Golden Silence

Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.-Psalm 46:10

 

Video for Meditation

 

"If you can't be positive then at least be quiet."  A dear friend of mine posted this quote and Dad has been teaching me this concept and the power of silence at times.  Jesus exercised this so to hear from Dad before being crucified, resurrected and then placed at the right hand of authority (Matthew 26:62-63, 27:12-14).  We also personally know the value of a quiet understanding ear in some times of need as well. 

 

About a year ago I had the honor of ministering to an individual who I learned had family he needed to connect to for both their and his benefit.  I'm convinced if I had pressed him on this along the way that he probably would have been resistant and probably would not have wanted me to visit him anymore.  Instead  I just continued to visit him as a reminder that both Dad and we loved him.  About a year and a half later he reconnected with his family.

 

Before he left the area to reconnect with his family, he shared with us how our unconditional love towards him through our visits allowed him to reconnect and hear from Dad and that Dad and He worked out him reconnecting to his family.  That is being still and knowing Dad is God and trusting and responding to that allowed this man to reconnect to his family and brought honor to Dad since restoration as such is what Dad is all about. 

 

And doing this is simple.  For the best sake of everything we do, we should constantly be in His word so to recognize His voice, pray, take time to LISTEN,  and then do what He tells us to so that He can begin and continue to bless both us and others even more deeply:-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feast or Famine?

At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.-Genesis 12:10

Video for Meditation

 

 

In the above Scripture, famine struck forcing Abram to go to Egypt.  Today many are forced into similar situations due to poverty and such as well.  They are forced to go hungry or to resort to drastic measures to survive.  Some of these individuals are in these situations due to choices they made while others due to no fault of their own.  Whatever the case, we are told by Dad to care for one another and with eternal consequences attached to whether we respond to this or not( Matthew 25:31-46 ).  So what can we do about it?

 

 

The first thing is to pray for those in poverty and ask Dad to open up your eyes and heart to it.  Locally, He may lead you to do something such as included in this link for a homeless person, to pray with and for them and to give them a hug to remind them that both Dad and we love and care for them.  Globally, he may lead you to check out and respond to one of the organizations included in this enclosed link that feeds and does other things to help those in need all around the world. 

 

In the end, whatever you do, do in response to praying, listening, and then doing what He leads you to do so He can begin and continue to bless both you and others even more deeply:-)

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



The Comfort Zone

Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.”-Genesis 5:29 

Video for reflection

 

 

And Dad utilized Noah to provide comfort.  He attempted to deliver it by warning of the impending flood that was about to make the world a little uncomfortable and then delivered the comfortable message that He still loves us by starting the family again through Noah and his family which would eventually lead to big brother Jesus providing the ultimate message of comfort. 

 

He can also use us to provide comfort as well.  This can begin by praying for those who need comfort and asking Him to open your eyes to it.  This could be providing a homeless person with a bottle of water, food, money, a gift card to a restaurant or whatever He leads you to do, praying with and for them, giving them a hug and reminding them Dad loves them and so do we. 

 

It could be looking into organizations such as Samaritans Purse, Foothold International or Bring Love In to help provide comfort for those made uncomfortable by too much water (flooding), lack of clean drinking water or lack of basic family unit to provide water, love, support and other basic essentials. 

 

In the end, whatever Dad may lead you to do, it all begins as Noah did by praying to Him, listening and then doing what He leads you to do to be a modern day deliverer of comfort so He can begin and continue to bless both you and others even more deeply:-)

 

 



 

 

 



To Each His Own

Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood.  No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.-Genesis 4:11-12 


This curse Cain cast upon himself was due to a "to each his own" attitude.  Its this same attitude that has our world in the mess its in today.  Our world consists of 7 billion plus people running around with a to each his own attitude which is why its in the shape it is to include why we have injustice and poverty. 

This approach makes it extremely difficult to discern and exercise truth.  It tells us its okay for those with plenty to have while others are dying of starvation and such for if they just got off their butts and worked they could have as well.  It also tells us things such as the "mark" Dad later placed on Cain in Genesis 4:15 was that He made him a black man and that was his curse(yes I actually had a dear friend of mine who has been a Christian all their life tell me this is what they were taught) rather than it being a mark of love and protection as actually indicated in the Scripture.  Anyone who really knows Dad and His word knows to each his own attitudes as such are not truth or the way He intended things to be.   

