THE THING ABOUT RINGS

Wedding Bands –

Perfectly matched, they reflect the perfection of two becoming one.

Pure and undefiled, as is the marriage bed, gold does not tarnish.

Perfect in form reflecting wholeness, completeness of union,

Covenant love, like gold, lasts forever unchanged in character,

Yet their beauty that never changes reflects a love that continues to

Mature, deepen, ripen, soften, and grow ever stronger as the

Roots that began with promises and vows reach ever deeper into two

Souls anchoring them together in Union with the Spirit of the

Living God and holding them fast through all the storms of Life,

Secure in that Bond of Covenant Love with the Father,

For did He not on that special day so many years ago say,

“I Do” to those created in His own Image and Likeness when

He spoke His words of Covenant Love,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

He proposed that Eternal Love when the Son Jesus became Flesh.

Born a Babe to Die, He grew to proclaim His Love for you and for me

When He stretched out His arms, not to receive a band of

Our token of love for Him, but to receive the nails that would

Fix Him to the instrument of His torture and Death.

Satan could not stop Him, however, from walking down that Aisle

From the Empty Tomb to the Altar of His declaration of Love.

He, too, sealed His vows to His beloved Bride when He Rose from the Dead, Reclaimed the Keys to the Kingdom, Paralyzed the Accuser of the Brethren,

Spoke His Life-Breathing Words of Love into your heart and mine, and

Looked us in the eye and said, “I Do!”

Will you have Him as your own Eternal Love, the Lover of your soul?

He waits only for the words to fall from your lips, “I do, too!”

The moment you speak them and die to self in order to Live

In Him, With Him, For Him, Forever,

His beautiful and powerful Holy Spirit will encircle your heart as a

Wedding Band of Covenant Love more pure than the purest gold.

If you have done so, share the Good News with others, for they, too,

Must hear that Jesus truly is the Reason for All Seasons!

A Brief Teaching and a New Poem - each entitled "Grace Unfettered"

GRACE UNFETTERED

(An Oxymoron & Thoughts of Incredible Blessings)

Grace Unfettered –

“fetters” – an Old English term for “chains” –

          hence, unfettered, or unchained = set free

“grace” – from the Greek –literally “gift” –

          hence, grace, as (is) a gift = something undeserved, unearned,                    for which one did no work, given freely by one who gives with                           “an open hand,” that is, expecting nothing in return.

“grace” in the Greek – charis – from which we derive, from a `         transliteration to English, the root for “charismatic.”          In 1 Cor. 12 the operations, manifestations, and administrations of the Holy Spirit are   often referred to as the “gifts” of the Spirit, said word “gifts” inserted   by the English translators where no Greek word is found in the text   that became the focal point of the Charismatic Renewal.

(A charismatic person, then, is a person ‘gifted’ with a natural appeal or attraction that tends to draw others to him or her, i. e. a “natural born” leader.)

oxymoron – a phrase comprised of two words that mean polar opposites, e.g. “jumbo shrimp.”  (Those with a sarcastic sense of humor and a   personal ax to grind use the example of “Army Intelligence.”  Said    examples can either make us chuckle and shake our head, or they can   irritate us enough to make us grind our teeth.)

transliteration – a letter for letter equivalence from one language to another, in this case from the Greek alphabet to the letter equivalents    of the English alphabet.  For example, “baptize” from the Greek         transliterated from baptizo, literally means “to immerse.”  In our         current study,  charis,  that means “gift,” became” grace.”  In each  example, historically a new English word was “born.”

Grace unfettered – grace, the gift God gives was never “chained” or bound.  It has always been in the heart of the Father, and He has always given it freely to those He loves.  Like any gift, it must be both freely given and freely received!  The Poem “Grace Unfettered” follows –

GRACE UNFETTERED

As a bird held in the hands of one who loves it,

So grace was held in the heart of the Father.

She was born, and She grew feeling the rhythm of His Love.

Released from His heart, she flies to hearts of the ones He Loves.

Grace hovers near. Do we hear Her sweet “cooing?”

Her wings flutter to the rhythm of the Father’s beating heart.

Do we resonate to, and with, that Divine cadence?

Do our hearts yearn to dance with His?

The Gift is given; His Love poured out in Full!

Do we stand with downcast eyes and clenched fists,

Or do we rise up with eyes uplifted and open hands?

Do we shoo her away who brings the Precious Gift,

Or do we draw Her near and warmly embrace His Love?

Grace unfettered cannot then be chained.

Freely given – He owed rebels naught.

Freely birthed as unbound Love,

She fills us who receive Her to the Full!

And continuing to pour into our hearts,

She overflows to fly free yet again –

This time She flies from our hearts

To the peoples whom Father loves.

Undeserved, unreserved torrents of His River of Life

From the Father’s Heart and Throne do Flow.

We drink in freely His Love, His Life.

Our bellies full to the brim, She overflows.

Yea, out of our bellies, our Inner Man Reborn, She rushes forth.

Hallelujah is her song, Thanksgiving is Her refrain,

Forgiveness is Her Name.  May His Life Flow Evermore

To His Glory – His Grace.

