diamonds when she smiles

R    is for the richness her faith in God has given her life

M-O-T-H-E-R stands for someone who is a priceless treasure—a mother. Additionally, a godly mother is one of God’s greatest blessings, so if you are a mother, enjoy your special day.

Mother’s Day celebrates and honors mothers, motherhood, and maternal bonds. On this annual day, mothers receive some of the love and kindness they have given, and they receive plenty of genuine recognition and appreciation for all that they have done (and continue to do) for their loved ones.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY . . .

When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
when you reject me, you’re flirting with death. ~ Proverbs 8:35-36, MSG

Enjoying Ouija board’s mysteries,

Dungeons and Dragons’ escapades.

Dabbling in “black” arts,

Demons conjured up in séances.

Reading Harry Potter’s “white” magic tales,

Sorcery elevated now to righteous levels.

Worshipping Babylon’s Ishtar,

Easter bunnies, eggs, and Rising Sun events.

Paying homage to “Mother Earth,”

Trees, flowers, seas, and oceans get Creator’s due praise.

Loving animals more than humans,

Pets living in lap of luxury, humans in bowels of poverty.

Copycatting serial killers,

Homicidal maniac studies chosen over biblical wisdom.

Lusting after pleasurable highs,

Law of diminishing returns negates rushes,

Repeating same actions expecting better outcomes,

Insanity in its utmost form.

Mammon’s stranglehold on mankind

Enslaves more peace and knowledge seekers,

Imperiling them with sundry lethal headlocks.

Beneficiaries of eyes that should not see,

Ears that should not hear;

Souls following lies that sear consciences,

Flirting with death—seducing spirits’ great apostasy.

The fig tree now blossoms, again.

Cut off branches engrafted soon onto Olive Tree.  

Religious year’s Former and Latter Rains

First month’s double-portion outpouring,

For holy Firstfruit’s end of Age harvest

Of spiritually freed souls,

Loosed from Satan’s tentative hold

By the water, blood, and Spirit baptisms,

Cleansings; infilling Lamb’s Marriage Supper

Bride with exousia and dunamis to live

Focused on the supernatural realm;

Seeing ELEPHANT in the room;

Hearing LION of Judah’s voice

Say: “Come out of there, my people”;

To rest in Him until

Megiddo’s kings, captains, mighty men of valor, and slaves—

Decimated armed forces—become Vultures’ Marriage Feast.

~ from True Devotion: A Poetic View Of The Consuming Fire Of Total Praise, Worship, And Obedience (2006; edited)

Reblogged from Revnadinedraytonkeen's Blog:

And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. ~ Zechariah 13:6, KJV

In many Sunday sermons, preachers have told us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood humans, but rather we are fighting against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world: against the mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against the wicked spirits in the heavenly realm (cf.

Read more… 1,567 more words

They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,   and then throw dice for my clothes. ~ Psalm 22:18, MSG

After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. ~ Matthew 27:35, MSG

Casting or Drawing Lots (a.k.a., Lotteries): The practice of casting lots (gambling; dividing; deciding; luck, chance, or fate; and so forth) is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Although no one knows if dice, coins, rocks, sticks, and etc., were used in ancient times, in the Holy Bible the casting of lots is depicted as being very similar to throwing dice or drawing straws. Two noteworthy New Testament instances of casting lots are when the apostles cast lots to decide who will replace Judas (cf. Acts 1:16-26), and when the Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ garments (cf. Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23).

Lot drawings…

       Some good, some bad; some fact, some fiction;

                          Some short-lived, some everlasting; like

                                           Shortest-stick pick

                    Last-minute clock tick

                            Bunny rabbit’s detached foot

                                              Black-dotted white slip

                                                       Bingo-players’ lucky chip;

                                                  Tic-Tac-Toe

                                           Eeny-meeny-miny-mo

Famous board game’s “Pass Go”

                            Three-lemon machine roll

             High-roller cubed slot drops

                                             Five combination white-ball pops

                                                    Dealer’s-card Blackjack hit

                             Casino’s riches bottomless pit…

                                 Leprechaun’s fabled-green sacks

                                               Consolation prize knickknacks

Magazine purchasers’ million-dollar stickits

          Casting lots via raffle tickets

                         Wheel of Fortune ten seconds shock

                                   Scissors, paper and rock

                                                  Best of three, you select

                                                 Games of Russian roulette…

                       One lottery cost is less than what’s lost

A sure-win to behold

                  Christ’s fire-tried gold

                              A rust-free treasure

      Riches beyond measure…

                        Choose, earthly and heavenly inheritance

                                            Red-tagged rack, marked for acceptance,

Freely-given lot matter of choice

                                      Allowing mankind chance to voice

Results:

                       First-prize reward—eternal life with God . . .