So what can be done to get rid of this attitude?  The first thing is to ask Dad to show you how He wants things to be rather than continuing in your own way.  Then you can listen to Him for direction regarding this and avoiding this being your own or someone elses interpretation is the importance of being in His word everyday for yourself so to recognize His voice.  Then finally do what He tells you to do which ultimately revolves around loving Him by loving one another.  In the end this approach makes it HIS own rather than to each his own which is ultimately what our world really needs to become a better place so He can then begin blessing both you and others even more deeply:-) 

Wandering Home

Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood.  No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.-Genesis 4:11-12.

 

 

Music for Meditation

 

One instance of redemption that occurred while doing homeless outreach involved a brother homeless for nearly thirty years.  During the nearly two years of ministering to him his circumstances appeared to never change as he remained homeless and was often drunk as we delivered a bag of food, company, prayer and hope every week. 

 

Once a couple of weeks went by where we didn't see him and when we did once again he said he had been in the hospital due to being beaten and left for dead but fortunately was found and taken to the hospital.  Incidents as such over the last 30 years had left him jaded towards other humans as he was towards us this night as well and he initially didn't want what we usually provided to him.  Having known him for a while now made me bold enough to ask if we had ever mistreated him to which he replied no.  I then smiled at him and told him to take his food which he did and as we talked he relaxed and was once again okay with us.   

 

A week later I ran into him at a gas station and he said he was glad he ran into me as he was leaving town to go reconnect with his family and try to be the dad to his daughter that she deserved.  He also said our visits had provided him with the hope and courage to do so cause it reminded him there were people who still cared and he might have committed suicide along the way otherwise.  We then rejoiced and prayed with him right in the parking lot for his new adventure he was getting ready to embark on.  I haven't seen him since but I believe Dad used our visits to avoid another brother's blood being spilled and to provide his wandering heart with a home. 

 

He can do the same through your actions as well.  This can be accomplished by praying for the poor and homeless, listening to what Dad says and then doing what He leads you to do such as giving physical, mental and spiritual gifts of love when you see them for you never know when He will use your responsiveness to avoid a brother or sister's blood from being spilled and as a reminder that they have a home with a Dad and brothers and sisters who love them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Its in the Bag

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.  About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!-Matthew 14:19-21

In my last post, I shared some simple ways to minister to the poor and homeless in our communities and invited you to have some of these things in your vehicle on a regular basis to hand out when encountering them. 

Another simple gift you could have on hand that is relatively inexpensive and easy to throw together but can have a huge impact are little gift bags I used to hand out when feeding the homeless.  This was comprised of a pack of peanut butter crackers(grain and meat), a bottle of water(hydration), gummies and/or a banana(fruit), a cheese stick(dairy) and a gallon zip lock bag to put it all in.  I also included a love letter from Dad which I have linked above on this site. 

Physically, the contents of this bag provides them with a simple but balanced meal as noted above.  You can also include a $5 gift card to a restaurant for a later meal if desired as well.  Mentally, giving of a gift as such reminds them that Dad and others still love them despite their situation.  And spiritually they can read the love letter and potentially enter into a relationship with Him in response to it.  I personally saw many of these things occur in giving out these bags with the giving out of them being my part and the impact they had being up to Dad. 

So again this is a single and relatively inexpensive gift to be able to put together and have on hand to distribute to the homeless as you encounter them, please feel free to duplicate and utilize the love letter if you want to and thanks for your consideration of this idea so that Dad can begin and continue to bless both you and others even more deeply;-)

Reversing the Curse

Genesis 3:17-19

 

 

This Scripture explains why life is hard sometimes and those living in poverty often struggle more so than others.  Jesus reversed the affects of this of this curse through His death and resurrection but the scales of justice won't be fully balanced until His return.  In the meantime though, we are to be His administers of this justice.  So how can we do this?