Creation Evangelism – The Teleological Argument

Opening the Door to the Mind and Heart with Evidence for the Existence of God. 

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens are telling of the glory of God.

And their expanse (heaven) is declaring the work of His hands. (NASB) 

Romans 1:18-20 – ¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all        ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in       unrighteousness, ¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within           them; for God made it evident to them.  ²⁰For since the creation of the world His      invisible attributes, His eternal power and diving nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Beginning with the second passage first, we see the clear implication of the “Teleological Argument.”   Teleology is, technically, the “study of final causes.”  What is meant in the technical definition  by “final” is better understood at “complete” or “entire,”  It comes from  the suffix “-ology” – the study of – and the root “telos” (just as in telescope) – entire, perfect, complete.  Telescope (scope to see or view) the “big picture” of whatever one is examining from a distance – to get the perfect, complete, or entire picture of what one is trying to see.  In “teleology,” then, what is trying to get a complete, or perfect, picture or an understanding of what has caused that to be which one is examining.

Now, after all of that technical lingo, let’s put this in the simplest of terms to obtain a very clear understanding of this field of study.  When we view a beautiful painting, say a Rembrandt, we know, via a lifetime of observations and experiences, that this masterpiece was planned, designed by, and executed in its “complete, perfect and entire” state by a master painter, an artist who designed that painting.  Teleology then, in practical, everyday usage is the search for the cause of design in nature.  A building denotes an architect, a builder; an automobile denotes a team of designers, engineers,  and a manufacturer.  Nothing could be simpler!

Carry this logic back to our texts from the Word of God – the heavens “declare,” they “speak forth” their testimony, their witness to the Creator who fashioned this vast universe.  All of nature around us makes it clear, evident to all men that the creation denotes the existence of the Creator.  Re-read the passage from Romans 1:18-23.  It is repeatedly made clear that God has revealed Himself to mankind in and through His creation.  Men (generic gender here) have “suppressed” the truth – willfully denying the obvious.  This is a consistent self-evident trait that exposes itself over and over again when dealing with those who question or oppose Christianity.  Although there are indeed intellectual and emotional reasons at the root of why some struggle with the truth of the gospel, the overwhelming objection is volitional – a matter of the will, a matter of choice, a case of rationalization.  (This is where people tell themselves, and others, “rational lies” in order to justify their behavior which they know to be unwise if not outright evil and rebellious toward the One who is their Creator.)

This is the true “first step” in evangelism.  As demonstrated by Paul the Apostle in Acts 17, when he was in Athens on Mars Hill witnessing to the Greek philosophers of his day.

First, I wish to share with you the poem I most recently wrote.  Way back in "the old days," :) the comedian, Bill Cosby, shared a stand-up routine entitled "Why Is Their Air?"  His final conclusion, after pursuing many humors 'rabbit trails,' was that God made air to pump up basketballs, football, soccer balls, etc.  I woke up at 2:00 a.m. the other morning with the question, "Why Is There Air?" running through my mind.  (I can't explain the way my mind works, and at my age, I given up trying to make excuses for it!" :0)  Anyway, I thought that this would be a great exercise to give to my Bible students as a creative writing exercise.  Air - we are surrounded by it, "filled" with it - so vital and necessary for life, but something we don't often think about.  I will share some of their endeavors in future posts.  Below is my poem, simply entitled "Why Is There Air?"  I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to subscribe to this blog spot and share it with you friends.  God Bless!

WHY IS THERE AIR?

Why is there air?

~that we might feel the Father’s gentle kiss when a soft breeze caresses our cheek.   

We feel His breath as He kisses us goodnight, and we know that 

He will breathe into us His peace as we sleep and dream.

Why is there air?

~ that we might feel the embrace of Jesus when a warm puff of air spring air wraps itself around us, and we know that we are secure with His loving arms holding us as we walk the Way of Life together.

Why is there air?

~ that we might know the praises of creation as she lifts her arms high tossing miniature orbs of liquid life that coalesce and cuddle into cottony white clouds that show us what bunnies and kittens  were created to really look like. 

When she weeps, wind and water cascade and sweep to cleanse and refresh with fragrance reborn.

Why is there air?

~ that we might know the power of the Spirit with His divine eye of peace at the center of the gale while His arms turn and sweep with the sound of the freight train and the flash of brilliance that reminds us of the power of righteous anger and the passion of controlled fury for Kingdom’s sake.

Why is there air?

~ that we might be reminded of the mandate to master our emotions when we see those arms of the Spirit reach out and snap limbs, uproot trees and crumble the vaunted edifices of man – 

yes, a reminder that passion out of control breeds destruction, pain, wounds that cannot be healed, even unto death.

Why is there air?

~that we might see the playfulness of Papa as He floats His winged children on the magic carpet ride of unseen hands and lifts them high aloft to swirl and dance with such unparalleled  beauty.

Breathe in deeply, dear Brother, dear Sister, the wonder of power, of life and love, 

of  His Spirit Breath, more than air and wind, 

His own Essence! 

Robert E. Preston – September 9, 2012