02 August 2013

A Prayer for my Enemies

Greetings Dear Reader,

First let me say that I do not choose to have any enemies.  I have them but only because they have chosen to be so.  I am commanded to love them.  I think that there are some very wicked people in the world.  I think that evil carries its own pain and punishment.  I also wish none of that on anyone.

We see rants all too often against those with whom we disagree.  We make enemies over political, social, and religious issues without considering that this hinders our capacity to love others.  As a Christ follower I am required to love everyone.  The fewer enemies I make the easier it is to love others.

So how do I practically live out loving those who have chosen to be my enemy?  Those I encounter in my daily life I treat with love, respect, and kindness.  There are very few of these.  For those who hate me just because of my beliefs or lifestyle:  I pray for them. 

The ways in which I do this are simple.  I pray that they will have their needs met.  I ask God to reveal himself to them in a way that lets them see the distance and how to cross it.  I pray that those who they encounter who are Christ followers will leave an indelible positive mark on them. 

I try not to collect enemies.  For those who consider me an enemy know that I love you and care about what happens to you. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

01 August 2013

Second Thoughts - Moon Pie

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

My Grandson Orion loves Moon Pies.  His favorite seems to be banana but he likes chocolate too.  I bring them to him often and he wants to eat them immediately.  Whenever I think of Moon Pies I think of a song by that name as well.  It was created and performed by some musicians I knew over a decade ago.  They are very talented and I often would hum the few lines of the song I knew. 

Tonight one of those musicians gifted me with an MP 3 of the song.  I am listening to it as I write.  This song reminds me of potential and possibility.  I will have to wait until Orion is a little over for him to hear it.  The song, however, reminds me of things that fill me with joy.

It is interesting how the timing of this is so very perfect for my current needs.  I am stuck at a crossroads and not sure where to go.  This music, a gift from my old friend and from God reminds me that I get what I need when I need it.  As the sun sets on my day my heart is filled with joy and wonder and just how much God loves me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Morning Mist

Greetings Dear Reader,

The last couple of mornings there has been a deep mist over the fields outside my window.  It shrouds the grass and corn so that in some areas it seems as if a cloud has descended in the night to nap upon the ground.  I love how the mist swirls and flows with the movement of air and vacillation of temperature.

When driving at this time of morning I truly enjoy watching the sun play on the mist in fields and valleys.  It is a time when I am reminded that the world hides beautiful things with other beautiful things at times.  Things shrouded in the mist can be forgotten but the beauty of the mist is never lost on me.

The mist in its loveliness is temporal and fleeting.  It is magical and mysterious.  If I do not take the time to enjoy it the sun will quickly burn it away and the opportunity will be lost.  I am thankful for the mist of a cool morning and the way in which it reminds me that God is a constant artist in the world.  It also reminds me that he is a constant artist in my life.  For this I am also very thankful. 


Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."


31 July 2013

The Names of God – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize that my thoughts on this matter have not been very deep.  I realize that most of what I share here has been the work of others.  There is a reason for this.  My focus has been on how this impacts me.  When I ponder who God is I am often left awed and speechless.  The former is joyous and the latter is rare.

When they combine I try to just swim with the tide and see where it carries me.  When I review the names that God uses to reveal himself it astonishes me.  This amazing and transcendent God love me.  This unfathomable force wishes some very simple things from me. He wishes me to love him and all those around me. 

When I survey who he is in light of this simple requirement it brings me to great pause.  How can I not trust such infinite power and love with obedience to such simple commands?  How can I sit in judgment of others when I know that God knows the depth of my own failures?  The God who is all these amazing things is who I attempt to follow.  I have so far to go to catch up.  Fortunately he meets me daily right where I am.


Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

30 July 2013

The Names of God – יהושׁע, yehôshûa‛, Jehovah is Salvation - Jesus

Greetings Dear Reader,

Instead of delving into the name by which we know the Messiah I want to ponder for a moment the many titles that we ascribe to Jesus.  Many years ago a dear friend, Allison, created a beautiful piece of art that depicts the names that we give to Jesus.  She gave it to me as a gift at the end of the semester and I still have it. 

I look at it almost daily to remind me of the one I try to follow.  The total list of names and titles for Jesus in the Bible is over 200.  Below is a part of that list.  I think I will let them speak for themselves.  They do for me.

