OCTOBER 31, 2009
SOURWOOD GEORGIA

SERVANT

Kidnapped into slavery is about the worst thing that could happen to you. BUT

could we imagine one that would volunteer to be the personal slave of another person?

Could we imagine one that would volunteer to be the personal property of another and make the agreement binding and legal, lasting for the rest of there life?

What would that be like? We might comprehend this lifestyle by recalling to mind some slave stories from the BIBLE.

Joseph was kidnapped as a teenager and survived to be made second in command over the whole land, accountable only to his owner— for all of his long and fruitful life. His story takes up 2/3 of the BIBLE’s first book: Genesis.

When he was a child, Daniel was kidnapped into slavery by the army that conquered his homeland and for the rest of his life, Daniel only lived at the pleasure of his owner. You may read of his lifestyle as he grew up and lived his life as a slave—in The HOLY BIBLE book of Daniel.

The New Testament has the short story of a slave who ran away only to voluntarily become the servant of another person. His name was Philemon. We may understand why he would escape from a life of slavery, BUT why would he ever commit to be servant to another for the rest of his life? PLUS—he also committed his services to the man who told him about his new master. A BIBLE cometary will give you a lot of information about the life of a slave during the time of the Roman Empire.

TO BE CONTINUED

Oct. 30, 2009
The Eve of All Saints Eve

LOOKING INTO
SPRINGS OF LIGHT

Looking into a spring of living water is not for those that are not children, or at least childlike in their curiosity. Those with an attitude only see as much as they are wont to see. Usually, it is their own image.

However, for those who live by faith— other worlds and otherworldly truth gushes out and baptizes those who behold with the eyes of their heart. For example—the first thing a child would see is not only their own reflection, but around their head would be a writhe of glory: the tree canopy above and cloud cover passing by and changing constantly. That is what a child would see. That is what our GOD sees each time HE thinks of us. Our humanity and our glory; for having been created in HIS image.

The most supernatural event that ever happened to me while spring looking might be a good subject for a retreat. I have never shared my life changing story before because I had thought “it was only a dream”. Now I can tell it like it was because I found a similar event in the scriptures.

Occasionally I would be filled with so much peace and wonder while spring watching that I would take a break, find a mossy seat next to a tree for a back rest, and take a nap

On this occasion, I roused up and went back to my observation. I noticed a patch of sand down there that was very agitated. It was like a mini-earthquake! Then air bubbles broke loose from the earth and rose to the surface. It was as if the air was seeking the source of the light. At the surface there were audible “pops” like bubble gum popping. I was the only human there to see it and hear it.

The scriptures tell me that I may have been the only human there—but the ANGEL of the LORD was also there. The ANGEL had provoked the earth to exhale and trouble the waters as pneuma sought to go higher. Rising up to the light. I like that! That explains why the power of GOD was there to heal.

Don’t forget, living waters sing as they wait to go to the light. You may listen to their voice at the spring on the walk of the Maryville Greenway. That is, if you have ears to hear as a child hears.

October 30, 2009
Sourwood, GA.

SPRING LOOKING

Looking into the waters is a very mystical experience. Another world is discovered to be in there. A trip to another world, if you can receive it. The very first time that a child or a cat is exposed to an aquarium, they feel the touch of peace and are often content to be a benign observer for a very long time. As their intellect tries to conceive the idea that there are new and different worlds out there; a discovery thrill and exploration spirit is caught and can be remembered even 70 years later. The experience carries over into adults, too. Spring looking has a calming effect that will bless anyone who is not “too busy” to partake.

Years ago, as a pre-teen, I discovered a natural spring in the wood on the side of the ridge behind my house. This kid returned there so often, on his belly looking down into the crystal clear firmament. Now as I look back—I count the time that I spent alone in the forest, gazing into the firmament below, as my first gainful employment.

After meditating on what could be seen on the bottom of the pool, then what was floating on the surface, there was the realm of that which was suspended in between. The leaves and forest fluff that could not yield to being saturated enough to sink without resisting as long as possible; was joy to my eyes and made my little heart glad! I like that. I learned that you did not always have to yield to circumstances except on your terms.

Then there were the living critters. Spiders that could walk on water. Crawfish that took on the coloration of the rocks they lived among. Strange worms with too many legs to count. Tiny, tee tiny minnows and bugs with black, hard shells; all getting along in a home underwater. I still wonder how do they do that. Strange goings-on just below the surface. The fire of curiosity is released in clear spring water.

Now, before my battery runs completely down,[ I refer to more than one battery], please let me share the magical part of this story.
To be continued.

August 19, 2009

A Dream From TOP O WORLD

MAKE BELIEVE

It was a dream for me but you may partake if you are able to make believe that you lived 600 years before Messiah was born. Your name is Daniel and if you think the majority of Jews in Israel today are worldly—you should have been judging in Daniel’s day! If you think warfare is cruel in our day—you should have seen the way it was in Daniel’s day.

