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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Dear partakers of the Bread and Wine:

Jesus takes ordinary things and makes them profound. He said, "take this cup of wine and this broken crust of bread and consider me in a new way." Jesus did this at the start of the Passover meal, and then again after the supper (Luke 22:20), deepening further their understanding of its true meaning.

It never occurred to me to celebrate communion twice at the same sitting at His table, but that's what Jesus did. It seems it would be appropriate for us on occasion to have it twice. What do you think?

"Lord, forgive me for plowing on ahead without asking for Your guidance, it's so like me to do that. Its not that You weren't guiding me anyway, but I love honoring You in the asking of it, because You always cleanse my palate for the tasting of new wine. I love You, and I trust in Your presence through the Holy Spirit. You lead me further through ordinary things into Your divine mystery. It is a most exciting journey. Amen"

Lowell Martin

A final observation: Crucifixion occurs before resurrection. It was the order of events for Jesus' life, and it is no less ours. Expect suffering, but live in hope as you celebrate Passover. LM
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"Father, give me the energy and the eagerness to love my neighbor as I love myself. Amen"






Dear ardent followers of Christ Jesus:

Jesus had celebrated Passover with His disciples for the last three + years, but this is the one which He had eagerly anticipated. Jesus' mood seems to be one of exhilaration, and it is a bit startling to see. It was the last one they would celebrate together this side of the Cross; the day and the hour of it were here. Nostalgia or dread surely, but eagerness? Great faith is its foundation and predecessor.

Jesus is amazing in His commitment and fulfillment of purpose - His is the victory of the Divine Will over the flesh and suffering and death. In Him is the unblemished sacrifice for sinners. When someone sets aside his own safety in order to save another, we call him a hero. When God does so, and with eagerness, we call Him Messiah, Savior, and Lord.

To me it infers that Jesus didn't walk to the cross, He ran! It makes me think that when we see suffering ones, we are not to be casual about it, but we run to their aid. We usually won't have far to run, because its only next door, or across the street, or in the next work station. To eagerly anticipate such moments as Jesus did, is to be like Him. Running to serve is a good thing, because that's what Jesus did.

"Lord, give us eagerness of purpose in kingdom living. Amen"

Lowell Martin
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"Father, there is no justification for my feelings of joy and peace, except that the blood of the Lamb made it possible, and for that I rejoice; You have prepared us to share the Good News in both word and deed. Thank You for that privilege. Amen"




Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

In yesterday's Post, I closed with the thought of watching for the fury of storms in the lives of our neighbors. Ironically, later in the day, my neighbor (whose husband suffers from Alzheimer's) asked, "Could I help her with Joe if needed, even in the middle of the night?" It makes me think of how readily Jesus enters our storms; He is fully prepared to do so. Jesus, the Resurrected One, empowers us to serve others in the storms of our lives. We may at one moment be in a haven of rest, when just across the street, or next door, a storm may be in its full fury.

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." Luke 22:8-12

The disciples knew full well the meaning of Passover. This festival is a remembrance of their forefather's delivery from slavery in Egypt. The blood of the lamb painted on the doorposts of their houses protected them from the death of their firstborn. Egypt's firstborn, however, were without refuge. Our lives have only one purpose, and that is to "make preparation" for the Passover; in it we celebrate life under the blood of the Lamb, while standing watch to offer ourselves to others who need His protection.

Jesus, Lamb of God, was now in preparation to become the unblemished sacrifice, and to become our Place of Refuge. God is love, and Jesus came to save, and who can doubt it?

Lowell
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Monday, April 27, 2009

"Father, I pray for those who are in the midst of the storms of life; and I trust the Holy Spirit, and us, as followers of Christ Jesus, to guide them to Refuge in You. Amen"




Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

Reflect with me for a few moments this morning. An hour before I got up I heard the sound of distant thunder approaching from the West. Each time, the rumbles got closer, and finally the storm came with a soft rain.

I lay there listening, and after a little while I got up; it was still dark. I started the coffee, and then opened the door and walked across the yard, enjoying the smells of fresh rain and spring flowers - with a background chorus of many birds singing. I came back in and sat down with my piece of dark chocolate, and began sipping my first cup of coffee as I reflected on this morning's events.