Runner-up penalty—eternal doom by all odds….

~ from Montage of Poetic Imaginations (2003, edited)

…For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’ Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’ And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’ The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’ The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded—and there’s still room.’ The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’  ~ Luke 14:16-24, MSG

This world has many invisible people. Some of these unnoticed people are disabled veterans; non-resident aliens; and grubby, hungry, angry, uneducated, and/or sickly homeless, or on the verge of being homeless, individuals.

It would be almost impossible to find anyone in any city throughout this world who doesn’t know where some invisible people live. Likewise, it would be very easy to find numerous local residents in every city all over this world who would prefer to close their eyes to anyone and anything that is unpleasant, and this avoidance of something or someone too displeasing to look at is the chief way some people treat so many disadvantaged humans like they are “invisible.”

Jesus the Christ addresses this deliberate blindness in Luke. In Luke 14:7-11 and 14:16-24, the Lord uses two parables (The Wedding Feast and The Great Supper) to teach about humility, because He wants every proud and elite individual alluded to in these parables to understand how the world’s traditional “ranking systems” are inconsistent with God’s ways.

Beginning in Luke 14:1-6, the writer paints an image that is both a portrait of a dinner-table battleground and a picture of a traditional Messianic banquet. It is in the context of the dinner-table battleground that the Lord heals a man who has the dropsy (see Luke 14:2). However, according to Mosaic Law and Jewish community rules, this sick man is not supposed be a part of any Sabbath-meal gathering, let alone in the presence of the Lord (see Leviticus 21:18-23; and “The Rule of the Congregation,” also called the “Messianic Rule,” “Rule of the Community,” and/or “Manual of Discipline”). Then too, since healing anyone on the Sabbath is considered work, the Lord wasn’t supposed to heal the sick man, either.

Since the invited elite Jewish men are questioning Christ Jesus about why He heals a sick man (the man with dropsy) in a Pharisee’s home on a Sabbath day, it is very possible that this sick man was allowed to enter the host’s home so that he could play a part in the conspiracy the interpreters and experts of the Mosaic Law, the members of the Jewish priesthood, and the local aristocracy have plotted against the Lord. However, as usual, their attempt to seek to lure the Lord into another open conflict backfires. 

When the invited High Priest, other priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and educated aristocrats are unable to prove that Jesus the Christ is guilty of breaking a Sabbath-day law, they become silent. The Lord treats their silence as a wonderful opportunity for Him to teach them about humility.

Through His illustrated examples, the Lord explains to the invited distinguished guests why no one who has any kind of impurity or intellectual/physical defect will be excluded from His banquet table. Through His illustrated examples, He also explains to these elitists why no one who has been denied membership into traditionally exclusive groups will be barred from the Lord’s banquet table (cf. Leviticus 21:18-23 and “The Rule of the Congregation”). Furthermore, through His two mentioned parables, Jesus the Christ makes it clear that He agrees with God’s the first will be last and the last will be first principles.

For example, the Lord in Luke 14:8-11 emphasizes that the arrogant individuals who rush pass seemingly unimportant individuals, just so they can get a seat near the head of the banquet table, will be embarrassed when they are asked to sit at the foot of that table. In Luke 14:16-24, the Lord also emphasizes that the typically excluded individuals will be the majority of the people who not only will receive but also will accept God’s personal invitation to sit at the Lord’s banquet table.

There can be no doubt that Jesus the Christ is making it clear that the last being first and the first being last principles operate in the Kingdom of God. Thus, anyone who hopes to enter into the Lord’s earthly Kingdom must rethink every current social expectation and every accepted moral value that cause him or her to prefer to treat other humans like they are invisible.