Original Art by Allison Young



Advocate
Almighty
Almighty God
Alpha and Omega
Amen, The
Ancient of Days
Anointed One
Author of Salvation
Begotten
Beloved Son of God
Blessed of God
Bread of Life
Bridegroom
Bright and Morning Star
Chief Cornerstone
Chosen of God
Christ
Comforter
Consolation of Israel
Cornerstone
Counselor
Creator of All Things
Deliverer
Divine Son
Emmanuel
Eternal God
Eternal Head
Eternal Judge
Faithful and True
Finisher of faith
Firstborn
Firstfruits
Forerunner
God
God's Anointed
Good Shepherd
Governor
Great I AM
Head of the Body
Healer
Heir of All Things
Holy One
I AM
Image of God
Immanuel
Jehovah
King
King of Kings
King of Zion/Sion
King of the Jews
Lamb of God
Light of the World
Lion of the Tribe of Judah
Living Stone
Living Water
Lord
Master
Mediator
Messiah
Mighty God
Most High God
Only Begotten of the Father
Our Passover
Physician
Prince of Peace
Prophet
Propitiation for our Sins
Rabbi
Redeemer
Resurrection
Revealer
Righteous Judge
Root of Jesse
Savior of the World
Seed of Abraham
Seed of David
Seed of the Woman
Shepherd
Son of God
Son of Man
Son of Righteousness
Spiritual Rock
True Vine
The Way, the Truth, the life
Wonderful
Word of Life
Word, the
Worthy

This is who I try to follow.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

29 July 2013

The Names of God – יהוה רעה, yehôvâh râ‛âh, Jehovah my Shepherd

Greetings Dear Reader,

Until I began to delve into the word Shepherd I never really knew all the facets of meaning to which David ascribes this title.  Just a few of the uses are helper, feeder, keeper, companion, and friend.

David understood that the God of the Universe was also all these things for him.  He understood that even though from a human perspective things might be different that he would truly never be in want of anything. 

He understood that the LORD who made all things and is everywhere is also personal and has love for him.  He understood that the God he follows will guide, protect, and provide for him. 

Everything about my life should be about this following.  There is nothing I truly need that will not be provided.  There is nothing that can get to me without my Raah allowing it.  He is always with me and promises I will always be with him.

What does this mean in terms of my vocation, life, where I live and what I pursue?  That is still unfolding.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

28 July 2013

The Names of God – The Amen

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the names for God is Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End.  Many years ago I was privileged to hear Dr. S. M. Lockridge preach his sermon on the Lord’s Prayer.  His focus was on who God is.  As I promised earlier here is a link to the heart of that sermon and the accompanying text.  I feel it is a great way to spend seven minutes of your Sunday morning.


 The Bible says my King is a seven-way king
He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king
He's the King of Israel; that's a national King
He's the King of Righteousness
He's the King of the Ages
He's the King of Heaven
He's the King of Glory
He's the King of kings, and He is the Lord of lords. That's my King.
Well....I wonder, do you know Him?

Don’t try to mislead me.  Do you know my King?

David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
My King is a sovereign King.
No means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply.
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.
He's enduringly strong.
He's entirely sincere.
He's eternally steadfast.
He's immortally graceful.
He's imperially powerful.
He's impartially merciful.
That’s my king
Do you know Him?

He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He's God's Son.
He's the sinner's Savior.
He's the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands in the solitude of Himself.
He's august and He's unique.
He's unparalleled.
He's unprecedented.
He is the loftiest idea in literature.
He's the highest personality in philosophy.
He is the supreme problem in higher criticism.
He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
He is the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion.
He's the miracle of the age.
He's -- yes He is -- He is the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.

He is the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Savior.
I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak.
He's available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He strengthens and sustains.
He guards and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleansed the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek.
I wonder if you know Him?

Well, my King....He is the King!
He's the key to knowledge.
He's the wellspring of wisdom.
He's the doorway of deliverance.
He's the pathway of peace.
He's the roadway of righteousness.
He's the highway of holiness.
He's the gateway of glory.
He’s the master of the mighty
He’s captain of the conquerors
He’s the head of the heroes
He’s the leader of the legislators
He’s overseer of the overcomers
He’s the governor of the governors
He’s the price of princes
He’s the king of kings
He’s the LORD of lords

That’s my king
Yes
Yes
That’s my king
Do you know Him?

Well my King, His office is manifold.
His promise is sure
And His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable -- Yes He is!  He is God! 
He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.
I’m trying to tell you that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him
Yet alone a man explain him
Well, you can't get Him out of your mind.
You can't get Him off of your hands.
You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him.

The Pharisees couldn't stand Him,
but they found out they couldn't stop Him.
Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn't kill Him.
Death couldn't handle Him
And the grave couldn't hold Him.
Yea!!!, that's my King, that's my King.

He always has been and he always will be
I’m talking about
He has no predecessor and he has no successor
There was nobody before him and there will be nobody after him
You can’t impeach him and he’s not going to resign

Yes, and Thine is the Kingdom....and the Power....and the Glory
All the power belongs to my King
We talk about black power, and white power, and green power but its God’s power

....Forever....and ever, and ever, and ever -- How long is that? And ever, and ever.
How long is that? 
And when you get through with all of the forevers, then. AMEN!
Good God Almighty!  AMEN!   AMEN!