As I sat and enjoyed this early morning "communion" with God and Nature, I heard again the receding sounds of distant thunder. It occurred to me the three phases of the storm I had just experienced - future storm, present storm, and storm past. It seemed natural to apply these three phases to Jesus, the Resurrected One, and to the struggles of our own lives.

I see other parallels in this morning's events. The approaching storm of life is forecast at our birth, and through our developing years, the rumbles of sin begin to be seen and heard in our failing behavior; then the full force of the storm hits, and we are overcome by its fury - we seek refuge; then the storm passes, and we walk into the freshness of God's cleansing rain, while hearing the receding sounds of storm past. It is a time of singing.

There is much on which to reflect in these days of the approaching storm in Jesus' life. We've watched its coming, and it is here, as Jesus began preparing our refuge in Him. "May He be forever praised, and glorified." It is a time of prayer for those who only now hear the distant thunder, and for those who are in the midst of the storm. I know, because what for me is now receding, is to others, still approaching.

In these Spring days, storm watchers race across the Midwest to warn of severe weather events. Would that we do so as we watch for its furies in the lives of our neighbors. This puts me in the mood to write a new poem, and I'd like to call it "Refuge." I'll give it some thought.

Lowell
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Friday, April 24, 2009

"Holy Father, I was born destined to sin. Then when I became fully disabled, I sought relief and a greater destiny brought me to seek healing at the cross of Jesus. I see more clearly now the actions and the extent of Your love. May Your Name be forever praised, and may Your glory be celebrated with great joy! Amen"





Dear followers of the Lamb of God:

I'd like to continue with some other prayer reflections on the Mysteries of God, the greatest of which we are now about to enter:

I've come to know the joys of this grace in which I live, but how much greater will resurrected joy be?

I see the breathtaking beauty of this earth, and I am often brought to silence and tears. How will my resurrected emotions react to the majestic landscapes of heaven?

I now have a greater understanding of the values of human love, but I wonder how my resurrected appreciation of the love of God will be reflected?

I have a limited understanding of the pains of human suffering, but what uplifting of soul will occur when I examine Jesus blessed scars, whose pain was off the scale of human feeling?

I know the pain of moral failure, yet I am washed by God, and invited into the purity of His presence. What is the measure such mercy?

We are blessed indeed, and ever more so as our trust in God becomes a way of reliant living - such a life leads to reliant dying! It causes me to shout "hallelujah" for the gifts of God to a dependent and expectant people!

Lowell
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Thursday, April 23, 2009

The healing process for all of Creation was coming to its conclusion.



Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

Broadly speaking, there are two participants in this the greatest of all dramas. Good and evil square off against each other. God and the evil one stand toe-to-toe - life and death, love and hate, hope and despair face each other. We have front row seats, because everything about it has to do with God's love and our redemption, and the restoration of all Creation to its former glory, where all things are made new.

The Rock of Ages - the Ancient of Days - stood ready to do battle, and to win. Those immediately in the presence of Jesus, and us, were unprepared for what winning would look like in this spiritual battle, because what happened is beyond human reason.

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. Luke 22:3-6

Satan entered Judas and many others in those days, and we are not immune from his presence. He literally enters us all with his powers of persuasion and offers of pleasure. The acceptance of his gifts inflict new wounds on the Wounded One. When we truly begin to feel Jesus' pain, we are bring drawn by God nearer to His love and our redemption.

Every day I feel a greater sense of lament at the unjust suffering of Jesus, the Wounded One. My spiritual body feels the whip, the thorns, and the nails, and I fall to my knees in thanksgiving, as grace rains down on me. At the foot of the cross another face-to-face occurs - the Wounded One and the unworthy ones. Who else but a deeply loving God could have conceived it?

"Father, help each of us to watch these profound events unfold to the restoration of all things to Your glory, and to heaven's welcome. Amen"

I want to close with these poetic thoughts:

Looking back, I recall my sins -
A debt which I could not pay -
And I fully realize,
That it was me who impaled Him on a cross;
And it was there,
That He took my sins away.