Jesus the Christ especially wants today’s believers to know and understand that He is going to flip the script on the “better than thou,” self-important individuals. When He returns, the Lord will humble the proud and exalt the humble!

The Lord will abolish EVERY discriminatory practice, especially those religious and physical practices that, in the past, would have kept those people labeled as immoral and sickly from sitting at the Lord’s Table (Messianic Table; the Lord’s Marriage Super banquet table) so that they could not eat and drink in the Lord’s presence. Indeed, it is evident from the parables about The Wedding Feast and The Great Supper that Jesus the Christ’s Kingdom will be unlike any kingdom that mankind ever has had.

Consequently, the meaning of the Lord’s the ‘last will be first’ statement is that the first ones to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and sit at the Lord’s banquet table will be His end-times’ banquet community. They are the last—the defiled, the physically and emotionally handicapped, the poor, and the homeless. The meaning of His the ‘first will be last’ statement is that the self-diagnosed healthy, self-proclaimed wise, self-righteous, and self-sufficient rich who are full of themselves will be the last ones to find the Kingdom of God (see Matthew 20:16). The Lord Himself also declares that the “…ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick. I didn’t come to call the ‘righteous’ but sinners!” (Mark 2:17, CJB).

Now the ‘last will be first and the first will be last’ statements definitely can be applied to the Jewish/Gentile cultural environment, and this is probably the reason why Christ Jesus, in the parable about The Great Supper, teaches that the angered master commands his servant to:

Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. ~ Luke 14:21, ESV

~and~

Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. ~ Luke 14:23, ESV

In the context of these above-cited Scriptures, and those that immediately precede and follow them, the Lord is illustrating a Divine Truth. This Divine Truth is: During the end times’ Great Supper, God (the King) personally will give the best seats to the world’s invisible people—to those individuals in this world who have been impoverished, debilitated, ill, unsanitary, deformed, homeless, and so forth. This best seats’ Divine Truth is pointed out in the “The Rule of the Congregation,” because in this particular Dead Sea Scroll are instructions given to the various groups that will be participating in the end times’ sacred assembly. In particular, there are seating instructions for all the guests invited to God’s (the King’s) Great Banquet or the Marriage Supper of the Lord.

Once again the bottom line is that worldwide there are far too many handicapped veterans; illegal immigrants; and grubby, hungry, angry, uneducated, and/or sickly homeless, or on the verge of being homeless, individuals who still go unnoticed. For this reason, each Christian who wants to be prepared to rule and reign with the Lord in His Kingdom must remember that He says: 

…Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. ~ Luke 12:48b, ESV

The Lord is making these “much” is required statements to every believer. He obviously wants each Christian who dodges the responsibility that has been given to him or her to know that he or she will be severely punished (see Luke 12:35-48). That’s why people who believe that they neither need to notice nor help so-called invisible individuals should understand exactly what their just rewards will be. In the Lord’s words, one reward will be that “…the last will be first, and the first last” ~ Matthew 20:16, ESV. Another reward will be that “…everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” ~ Luke 14:11, ESV.

Finally, by Christ Jesus’ example, it is evident that only the humble and faithful believers will be the ones who will not choose to refuse to see and help their cities’ invisible individuals. These believers also are the ones who are aware of the warning Jesus the Christ gives every person who neither wants to see nor wants to deal with today’s little-known people. The Lord’s definitive Word on the world’s willfully blind individuals who have received much is:

…not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party. ~ Luke 14:24, MSG

A word to the wise should be sufficient. Amen!

For additional information, please read the following blog entries: A Contextual Analysis of Christ’s Many Called, Few Chosen Paradox and What Will Your RSVP Be To The King’s Invitation?

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. ~ Matthew 6:1-4, MSG

Doing good deeds for good deeds’ sake should be the motive of every loving and caring person. Doing good deeds for a reward (for money, publicity, or fame) defeats the purpose of doing kind acts for others.

The very popular Pay It Forward (2000) movie has influenced millions. Christians and non-Christians worldwide have jumped on the pay it forward bandwagon. Paying it forward means to do a voluntary act of kindness for someone else without expecting that person to return the favor. Instead, he or she is expected to help another person—to pay it forward.