 

First by praying for those all over the world who live in poverty and are homeless.  I pray that Dad allows this post to reach many to open up eyes and hearts to those in poverty and motivate hands and feet to do something about what is seen. 

 

Globally, you can google places like Bring Love In out of Ethiopia and explore the different ways you can assist those living in extreme poverty.

 

Locally, the next time you see a homeless person you can offer them a bottle of water, food and/or even a $5 gift card to a restaurant so they can legitimately go in and relax sometimes which is particularly  welcome in extreme hot or cold weather.  You can offer up anything else Dad may lead you to as well and ask to pray with and for them which is rarely turned down.  I would invite you to have some of these items in your vehicle with you regularly so to be able to distribute when encountering a homeless brother or sister and ask Dad to help you start doing it for no other reason than to remind them that He loves them and so do we. 

 

If after reading this you begin to see more those impoverished and are led to respond to what you see, please share here to encourage others to do the same so that Dad can begin and continue to bless both us and others even more deeply:-) 





 

 



 

Heaven on Earth

Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.  Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some EQUALITY.  Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be EQUAL.  As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over,  and those who gathered only a little had enough.”-2 Corinthians 8:12-15

What?  Was Paul a socialist?  No!  He was a GENUINE follower of Christ in that he both got and did what Dad in the Old Testament, big brother Jesus in the New and their Holy Spirit of his time told him to do which is love Dad by loving one another and Scripture such as Acts 4:32-35 and specifically verse 34 tells us what can happen if we do it as well. 

If we as modern day spiritual Israel would grasp this today the temple we are supposed to be building for Dad and one another on earth would look as He instructed us to and He would come and fully dwell amongst us as He did when physical Israel followed and completed it in the Old Testament.  Instead, we are building are shrine to self gratification and the pursuit of "happiness" in the form of things, things, and more things.  The Constitution our earthly founding fathers wrote may have guaranteed this but the Bible our real Dad wrote did not.  If we follow His instructions as such He guarantees us everything we need but not necessarily everything we want. 

Yes, Paul said those who don't work won't eat.  Unfortunately though, this is a sad reality about the fallen sinful nature of humanity as it is a reality of our world since many all over the world work hard everyday and still don't have everything they need and you can talk to people like my wife Liz, sister Jaime Glandon and myself sometime if you dare and continue to doubt this.

Truth is, hard work alone doesn't make our world better or fair but submitting to, listening to and then doing what Dad tells us to do does.  Our world doesn't need more things, work or education.  What it needs is Dad's children to start acting like it and carrying out what they profess to believe. 

In the end, particularly to those who profess to be children of Dad and brothers and sisters to Jesus, if you want Jesus to return and restore things as they should be, then its time to get off our self-satisfied duffs and make both the temples of self and earth worthy of His return by loving Dad and one another and not just in word but in deed.

Thanks and though this may have been a bit harsh to swallow, its motivated by love for Dad and one another so He can bless all of us even more richly:-)

Father, Son Time

Creation reflects Dad-Romans 1:20

I run the distance of a 5k about 4 days a week for exercise, am blessed to live in a place where I can run around a beautiful lake in the woods as my path and I do this for leisure as well as to keep my self in shape physically, mentally and spiritually.  The physical part is self explanatory.  Mentally, doing this, allows me to empty my mind of the busyness life throws at it everyday and capture my thoughts on things of Dad.

And then there is the spiritual side.....

While I run which takes me anywhere from 20-25 minutes to do, I am talking (aka praying;-) to Dad about people and things going on in my life on a regular basis.  When done running, I sit on this concrete bench available and meditate on the scene of the lake and woods for a bit and it is here that I "see" and have an awesome encounter with Dad's trinity personality through creation. 

As I take in the sky, Dad reminds me of how He is my shield of protection on a regular basis just like He was for my ancestors during their rescue from Egypt.  This also reminds me of how He conceived us and later on, big brother Jesus out of His love for us (John 3:16). 