I fall prostrate to honor Him,
The Wounded One,
And with grateful voice I sing,
"Glory to the Lamb,"
As I worship God, my King.


Lowell
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

"Lord, my focus this morning seems foggy; I need an extra measure of Your light; lift this veil from my mind and heart. Amen"



Dear watchers of signs and times:

When betrayals occur someone gets hurt, or dies. The most infamous betrayal in history was about to happen. Judas listened to what Jesus had told them all, as recounted by Luke, yet he entered into a conspiracy to betray Jesus. The following words are the words Judas had previously heard Jesus say:

You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Luke 21:16

In this case, Jesus was betrayed by a friend. Where was Judas recall of these shocking words? Yet, he entered into a self-serving plan with the authorities to betray Jesus. I can't imagine how Judas assessed Jesus, causing him to come to such a dark conclusion. Maybe it was simply the money. It's said that Judas was in charge of the money purse for the disciples, and that on occasion he dipped into it to spend on himself. If greed was Judas' character flaw, I can see the wisdom of him being put in charge of the money. Such responsibility held before him the obvious opportunity to feather his own nest, but also to "have a little talk with Jesus," confessing: ". . . Jesus, I've got this problem; I keep dipping into the till; can You help me with it?"

Judas had a bad feeling as he "watched" events unfolding. He saw himself as being exposed to great danger. He wondered how he could sidestep the approaching storm, and come out the other side with new high-up friends, and more silver in his purse?

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. Luke 22:3-6.

When our behavior is self-serving, someone always gets hurt. Judas in effect crucified a friend for a very temporary security. When we take our eyes off Jesus, grace is suspended, and all that is left are embedded thorns, and a pool of blood - such is the mammon of betrayal, and the failure to measure correctly the signs of the times. Such lifestyles carry with it a life of fear, and a sense that things are not going to end well. All of this will change of course, if we say: "Jesus, I've got this problem; can you help me with it?"

There is no friend like Jesus. "May we openly confess our sins, and ask for Jesus help in this, the time in which we live, and may each of us become all that Jesus intends for us to be. Amen"

Lowell
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

"Father, as I open Your Word this morning, open my understanding yet again to its breathtaking revelation. And as I watch this day unfold let me experience Your dream for me. I want to become all that You intend for me. Amen"




Dear Carriers of Dreams:

A seed carries within it everything God intended it to be. You are greater than seeds!

Persons are in a sense put together one stone at a time, each becoming a unique structure. Included within our construction are the flaws of our character. But into each "building" is also put the hope of dreams, put there by God Himself. For a long time I moved through life focusing on things which are temporary, but then it occured to me in various ways, and through events, and circumstances, that I was intended for something far better. The dream put there by God urged me to seek eternal things.

I can look back on my life and see times when I got "wake-up" calls - a yearning to focus on better and higher things. But its no easy thing to do, because our flaws resist reshaping, just like a rigid building resists a strong wind, or a quaking earth. Yet the Apostle Paul's encouragement to "wake up sleeper, arise" is well said, and necessary. We must leave our pig wallow to find the beautiful clear River of Life, which flows just outside our dwelling places.

In "waking up," our uniqueness is not destroyed, but it the genius of God works with our flawed structures, whose failed experiences become tools of blessing to oneself and to others. By the power of God we are overcomer's, and by our various gifts the gospel proliferates through us as healed dreamers - we become witnesses. What God is building is eternal, and the attraction of temporary things begin to fade into the past - we are testifiers of the dream.

"When will these things happen? Jesus said: "Look for great signs from heaven." The greatest of all signs from heaven center around the Cross - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. This is the reality of the Dream. When you see the Cross come into your life, you will know. . . when you see your own flaws with the proper vision, you will know. . . when you determine to change the direction of your life, you will know. God will reveal to you the reality of the dream of heaven, which He put within you. You will yearn to sing His song and experience the joy of His presence. It is the Divine Plan of redemption for carriers of the dream.