Today, there are numerous television shows and websites created by people who want to share stories about pay-it-forward acts of kindness. For example, in a major American city, there is a local television news station that has a “Pay It Forward” series. Each week, this local news station gives $500.00 to a viewer who, in 60 minutes, has to give the money away to the needy person this chosen viewer initially had to prove was someone who absolutely deserved to be helped.

Now, not only does this news station reward people for their giving, caring, and loving hearts with publicity, a few moments of fame, but also this news station prerecords and then televises the paying it forward process—airs the segment in which a representative from the news station gives $500.00 to a local viewer who then gives the money to a local disadvantaged individual. In other words, the paying it forward deed is not done privately. The news station broadcasts the prerecorded moment when the person the station believed should receive the pay-it-forward $500.00 actually is given the money, and the moment when he or she then gives that money to the individual who is facing some unfavorable circumstances, which means this news station also gets to reveal the specific lack someone is experiencing. In the end, the news station and the actual person who pays it forward both publicly receive immediate praise from countless viewers for an act of kindness that simply has been staged.  

People who love to help others who are in need have a commendable characteristic. However, people who do good deeds only because they know they can earn money, publicity, or fame are hypocrites. In Matthew 6:1-2 MSG, Jesus the Christ says:

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get.

In other words, the people who publicly do loving and kind acts usually are expecting to be paid back—usually are expecting their reward. That is why the attention these hypocrites draw is their payback/reward (either partial or full).

Changing the world is the end result that the pay it forward social movement hopes to achieve through numerous acts of kindness. This goal is praiseworthy. However, it is ironic that a social movement’s occasional acts of kindness, often done by non-Christians and/or done for selfish reasons like, for example, ratings or viewership, can draw more attention, get more publicity, than the good works that the Body of Christ does on a daily basis.

Be that as it may; the good news for believers is that only what a person does for Jesus the Christ will last! When the Lord judges every act of kindness, each person who has done good deeds will know whether or not what he or she did will come through the fire as pure gold. Ultimately, any act of kindness that is not a genuine selfless act will be consumed and, as the Word of God declares, the doer will suffer loss (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). A word to the wise should be sufficient!

Concerning acts of kindness, please read the following blog entry: SHOW KINDNESS ALL THE TIME INSTEAD OF RANDOMLY.

But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. ~ Isaiah 53:5, CJB

Then came the day of matzah, on which the Passover lamb had to be killed. Yeshua sent Kefa and Yochanan, instructing them, ‘Go and prepare our Seder, so we can eat.  …As you’re going into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters… He will show you a large room upstairs already furnished; make the preparations there.’ They went and found things just as Yeshua had told them they would be, and they prepared for the Seder. …Then, taking a cup of wine, he made the b’rakhah and said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.’ Also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, ‘This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.’ He did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.’ ~ Luke 22:7-8, 10, 12-13, 17-20, CJB

This year’s Passover began at sundown on March 25, 2013 and ends at sundown on April 2, 2013. Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. According to the biblical narrative, after the Israelites left Egypt, from 15 Nissan to 22 Nissan, they ate flat unleavened bread or matzah, which also is called the food of faith. Now matzah not only symbolizes faith, but also it represents an afflicted Lord whose body was bruised, beaten, whipped, and eventually crucified and pierced (broken).

During a Jewish Passover Seder meal, after the blessings and the first cup of wine, the washing of hands, and the appetizer, there is the breaking of the middle matzah. Three pierced and striped matzot are stacked on the Passover Seder table, and many people accept that these three pieces of matzah also represent the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Be that as it may; usually, during the Passover Seder meal, the Jewish father removes the middle matzah, breaks it, and puts the smaller piece of the broken middle matzah back in the stack between the other two matzot. He then wraps in linen and hides the larger half of this broken middle matzah, for his children to find after the Seder meal has been eaten.