Depending on the weather, it is usually either cloudy or sunny.  Either way, in this I encounter big brother Jesus and am reminded of how He is a reflection of Dad.  If it is sunny, it reminds me of how He is the light of the world and the reason we can know and, as a result, "see" Dad or as He put it, "whoever has seen me has seen the Father."  And even if it is cloudy, His light is so bright that I can still see everything around me which is evidence of both Dad's and His presence even though I can't see His face of which the sun is symbolic of.

And then there is His/their Holy Spirit.  It is the very air I breathe in and out and I can even see it on certain cold mornings.  I view it in the mornings either through a fog that floats across the lake on certain mornings or in the reflection off the water on other mornings.

 As I view the lake, I am reminded of all the both life and messy chaos that exists just below the surface of the water and yet the water remains calm.  It is in this that Dad reminds that His spirit floats around and in the chaos of the world we live in everyday.  He reminds though not to fear or become paralyzed by it, but to keep living within it and charging it head on for He has overcome the world, greater is He who is in me than in the world. 

If you are like me and can imagine the refueling that goes on during this time with Dad, then you understand why I do it.  Given that, I encourage you to do the same. 

You can do this through either running, walking, or some other form of Father/Child time with Dad.  Give yourself about 20-30 minutes a day with Dad, talk, and then be still and listen as He reminds you that He is Dad. 

You can also do this through napping during the day or sleeping at night.  Before you do either, ask Dad to help you rest, invite Him into your dreams to love and enjoy you, to protect you from the enemy as you do so and then to help you remember and interpret everything He wants you to.  If you do this with a sincere heart wanting to encounter Him, He will show up.

If this sharing of my time with Dad inspired you in some way and/or you try some or any of this and encounter Dad yourself, or if you have another way you encounter Him that might be useful to someone else, share it with us here.  With that, thanks, and may Dad continue to bless us all richly!

 

My "Theology"

You are my son whom I love and in you I am well pleased!  Love, Dad

God has been revealing to me over the last few years that He is my firm, but loving, Dad and everyone around me, including you;-) are my brothers and sisters.  This, in all its simplicity, is my "theology," the lens through which I view the world I live in and through which I will share through this blog.

As a result of this view, I am excited to see who all Dad continues to use me to reach through things such as this blog.  For those Dad may lead to read this who think they are okay without Him, He loves you too and could use this to reveal that to you.

I suspect though those who will really enjoy this blog the most are those who know their lives are broken and not as they should be or at least are suspicious of it;-).  Truth is, to one degree or another, all our lives are broken and Dad is the only one that can properly piece (or peace;-) it all back together the way it was intended to be. 

This blog is dedicated to those who know they are broken and are tired of the version of God religion has fed us for years and want to exchange it for a genuine, intimate and , as a result, often messy relationship with Dad and others.  My Dad, our Dad, is alive and well and my daily experiences with Him combined with the history book He provided me of my ancestors experiences with Him (The Bible) is proof of that.

It is through this theology or lens that this blog will be shared.  Yes, this is the "kool-aid" this stand is offering, the scandolously sweet drink I ingest nonstop everyday (John 4:13-14), and the kind this blog is inviting you to try as well.  Thanks and may Dad continue to bless you all richly! 

Homesickness

Living is for Dad and dying is even better.I’m torn between longing to be with Dad,which would be far better for ME.But for the world's sake,perhaps its better that I continue to live.Knowing this,I am convinced I will remain alive to continue to help advance Dad's kingdom so that it may grow and the world can experience His joy!.....Philippians 1:21-25

Music for meditation on homesickness

My heart is not always perfect, but it is always in Heaven.  When Dad’s children were feeling homesick in the Bible, they often lamented it through psalms that started off expressing what was really going on in their heart and then through that genuine expression, Dad would do what He does best by listening and understanding and through that love, inevitably drawing them back around to Him.  That is how this blog post, psalm if you will, is going to serve. 

The world is a liar like its current father Satan that it serves.  It told me I could do anything I wanted and as long as I worked hard I’d be rewarded.  The truth is I can do anything I want so long as it is something worth doing through its eyes and although it will stop just short of completely dictating  my decision if I choose otherwise, it will still make it harder than “hell” if I do. 