When will these things happen? In God's timing for your life. Watch!

Have a blessed day you dreamers of God,

Lowell
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Monday, April 20, 2009

"Father, help me to focus on the Jesus of prophecy. Amen"



Dear watchers of clocks and times:

I've mentioned in the past that I once bought a clock at a garage sale with no hands. It suggested to me a type of clock that might hang on the walls of heaven; it seems an appropriate image of eternity, don't you think?

I left off last Friday with Jesus' prophecy of things to come, as recorded in Luke 21. Ever since He proposed a look at the future, men have wrestled with a time frame to attach to His warnings.

I've read through this passage a number of times, and I want to make some observations. At the time Jesus said these things, how many people could have actually heard Him? a few hundred at most? The oral sharing of His message with others would have had a limited audience. The gospel accounts of Jesus' words would not even be recorded for several decades afterwards, and even then they were slow in distribution to wider audiences.

If these events were soon to come, how many ears would have missed Jesus' admonition to "watch," and to be prepared? It would seem that many could never have heard Jesus' warnings. Historically, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem around A.D. 70, to which Jesus prophecy may have applied. There are events in this prophecy which seem to have a close application to those days, but there are also events which seem to easily characterize a more broad time frame. I have observed some of them in my own lifetime, i.e., nations which compete for dominance, wars and rumors of wars, and natural disasters and diseases. We are on a planet living under the curse of God, and its existence is tied to a clock that does have hands.

We are easily deceived by "false messiah's" who are eager to control the focus and the direction of our thoughts. They did it in the ancient world, and they do it in ours. I can do nothing more than to advise us to center our focus on Jesus alone, and to "watch" the clock with no hands.

Lowell
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Friday, April 17, 2009

"Father, it has taken such a long time for me to realize that You are the Architect of my living, and not me; I am beginning to understand that it is a process, and not an event. There is much yet for me to learn and to grow more transparent in my confessions and interactions with You, and people. I trust in Your strength alone. Amen"




Dear fellow Architects:

In this lengthy section of Luke sub-titled "Signs of the End of the Age," there is much disagreement on Jesus' prophecy as to its time frame. To become too deeply involved in that controversy may miss the point. Jesus points to "signs of times," and of course, we all want to know when? Jesus primary advice is to "watch."

Attaching specific dates to certain events, has its problems, but I think these kinds of events can, in a sense, occur in every generation. Our tendency is to always take a narrow view of things rather than a panoramic one. In a wider view, there are usually broad principles which seem to stand out from specific times and events, and that's where I'd like to spend some time this morning.

Here are some of the broad principles I see in Jesus' discourse: Watch what's going on in your world; seriously reflect on the ideas being bandied about - on the things being said; stay aware that certain things must happen as God overcomes evil - remember that it is a battle, even sometimes on a world-wide scale; there will be suffering and persecution, offering opportunities to witness; think ahead about how you plan to react, when things fall apart, and your faith is challenged; always remember that Jesus is present with us, He is our strength; be saved by standing firm; there will be trauma in the dismantling of the "temples of men;" apprehension will characterize these days; one day, in days like these, the Son of Man will return, therefore watch and be ready; do not be heavy-hearted or anxious about these times; and don't lose you appetite, or drown yourself in strong drink - stay calm.

Many of these things are characteristic of the days in which I have lived, but I believe there have been many similar times throughout history which fits those particular days. We should be careful, therefore, not to miss the broader points of Jesus prophecy.

We'll probably stay with this section for a while.

Have a great weekend, ye builders of lives, and ye interpreters of days,

Lowell
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Thursday, April 16, 2009

"Father, help me to watch and listen more closely to Your interactive dialogue with men as recorded in Scripture, and to reflect more intensely on the human images You use to describe Yourself to us. Most importantly, help us to interact with You, and others, in genuine acts of redemption. Amen"



Dear faces of Jesus:

This passage talks about a poor widow's generous offering of two small copper coins, which was all she had to sustain her meager life. The way Jesus uses this story speaks to us of her being a type of Christ. Her poverty was real ( Jesus really became poor for our sakes), yet she gave the last of her resources, trusting God to somehow provide for her life.