It is important to note here that, symbolically speaking, not only does this literally pierced and striped broken middle matzah additionally represent the bread of affliction, but also, as previously mentioned, it figuratively represents a broken and afflicted Christ Jesus (the Passover Lamb). This wrapped in linen and then hidden matzah is called the afikoman (also spelled afikomen), which means “that which comes after.” It should be clear that this afikoman also represents the burial of the crucified Lord, whose body was bruised for the world’s iniquities, whose back bore the stripes of the punishment meant for all sinners, and whose side was pierced so that His cleansing blood and living water could gush out onto and into this sin-sick world.

Now what also is important about this afikoman is that after  the food on the Passover Seder table has been eaten, the children look for the hidden afikoman. When it is found, since it is the last item of food to be eaten during the Passover Seder meal, this afikoman is treated like dessert, only it is not sweet. Traditionally, after the family eats the afikoman no other food may be eaten for the rest of the night. 

It should be obvious that God purposely intended that the physical appearance of the matzah, with its piercings (holes), stripes (rows), brown spots from baking, and no leaven, would resemble the pierced, striped, and bruised body of Christ Jesus, who was without sin. God allowed this affliction to come upon the Lord so that He could ransom lost souls, as well as purchase every believer’s healing. Then a full of Grace and Mercy God, by way of His Holy Spirit, resurrected His only begotten Son.

For these reasons, Christians (Gentiles and Jews) can rejoice during the Passover/Unleavened Bread festivities, because they know that after their Savior spent three nights and three days in the grave, their crucified and buried Lord arose on the Feast of Firstfruits as The Firstfruits of those who have died (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22). For sure, just like God raised a striped, bruised, crucified and pierced (broken) Christ Jesus from the dead, the dead in Christ also will rise, receive their glorified bodies, and meet Him in the air, and they will be followed by the raptured glorified alive in Christ (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Put differently, the hidden afikoman is dessert indeed, for it represents to Christians that the once crucified, dead and buried, but now risen Lord will come for His Bride, as well as come on the clouds for the entire world not only to see but also to worship Him. Truly that is a sweet dessert, way better for the body, soul, and spirit than the healthy but bland afikoman! Hallelujah!

To everyone who observes this eight-day Passover festival, have a very happy and kosher Passover!

But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, turn from this sin, and do what you used to do before. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place — if you don’t turn from your sin! ~ Revelation 2:4-5, CJB

Let me never lose my first love to

Tepidness:  zestless, powerless fidelity;

or to

Hard-hearted unfaithfulness, like Hosea’s

Gomer, a wife of whoredoms;

Such losses

Prophetically personify end-time apostasy.

Never find me as a counterfeit Christian, laodiceanish,

Dedicated not to Your sacred Will and

Sovereignty etched first in Decalogue’s four-tenths.

Now, consecrate me, El-Elyon; implant fleshly heart once stone;

Rejuvenate my love; make it Yours,

Faithful husband, Who loved me

With a royal-loyal love, first.

Now, seal me; clothed me with Holy Spirit’s fullness.

Draw Him from me; flood Him over me; bathe me in New Wine.

Intoxicate me as Pentecost’s apostles,

Keeping me drunk ‘til that mystery day

when alive

Dream dreamers, vision seers, kingdom dwellers, disappear,

El-Shaddai.

~  from Montage of Poetic Imaginations (2003; edited)  

To Believe

Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, ‘Peace to you.’ Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: ‘Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.’ Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. ‘Receive the Holy Spirit,’ he said. ~ John 20:19-22, MSG

 tripping on strings made out of dreams,

stressing…

entangled by vapor-like hopes fleeing from explosive emotions

screams chain-reaction detonation…

countdown: 4, 3, 2, 1…fireballs

forming from active pressure fields’ gaseous,

 intensified effects from putting

spirit-filled, God-given dreams on hold—deferred to later date;

maybe never in this life???

 just breathe…just believe

for if He gave the dream, He will restore it,

birthing it again even from its very ashes;

 it arises refreshing hope anew

full of vitality…blazing from God’s glory reflecting

 relaxation…rest

with Him, in Him,

on His promises; in His Word,

accomplishing ALL that He has sent it forth to do; so

don’t trip…don’t explode,

don’t quit…don’t implode,

from the carried load…

recline recomposed according to God’s plans, and

just breathe…just believe….

~ from Montage of Poetic Imaginations (2002; edited)