Much of the “Christian” world has quoted Dad at me for years in telling me to live my life for Him with all my heart, body, mind, and soul.  However, I can’t do it on “their” turf unless I have the right background, theology, and attended the right school.  As one of my brothers recently put it quite well, as long as I’m willing to drink their Kool-Aid, then I’m acceptable. 

The irony here is if I conformed to acting as the world wants me to, I would hate it for it continuously pisses on those genuinely seeking Dad and even lacks the courtesy to call it rain, and so in being its child, his child, Satan’s child, I would simply return the favor. 

But I am Dad’s child!  And because He loves the world, I too, by His grace, will continue to persevere and do the same.  He revealed through big brother Jesus that we will suffer at the hands of this world, but to stay strong, for Jesus overcame and, in the end, will completely overcome the world!

In being Dad’s child, I have a role to play in this eventual redemption and it is through His strength, fueled by an every growing deep-seeded love for both Him and my other brothers and sisters who are simply caught up in the chaos of this world as I am, that I will never say die until Dad does, and push on!

Being able to have the freedom to express myself as such doesn’t make me proud to be an American or any other nationality for that matter, but rather a child of Dad’s who has shown mercy on me by freeing me from the shackles of this world.  There is still more freeing to be done both in my life and the lives of my other brothers and sisters, but I firmly believe Dad will see through to completion, the good work He has started in us all.

With that, if I am crucified by the world for writing this, then so be it, for big brother Jesus was also (John 7:7).  However, if you are reading this and it resonates with you, know that you are who Dad inspired me to write this for, I am constantly praying for you and would appreciate you doing the same, thanks, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!

A Eulogy for Gary

Look! Dad has moved into our neighborhood, making his home with us!  We are his children and He is Dad! He'll wipe every tear from our eyes!  Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, PAIN GONE—all the first order of things gone!.....Revelation 21:3-4

Tribute Video

A homeless brother of ours named Gary recently passed away.  A sister of ours named Patricia recently had breakfast with him at Hometown Buffet cause, “you can eat all day there!”  Our brother lived in the woods for years, broken and hurt.  He tried to assimilate into society but because of the pain inside of him, he just couldn’t.  Did he jump into the river or fall?.....Either way, our hearts are hurting and we will miss him. 

If you are reading this, we ask that you pray for the loved ones left behind including all of us, his brothers and sisters.  We also ask that you pray for his wife Jesse who is developmentally delayed and in potential danger of her family selling her for drugs.  Yes, this is a real danger and as Patricia prayed last evening when we found out, we ask Dad to have mercy on us regarding any inaction on our parts we could have taken to prevent tragedies as such that occur in multiple fashion, all over the world, every day, right in front of our eyes. 

A while back, I had someone close to me depart this world in similar fashion.  Dad has since confirmed to me that her pain is gone as she is safely in His arms now.  This personal experience I had combined with the promises captured in the above Scripture and tribute video convince me that is where Gary is also.  And even though only Dad and he know for sure, I would rather error on the side of mercy rather than evil (Matthew 9:1-8) and would ask that in praying for this situation that you would allow Dad to lead you to do the same. 

This concludes the eulogy Dad inspired me to write for Gary, please continue to pray for this situation as He prompts you to, and may He continue to bless you all richly!

Communion at the Blue House

Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."  He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.".....Luke 22:19-20

When partaking of communion with other brothers and sisters, the elements used aren’t as important as taking it in the spirit of remembering big brother Jesus and what He did for us all on the cross. 

And it is in this spirit that my son Christian, Jaime’s son Cole, our sister Jennifer, brother Danny and I took of it together at the blue house the evening of 6-23-11.  In that spirit, by Dad’s Holy Spirit, we gave thanks, broke a loaf of Italian bread, passed around a batch of grapes, and then prayed together in commemorating big brother Jesus, by the power of Sarayu (the Holy Spirit via the Shack), for Dad’s glory…..and it was awesome!

If this sounds appealing to you, come join us on Thursday evenings to see how we roll, don’t feel like you have to come out every time if you can only do it sometimes, continued prayer is appreciated, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!