As I thought about this familiar story this morning, I began to see a remarkable likeness between this poor woman and Jesus. I believe this story to be true. Jesus draws on real human actions to present to us the realities of God, in human terms. We are flesh, and our real experiences, as recounted by Jesus, help us to more clearly understand our Creator God who is Spirit.

Consider some likenesses between this woman and Jesus. She gave freely of all she had into the Temple treasury; Jesus freely gave up the true wealth of heaven, which He put into Temples of God (us). Her tiny gift was greater than the combined gifts of all the wealthy others who gave; the gift of Jesus outweighs all human effort on the scales of love and justice. In a certain sense, Jesus was a type of poor widow, and this to benefit our understanding. I am indebted, and overwhelmed by His illustration.

The poor widow becomes another human image to show us the reality of the Divine Image. We aspire to take on the image of Christ, but it must not be a false face, but the face of true poverty. "Thank you Father for the images of this poor widow, and the image of self-imposed Divine poverty, which overflows into our great blessing. Out of our poverty, we are drawn to Your matchless provision. Amen"

As the blessed poor, may we each travel our roads looking for other beggars.

Lowell
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

"Father God, empty me of myself, and fill me with Your Spirit. I trust You to look past my failed ability to completely surrender; I don't know what that looks like to you, but I ache to be complete, and whole, as I trust in Your grace, and in the resurrection of Jesus, and in the work of Your Spirit to reshape me. Amen"





Dear Carpenter Wannabee's:

These moments in early morning, when I read Scripture and try to do meaningful thinking, are Holy moments to me. I am privileged to observe and learn from the Record of God talking to men, and men talking to God. Biblical dialogue and its interactions capture the wrestling of men's souls, showing all manner of motives, and failures, and often the misshapen image conceptions of their lives. And from those observationsof men's hearts, I learn. But the biblical dialogue also captures the heart of God, which is centered on the redemption of men, and from that I learn even more important things.

Can you see how we can benefit from biblical dialogue (refer again to Luke 20:27-40), as we watch the interactions between Jesus and others? We are in desperate need of God's strengths and insights, because human ears hear, but do not comprehend; our eyes put together false pictures of unbelief, which have no vision of heaven; we lack foresight, ignore hindsight, and continue on our wanderings asking wrong questions; yet somehow, in some way, hoping for a miraculous intervention into this craziness.

Most fortunately for us, the love and grace of God is never discouraged by our nightmares, and put-together what-if's (or whose wife will she be in heaven) ways of thinking. His is the work of justification, and that is where our hope survives and lives and flourishes. Our hearts ache with our own failures of unconquered sin, but we live in hope, and at peace with God, because He justifies with creativity and boundless energy and great mercy, and this changes the nature, and the formulation, of our questions. It will change the shape of our lives.

Those early followers of Jesus had a front row seat in listening to, and observing the dialogue and interactions, of the Living God with men. We are sort of second generation observers, but no less shaped by what we see and hear, when we read the inspired accounts of it all. There is no sense, however, in which we are second generation believers - we are perhaps even more blessed, because we weren't there, but are privileged to read and come to faith.

In all of the hours of our living in this world, we search for - we ache for - the Open Door to a garden we've never seen, but have only read about - the eternal Garden of God. Jesus is that Door, and He prepared for our return as He prayed in another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane.

Have a blessed day all you Jesus Wannabee's!

Lowell
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

"Father, I ask questions of You not for the sake of knowledge, but because I love You, and I want to have a fuller understanding of You, and of myself. May the breadcrumbs only from Your table, and the love of Jesus sustain me with delight and thanksgiving. Amen"



Dear fellow cooks of religious thinking:

As in cooking, when you blend the wrong ingredients, the result is a "fallen" cake. In spiritual things, the blending of good and evil results in "children of Eden." We are the offspring of Eden's stealers of the kitchen and the cook stove. The "fallen cake" is the natural recipe of our lives. We are cooks in the wilderness who make do with what is at hand, and we actually develop a taste for second hand and even dangerous food - in other words, we develop a taste for a certain house blend, which always, and without exception, includes unhealthy ingredients.