You are about 14 years old so you were among the defenders of Jerusalem. Even when the city was taken and the Jews surrendered, the killing continued. The destruction continued too! You and other youth were gathered up, striped and examined to see how smart, handsome, healthy and strong you are. You and your 3 friends were selected. All the boys who made the cut [robbed of their manhood], were packed off to Babylon to be put into the Kings bedchamber. Aren’t we glad this is a dream so that we really don’t have to make the trip!

If you are reading this and especially if you are into dreams; then you are thinking: how am I going to escape this fate? You are a believer so you are praying and hoping to escape the plans that Nebuchadnezzar has for you. You are just a kid so what do you know?

Lets come out of the dream for a moment and recall what this nice Jewish boy might know about his heritage and about the GOD of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. How might Daniel be praying and what entreaties might he make to the GOD of his fathers, all the time knowing that he was now the slave of a cruel king and never would be a father himself or have a family of his own.

Daniel had been taught by his father that YAWAH was a generational, covenant keeping GOD and he knew that he was covered by the blessing of Deuteronomy 6 and 7. This was ABBA’s dream for Daniel and Daniel knew it and walked in it all the way to Babylon, toward what ever awaited him there.

No doubt, Daniel knew the story of Abraham becoming the one to live by faith and father a multitude of believers. No doubt, Daniel knew the story of Joseph, the father of the faithful who overcame by doing the right thing and lived to see his GOD turn all that was meant for evil for him, into good for him. No doubt, Daniel entreated his GOD day and night for help. No doubt, Daniel knew of the dreams and interpretations that guided Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. What did this kid know? He knew the A,B,C’s of the supernatural GOD who may answer by fire! A better question might be: What was this kid dreaming on the way to Babylon?

To be continued.

August 11, 2009
From TOP O WORLD

PIPE DREAMS

When our children are little we give them a lot of attention and slack. The little ones get so full of life and the joy of being, that they are able to sing and dance without having the musical accompaniment. The music is in their heart, don’t you see? The little ones are so passionate about everything that they do, it usually pleases the adults, who say: “How cute”! Then the adults usually go back to their adult stuff and leave the little ones to their play. The world of play is a world of imagination, is it not?

With that day dream, I had an interpretation of a parable our LORD told about children playing. I had thought that the children were trying to get other children to play the game with them. BUT in my fantasy, the children were trying to get their parents to enter into their play. If you are still with me, please meditate on the story from this view.

Our LORD is speaking to the disciples and their neighbors in Galilee.

Matthew 11 C.S.B., with footnote readings in italics
15 Anyone who has ears should listen.
16 To what should I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:
17 We played the flute for you
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament
but you didn’t beat your breasts!
19…………………..
Yet wisdom is declared right
by her children.

I see a giggle of children hanging out at the mall. They have no cellphones, money or credit cards— so they begin dancing to the tunes in their head [or is it in their heart].

The flute is in their imagination but it gives out the beat as strongly as the beat Miriam danced to when the children of Israel had crossed over the Red Sea 3,000 years ago.

The adults [the ones with cellphones and credit cards] are in a buying mood and have no time for song and dance. They tell the little ones to sit down and be still . BUT the children are still dancing on the inside so they begin to weep and moan. The children switch to playing “funeral”. It is O.K. because they are still in their seat and being very reserved about their moaning.

You can guess how the adults react. You may also guess how the little ones react to the castigation of the adults.

May I suggest that there is a better option for those that have been converted and have fed on THE WORD long enough to know all of their options.

The disciples are arguing with each other about who of their click is the greatest in the Kingdom of GOD. They are unable to decide, probably because they each vote for themselves, so they ask JESUS to arbitrate.

Matthew 18
2 Then HE called a child to HIM and had him stand among them.
3 “I assure you,” HE said, “unless you are turned around and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

May we continue our meditation by ruminating on the word: “never”.

My conclusion is that “never” is a long time to stay out of the kingdom of heaven.

These are disciples of our LORD, who have left all to be a disciple, who have seen miracles and even done miracles, who are believers—yet are not converted!
To Be Continued.

July 6, 2009

A View From T.O.W.

Hope you are “cool” enough to even think about having your comfort zone fail. Please see doc.:WOOL UNDERPANTS if you are open minded enough to be provoked. In the past they had tow sackcloth to wear and ashes to sit in when they wanted a spirit of repentance to come. What do we have today? Ashes are toxic and silk boxers just are not the same. So what and where does that leave us???

WOOL UNDERPANTS

They called it The Great Depression because it was. Now they call it an economic downturn in order to keep the masses confused.

Back then the masses, if they even had underclothes, wore something called “long handles”. They were usually made out of wool, the cheapest fabric. Friend— you don’t understand what torture is until you have sat through a long church service on a summer evening—in wool underpants that covered from ankle to wrist and from neck to wherever. Now you know why they were called shouting Methodist and the Pentecostals spent so much time running around, and hopping over, the benches.

The point is that now we are very comfortable in our silk boxers and air conditioned church houses and we never feel the urge to shout or run so as to generate the refreshing of a breeze.