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

27 July 2013

The Names of God – יהוה נסּי, yehôvâh nissı̂y, Jehovah my Banner

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I was younger I drank way too much coffee.  Understand that I have worked hard to perfect making a good cup of coffee.  I roast my own beans and get the best out of every one of them.  However, when I was younger I consumed too much and made it a priority over other things.

One of my mentors called my circle of coffee consumers “The Brotherhood of Baleful Brewers of the Bitter Black Bean.”  He once cautioned me that enjoying coffee was a good thing but never to make it my banner.  Until I took a full year off from consuming it I did not fully understand his meaning.

We all wave banners.  One learns quickly what peoples’ banners are.  I am defined to others by the banners I wave.  I have a technology banner.  I have food banner.  What I must have and wave and live under is a God banner.  I must, however, not identify with it for my own purposes. 

God sets his banner over his own to love and protect them.  I must not allow my actions to make that banner be soiled.  I must be who I am called to be in Christ and follow the banner where it leads me no matter what the cost.  I must not let minor banners supplant the prominence of the banner that God has placed over me. 

A banner is to be a symbol of my principles.  When others see my banner I should hope that everything they see points them toward God.  It is not thus so I must work to reconstruct what is my banner.  Whether fixed on a hilltop or doorpost it must always reflect that my allegiance is to and my protection is from The Almighty God who IS.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

26 July 2013

The Names of God – אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, I AM

Greetings Dear Reader,

As my dear friend Richard pointed out, one of the names that God gives himself is I AM THAT I AM.  Moses attempts to side step the requirement of God that he return to Egypt to assist in the deliverance of the people of Israel.

Exodus 3:13-14  Then Moses replied to God, "Suppose I go to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"  God answered Moses, "I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: 'I Am has sent me to you.'"  

Many consider that YHWH, or the Tetragrammaton derives from this statement.  In ancient Hebrew “ehyeh” is the first person singular of the verb “to be.”  In the Septuagint it is translated as “I am HE WHO IS (ho on): and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, HE WHO IS (ho on) hath sent me unto you.”

In this simple rendering we find both the eternal and immutable natures of God.  When learning Latin as a boy I remember memorizing the conjugation of the verb “to be.”  The Latin for “I am” is “sum”.  It is also interesting that in Latin this is the verb for complete. 

What all this means for me is that the God I follow is singular.  He is has always been and will always be.  Again he does not need introduction or verification.  He simple is.  He asks me to accept this on faith and I do.  I believe there is an aspect of mysticism to this that I cannot yet comprehend.

The thing that carries me in this thought is the fact that because God is eternal, immutable, and Omni-present there is not a moment in my future where he is not already standing waiting for me to arrive and find him in that moment.  Every moment, like Moses and the burning bush, is a singular moment of holy ground.  If I am to set apart a life to God then I must set it apart in moments.  Each step must be as if I am walking on holy ground and approaching he who IS.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

25 July 2013

The Names of God – יהוה, yehôvâh, Jehovah

Greetings Dear Reader,

The יהוה occurs 6528 in the Bible.  6412 times it is translated as “Lord”  and 108 times as “lord”.  Four times it is translated “god” and four times as “Jehovah”.  The name is first used in Genesis 2:4.  “This is the account of heaven and earth when they were created, at the time when the LORD God made earth and heaven.”  (Jehovah Elohim)  In Exodus 6:3 God explains to Moses “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn't make myself known to them by my name, Jehovah.”  I will get to the significance of this shortly.

In all literature concerning the Hebrew texts there is a common thread.  When searching for a definition of this name there is never a clear one.  Instead there is most often an explanation of the etymology of the word.  Names have meaning and power.  I will say this often during this cycle.  With that in mind what is it about this name that makes it so indefinable?

I think it is that we couple it with other things.  This God of the Bible is unique.  His name is singular in its meaning and rather he defines himself by additional things adjoined to the name.  An example would be Jehovah Shalom or The LORD of Perfect Peace.  I cannot dwell on this without pondering all the ways in which God uses his name to let us know him better.

Who God is must be understood by his attributes.  It must be conceived by the names and offices he holds because of who he is.  I will provide a link and the entire text later down the path but I wish to ponder here a portion of the sermon by the late S.M. Lockridge.  In this sermon he discusses who God is.  I cannot here project the energy with which the following is presented but I benefit from just reading the words.

Well my King,
His office is manifold.
His promise is sure
And His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable -- Yes He is!  He is God! 
He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.
I’m trying to tell you that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him
Yet alone a man explain him
Well, you can't get Him out of your mind.
You can't get Him off of your hands.
You can't out live Him, and you can't live without Him.

So what does this mean to me?  It is significant that God reveals himself by what he does.  He is Jehovah + something.  Well I cannot begin to properly follow God if I do not have at least a limited understanding of who he is.  I cannot know who he is unless I see his attributes in the light of his desire to have a relationship with me.  God is so much more than the harsh and hard judge that so many believe him to be.  I must seek to know him for who he is and not what others represent him to be.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."