In this section of Luke (chapter 20:27-39) the Sadducees had put together a blend of twisted thinking, and had come up with the poisonous mixture which concluded that "the dead are not raised." This idea struck at the very heart of the Living God. Jesus pointed out that even Moses showed that the dead are raised. What kind of place would heaven be; what kind of kingdom would God's kingdom be, if all its subjects were dead? God does not set out a sumptuous banquet with unfilled plates and empty chairs.

If we could only surrender the kitchen and the cook stove back to God. If we could just get out of the kitchen, and simply eat the food of God, which Jesus offers to us, we could experience the peace of God. Looking back at Jesus' day, we can see many recipes at work - Pharisees, Sadducees, and others created their own house blends. And then consider today, where there are countless multitudes of recipes proclaiming, "This is the right batch," and yet without exception every single one of them is a "house blend" for which many have developed a taste; a taste, which in time becomes an empty disappointment.

The stew that the Pharisees and other leaders were brewing did not include the Living God. In fact, they would even kill Him for a time, but they left out of their thinking that the Living God is the God of the Resurrection. He is the Chef of our souls, and we would do well to eat of His bread, and drink of His wine! Today is the day to change our diet wherever it needs changing!

At the conclusion of His remarks about life after death, Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" And no one dared ask him any more questions. This, however, was only a temporary surrender, because they would soon develop new mixtures of good and evil, including the greatest evil of all, when they would kill the Son of the Owner of the vineyard.

I know these thoughts are heavy stuff, but these were days of heavy stuff in Jesus' life, and in the lives of men.

Lowell
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Monday, April 13, 2009

Father, help me to see the important things; shape for me a more tender heart; let kindness move me to serve wherever You need me; lead me to show mercy even when I grit my teeth against it; let me be firm and intentional in all of my relationships. Amen"





Dear image bearers of Christ Jesus:

Do you see the irony of handing Jesus (Creator of the Universe) over to the power and authority of the governor? Do you see the irony of "keeping a close watch on him," who is the Almighty, and the "All-seeing Eye?" Do you see the irony of "spies. . . who pretended to be honest," but carried the duplicity of Satan, whose image they bore? Do you see the irony of "the spies questioning Him," who is the Judge of all the earth? Do you see the irony of their "setting a trap for Jesus," and then they themselves getting caught in it? How ironic that we were made to bear the image of God, and to be the coin of His Realm.

Looking back at the Parable of the Tenants, I would have to say that tenancy sometimes gets confused with ownership.

"May the image of God which we seek to bear, displace all other images with which we have adorned ourselves, and may the inscription of grace prevail in all of our relationships. Amen"

Lowell
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Friday, April 10, 2009

"Lord, give eyes to my heart; elevate my vision; and give obedience to my hands and feet. Amen"



Dear seekers of Christ Jesus:

In any religion where you see hate, rather than genuine love, escape! Where you feel only as strangers in community, escape; where you see more judgment than grace, escape!

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. Luke 20:20

When you see the expression of God-given gifts ignored, escape; where the cross is nowhere publicly displayed, escape; where faces have no look of joy and peace, escape; where freedom is arrested, and the Spirit is smothered, then run for your life!

"Tenants" actually do take over vineyards (that which belongs to God), where wrong focus takes on many forms, rather than on our Savior. Where is my focus? In whom, or in what, do I glory? Where my eyes are looking reveals the direction of my heart. If I keep looking at my own feet, I am assured of a collision, which will bring hurt to myself, and others. That's just the way of it.

Jesus did not die to be ignored, and He didn't die to become the Secretary of the F.B.I. He died to be glorified as Savior and Lord. Deeply loved by His Father, He came to save and secure the vineyard of His Father/Owner. He was killed by the tenants of the vineyard, but then resurrected by God.

We must raise our eyes and look up, watching for His guidance, because vineyards which are not properly cultivated and nourished eventually die. In my seventy-five years, I believe I have observed many times, the comings and goings of "vineyards," and the process seems to be speeding up, as it seems to be happening even now.