So—saint of the living GOD—don’t enter the “downturn”!

I hear the sound of a rushing mighty wind.

Do you hear what I hear?

If we can hear it then HE is on the way!

To be continued.

June 27,2009

Convocation Sabbath

FOOTBRIDGE

In the washing of the saints feet, I see a bridge between the tradition of our fathers and in our day the opportunity to lay down our lives for our neighbors. Only in the nomadic desert tribes of the near East has the foot washing rite been the mark of hospitality to friend or enemy that entered in through the tent flaps of a Bedouin home. In the harsh environment, foot washing by a servant was the mark of civilization.

In the model of Christianity today, foot washing is very rarely practiced; in defiance of our LORD’s admonition to do for others what HE has already done to us.

LOVE OUR LIFE OR LIVE OUR LIFE?

John 13: 3-

June 28,2009

ONE IN MESSIAH CONVOCATION

PIG’S FEET

I found treasure on the table of handout literature in the “GOD blessed lobby”.

Oasis, a publication of the Tents of Mercy Congregation, had the story of Moshe Morrison growing up in Baltimore. His uncle lived behind their store in a very poor section of town. For sale in the store, among lots of other “soul food”, was pickled pig feet.

How could a Kosher keeping Jew keep in his house and sell such unclean food?

Swine were unclean animals of course, until they were baptized. But more than that—

this unclean animal had clean feet. The cloven hoof was a sign that the CREATOR GOD was having a good laugh at the dilemma of those who kept the Law perfectly.

How could an unclean beast that walked in filth and ate filth, have clean feet?

OR

How could mankind, created in the image of GOD and pronounced “good” , walking upright or even uprightly— have dirty feet?

The disciples had walked with our LORD long enough to be cleansed by the washing of the WORD. No less than the SON of The LIVING GOD gave the church the ordinance of footwashing. No less than the KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS launched the ministry of footwashing by washing the feet of HIS disciples. If anyone refused this ministry of service—they could have no part in THE SON OF MAN.

Filthy pigs with clean feet or clean men with filthy feet,

as the hymn says:

The LORD GOD made us all!

June 25,2009

A VIEW FROM TOP O WORLD

TO DIE LIKE A SOLDIER

I have never been a soldier in the natural so in the natural I don’t know what I am talking about [as usual]. However I do read the newspapers and have had some experience in law enforcement. So, like everyone else, I have an opinion. Let the soldiers who have died in combat judge every word.

In the supernatural, I have had some acquaintance with nearly dead death or “thought I was dead” death. Again—I really don’t know what I am talking about—anymore than does an American soldier who is trained and equipped for war BUT has never been in actual combat. So may someone else be inspired to fight the good fight of faith because they love not their life in the face of death.

I have a good friend who is retired from soldering and has experiencing warfare. He has been led to write a book and compare soldiering in the U.S. military to soldering in the LORD’s army. Perhaps I may prompt him to write the last chapter [on the death of a solder] and send it to be published before he himself goes to meet that “GREAT PUBLISHER” in the sky. After all, he is writing another training manual isn’t he?

To be continued before taps is sounded on the shofar.

June 21,2009

No View From TOP O WORLD

FOG & MIST& SUCH

It is a Sunday, the first day of summer in North America, and Father’s Day in the good old U.S, of A. This is the day that I was told that “The Fryers” would arrive**. At 2AM, I was up looking for them. I was sure that they would come because the prophecy was a sure word—but they were nowhere to be seen. It did not help that the darkness was thick over the mountain, but the real problem was the fog. It looked like the desire of my heart was not going to happen. I began a lament. But on the trip down the mountain—mirth fell on me as the fog had lifted and it was safe to drive the Butterfly Gap road to assemble with the saints.

Have you ever noticed how, supernaturally, fog seems to transform everything? All sound is muffled. Sight is blurred. The air is as cool as the skin of a corpse. The bouquet is a strong earthy odor. Here at T.O.W. there is always woodsmoke on the breeze and around sunrise, the smell of coffee and bacon frying in the pan. It is enough to addle the mind of any intellectual. Everything that was familiar is now distorted. “Distorted” but not “Perverted”. I say that because it is written that The Garden of GOD was watered by a mist—that went up from the earth. Well watered earth. Washed clean each morning from the inside then to the outside.

It is not seen everywhere. Often it is not seen at all. It has to be supernatural too. When the fog [mist] rises into the air, we call it a cloud. When the sun shines behind a cloud, there can be a mini sunrise or sunset. GOD called it HIS bow: the most awesome display of creative beauty in the cosmos. Touching earth on each side and touching heaven in the middle. Or it might be a higher truth to say: Touching you and me and also touching ABBA!!! AS it were—another kind of trinity.

Fog, mist, mirth, butterflies, HIS BOW, beauty; all supernaturally given as a sample of the Heavenly Kingdom.

I meditated on these things till sunset.

Continued on page 2

**doc. of 9-23-08 “FRYERS”

and doc. of 6-13- 09 “A DREAM COMES TRUE”