Getting High at the Blue House



This is exactly what four of us did on the evening of June 16, 2011.  It involved my sister Jaime and I and our brother Danny and sister Jennifer.  We discussed, amongst other things, Matthew 17:24-27 and how we wanted big brother Jesus to give us direction for provision concerning current matters in our lives.  We then commenced in family prayer concerning this.

During this family time, Dad gave me a vision of a pile of His spiritual cocaine in the middle of our prayer circle and told me to blow on it.  When I did, particles of the pile dispersed to all of us in the room.  At that moment, Jennifer thanked Dad for the in-filling she just received, Danny uttered an eloquently fluid prayer over a matter in his life, and Jaime both prayed and wept over us all.  It was beautiful for at that moment, we had all experienced a Holy Spirit high, and it was awesome!

If this experience sounds amazing to you, come join us this upcoming Thursday evening when we are going to enjoy communion together, don’t feel like you have to come out all the time if you can only do it sometimes, thanks for continued prayer, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!

A Little Slice of Heaven

I was caught up in Heaven. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only Dad knows.....2 Corinthians 12:2



A nice Sunday afternoon nap was the occasion for the vision/dream I am about to share.  Within the vision, I woke up from the nap with tunnel vision, got up, and began frantically searching for something of which I had no idea what it was, and in the end all I found was exhaustion. 

Standing there exhausted, Dad asked me what I was looking for, to which I had to admit I had no idea.  At that moment of confession, the tunnel vision disappeared and our current home where I was instantly transformed to the house I grew up in.  From the middle of the living room, I glanced over my left shoulder to the front screen door and suddenly had a desire to leap through it, a thought I believed was only known to me.   However, Dad invited me to go for it, to which I responded.  The door served as a portal for I leaped through it from one dimension to another as I went from leaping to floating to the awaiting ground outside.

Once outside, the place I was now in had a sense of peace all about it and I felt the most peaceful I had ever personally felt.  I was then surrounded by a host of friendly individuals and the encounter can best be described as something out of the Wizard of Oz.  Everyone warmly greeted me and I simultaneously couldn’t visually identify them and yet felt safe around them as if I’d known them all my life.  I am convinced they were loved ones who have passed on and that my earthly vision couldn’t capture what they look like in Heaven now.  They accompanied me down the path, carrying on friendly chatter with me all the way, until we arrived at a building that looked very similar to the one pictured above. 

When we arrived at the building, I glanced in one of the doors and saw an individual inside.  When I asked who it was, they told me this was a church and the man inside was the assistant pastor.  I then asked about the main pastor, to which they told me he had to run an errand, would be back shortly, and his name was Herschel Holley, my father-in-law who passed away in January 2008. 

Needless to say, I was elated to finally soon be encountering someone I finally both knew and, as I sensed, would be able to identify.  As I anticipated him coming around a bend to the building though, Dad calmly told me it was time to go.  He didn’t force me to depart though, but simply suggested it, and even though it was extremely tempting to stay in what was no doubt to me, Heaven, I knew I couldn’t stay.  I then turned to face Dad, and that is when I awoke. 

As the apostle Paul declared similarly in the Scripture above, I don’t know if this was a dream, reality, or a combination of both.  My own personal relationship with Dad has me steering towards the latter explanation and that there isn’t much of a difference.  In any case, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I’ll leave interpretation between Sarayu (aka the Holy Spirit in the book The Shack) and you.  In sharing this story with my wife, she told me not to be leaving her anytime soon.  I take this as an indicator she and I both believe I experienced in some shape, form, or fashion, a little slice of Heaven. 

This encounter happened a while back, but the picture above prompted me to share it now.  As I previously mentioned, it is a similar depiction of the church building in my vision.  It is also a church my wife took a picture of while on her last mission trip to Ethiopia.  With that, hope you enjoy reading this, share as led to, thanks, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!

Sheep or Goat?

Matthew 25:31-46

Was looking through some of my wife’s pics from Ethiopia when I came across this particular one that Dad spoke to me about.  My wife described images as such as “Hell on Earth” and another of the Ethiopian crew who overheard this and thinks we overuse the term Hell to often depict “sufferings” in our own lives, nonetheless agreed, and I agree with them both. 