"May God's will prevail in this, and in all other matters, and may the glory of Easter be celebrated at the foot of the Cross, wherever you are. Amen"

Lowell



UPDATE:
Hey guys,

I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I'm having second thoughts about my message of "Escape" this morning.

Escape may not be in God's plan for your life. God may have in his plans to have you stay right where you are, in order to influence those around you with a greater expression of His love and grace.

My advice is to pray, and to seek His will about this matter, as in all things.

Lowell

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Thursday, April 9, 2009

"Lord, clear up my muddled thinking this morning; read my heart, and provide everything which I need. In Jesus alone I stand, Amen"




Dear seekers of the True Light of Christ Jesus:

Yesterday I talked about capturing fireflies in glass jars, but by morning they were dead. Fireflies do not survive in false environments. Their pulsating lights fascinated me, but spending the night in a glass jar smothered out their lights and their life. Phony environments soon carry the stench of death. We pinch off the mysterious little light of a firefly, killing him, and wear it on ourselves for a little while, but its light soon quits.

The Pharisees carried about them the stench of death. The artificial religious environment, which they had developed in their flawed perception of God, could neither give, nor sustain life. Now they were ready to "pinch off" the true Light of God, but killing Jesus would open an apocalyptic jar of God's anger; the stolen vineyard would produce "grapes of wrath."

Every generation from then until now produces "killers of light," those who are seeking the Light, and those who are becoming washed in the Light. I am only a tenant of the vineyard, but I know a good crop when I see it; and living in the environment which God creates assures it. Today we are becoming environmentally conscious of this marvelous "vineyard" which God created, and I believe that in a sense, that same awareness is happening in churches too. How we perceive God mostly comes from the religious environment in which we find ourselves; it is either smothering, or dazzling with the Light of freedom in Christ Jesus.

"May the God of the Harvest prevail, Amen."

Lowell

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

GATHERING FIREFLIES IN GLASS JARS

Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

God doesn't change, but our perceptions of Him can. Yesterday I talked about the death of old gods in my own life, and even now the true image of the Living God is evolving. We may seek a visual image of Him, but our eyes will never capture His form and beauty. Our hearts, and our emotions, come closer to doing so.

"Father, so many thoughts, and images crowd my mind. Help me to gather those which are the most powerful and purposeful in the encouragement of us all as followers of Christ. Take control of my thinking, and cause my words to reflect Your agenda alone. Change the shape in which we find ourselves; design in us a proper image as we look at Jesus, and yearn to be like Him. Amen"


As a child, I gathered fireflies in glass jars; and each of us demanded our own jar (sometimes it took screaming fits, and mom would search the pantry, or under the sink, for more jars with lids). I creatively added a twig and a leaf to this phony environment to fool the fireflies into feeling at home. We were fascinated with the beauty of their mysterious lights. On occasion, we pinched off their lighted tail and fixed it on our clothing, but before long the light went out. Those that were left in jars overnight, among the twigs and leaves, suffocated before morning, and we pitched them out, waiting till evening to gather a new batch.

All of this appears to be a carry-over from Eden, where they tried to put God in a glass jar. But He is not confinable by human designs. We instead are the ones who end up (hiding) in the sealed "glass jars" of our own flawed concepts. We attempt to pinch off the light of God and spread it around over ourselves, but it soon fades into disappointment and despair. Removing the jar lid would set us free; instead we kill the lid remover, and face eternal suffocation. Only sheer grace remains to save us.

"May God break the jars of our imprisoned hearts, and set us free to bring His gift of everlasting light to a closing day. Amen"

Lowell
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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

Will we allow God to come into the unreal world, which each of us has fashioned by our own thinking? We have designed a god of sorts, put together with many pieces of our own flawed understanding and self-serving interests. Who can deny it? Our various renditions of him are misshapen and grotesque, because they are of our own creation. It is into this milieu of idolatry that Jesus came then, and even now. Didn't Jesus know that it is a shocking and dangerous intervention to meddle with the gods of men?

Jesus began to tell them a parable about a man who planted a vineyard, then rented it to some farmers, and went away. For three harvest seasons, the man sent his servants to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard, but each time the tenants sent them away, or beat them, and they left empty-handed. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.' Luke 20:13

I think of my own past, where my image of God began to take shape. The Old Testament was overwhelming, but one thing seemed clear to me at the time, that a man could not be pleasing to God unless he was circumcised. And so at age 20, when I was in the military, I had a surgeon circumcise me. I imagined God as a severe judge, and thus I must serve Him with perfect behavior. His was not a smiling image, but one with a scowl on his face, and a switch in his hand. And then as I experienced the unavoidable failures of sin, I realized that I was a "dead man walking," and I had to begin a search for a new god.

I became confused, and questions came, to which I had no answers. I began focusing on the New Testament letters looking for patterns of the right ways of doing things. This established a new image, a new god, a sort of god of Knowledge. Knowing more was very appealing (do you see any vestiges of Eden in any of this?); it elevated me, and my status, among my peers - and it was a great base on which to build my faith, so I thought. It worked for a while, but there was always a gnawing uncertainty about it; it seemed there was something missing. This was my latest death, and so I began looking again for a new god.

And then I met Jesus, I think for the first time. I met Him in unexpected ways; I met Him in the gospels; I met Him in people; and I began to see Him in stranger's faces. And He began to fashion for me the image of the True and Living God. This God brings me grace and peace, and the certainty of His affection and love. How He manages to squeeze His great majesty into my little damaged heart is a profound mystery to me, but it swells with His presence, and I Thank You, Jesus.


Because of Him, and by His strength, I entomb the other gods of my life. "May the true image of Him capture, and indwell our hearts through Jesus, Amen"

Lowell
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Monday, April 6, 2009

"Lord God, I so want to share the grace You are showing me, and to share with others the parts of my life which are everlasting. Your love is a mystery, which I am honored to enter, and explore, and share. Redemption is entirely Your work, and You create us with the senses to respond to, and experience, Your coming. 'Star' is my attempt to share Your presence in all of my comings and goings. I never feel like I've been sent away empty handed when I make my requests known to You. Amen"




Dear followers of Christ Jesus:

I always try to go with the flow of what seems to be working on my thoughts as I consider particular passages of Scripture. I can think of no other way in which the Holy Spirit guides me, than through what I am reading and thinking. Anyway, this morning's thoughts are what have been working on me this past weekend; they are not my reflections on Scripture, but on the purposes of "Star," as I see it. So I offer this sort of editorial statement:

Under the Morning Star is my entrance into the mystery of God; it is a window into my soul; it is my struggle to understand more clearly the God I love, and serve; it is God seeking me; it is my awareness of our having found each other; it is my encouragement to believe; it is my war against evil and despair; it is my witness to God's profound and indiscriminate love; it tells of my shaping to the cross; it is my confession of sin and failure; it is my proclamation of the reality of grace, and joy-filled living; it is the presence of the Holy Spirit being expressed through my thoughts and words; they are the reflections of a poor man discovering the riches of God; it is a venue of sharing life in Jesus; and it is my purpose to never send God away from my life empty-handed, but to offer Him a return on His great and matchless investment!

You may rightly criticize my thoughts, which are neither perfect, nor are they always well-stated. Surely each of us, whether we are conscious of it or not, must first somehow explain God to ourselves, and that's what I'm doing in "Morning Star." Of course there is risk in sharing my impressions, but it is a risk I am willing to take, because I trust God (besides that, we sit at a wide table--the Internet--and are out of immediate reach of each other). And so I confidently press on each morning, seeking first God's heart, and pointing to Jesus, as I ponder His healing Words.

When I am blessed by your kind replies, my heart swells, but not with pride in myself, but with greater love for God who is rich in mercy, and who gives gifts even to such as me, and creates a better sense of self-worth, where little was heretofore felt. Perhaps that is God's intention to further heal me, and based on some of the replies I receive, I believe it must be a common struggle.

Thanks be to God, and thank you for your kind patience and good wishes as we journey together with Him.

Lowell
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