This IS an image of Hell on Earth!  There are roughly 75,000 of our brothers and sisters, adult and children, who eek their survival out of this Hell every day, and it’s only fitting that goats are portrayed at the top of the pile with, ironically, a black one located at what appears to be the top center of this Hell heap, looking directly at the camera at the time of this pic, almost as if he knows what’s at stake. 

Why is it fitting you might ask?  Because of whom big brother Jesus said the goats are in the Scripture above.  The goats are the ones who extend only themselves and others like them (ie: American, willing to work, white, etc.) food to eat, something to drink, hospitality, clothing, medicine, etc.  In other words, they only extend Dad’s love to those who are like them. 

If you are reading this and feel this implies you may be a goat, I didn’t imply it, you did, I didn’t say it directly to you, Dad did, and in the end, it is Him you need to hash this out with, for these were His words, not mine.  As His son, I just happen to agree. 

Dad didn’t prompt me to share this to condemn you though, but to save you, so please take the time to discuss this further with Him to see what changes He may be prompting you to make, and then make them.  Ask Him to help you make them not out of guilt, but love for Him, yourself, and the rest of our family currently at the mercy of the goats of the world.  With that, we love you and so does He, and may He continue to bless you, and through you the rest of the world, richly! 

Messy Spirituality

Relationships are a whole lot messier than rules, but rules will never give you answers to the deep questions of your heart.....and they will never love you.....Sarayu from the Shack

The depth of truth contained within the above quote is why I am Dad’s son, Liz’s husband, and why we and others of our sisters and brothers such as Jaime Glandon and Lee Bower continue to GO!.....to the blue house…..and beyond!

May Dad continue to bless you all richly!

Hope Delivered!

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of Dad and big brother Jesus. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.....Revelation 22:1-2

The Ethiopian crew is all back safe and sound.....thanks for all your prayers which were the asphault that paved the way.....and praise Dad and may He continue to bless you all richly:-)

With that, if you are reading this and either aren’t in a relationship with Dad or aren’t sure of the status of your relationship, please click here, read, reflect, and respond as led to.  If you have any questions, comments, or need more info concerning anything here or on the site, please respond either here, via email, or on face book privately or publicly.  If you make any decisions in response to anything in this article or the site, please feel free to share as led to.  With that, may Dad continue to bless you all richly!

 

All Excuses are Off!

Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.  I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.  Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’…..Matthew 25:24-30

These are Dad’s words, not ours, but we will keep singing this song Until The Whole World Hears…..and reacts!

The following is an email I recently received from my wife in Ethiopia:

Just wanted to update you all on the Korah Dump Trip. Korah is a Hebrew word for Cursed. There are currently 75,000 people living in this community - most are descendants of lepers that were forced out by family and society due to their disease. There is such a horrible odor from the dump that when the Korah people go into Addis to look for work they are rejected b/c of their smell. The children try to go to school but are called bad words by the teachers because of their odor - so the children just don't go back. We have met two young men while we are here that were two of nine children randomly picked from the dump and sent to boarding school. Yemamu has bachelor's degree in business and is now going back to Korah to start an organization. He has all of the government licenses and is required to do monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for accountability. He is only 25 years old - but has a glowing testimony of how Jesus changed his life. We watched a documentary that was produced about life in Korah - it is difficult to watch children eat food right off the top of the garbage heap - but it is necessary to understand what their lives are about - Drew is working with Yemamu, hopefully, to produce the film in English - Unfortunately, many "Christian" organizations are raising money for Korah - but the money never gets to the dump. There is more corruption than I could imagine. We have a lot of confidence in these young men - their families still live in the community around the dump. I will share more when I get home - but wanted my family to start praying. My life will never be the same - and I know that I am to respond in some way - please pray that God will be clear in what ways that will be. We met a man that lost his fingers to leprosy (sp?) yesterday - he weaves door mats at the hospital to earn money - these folks do NOT ask for handouts - they ask for a chance to earn money - their dignity blows me away. So please begin to pray with me. Love you all - can't wait to get home.

Circumstances as such are completely unacceptable and fall squarely on the shoulders of us as the professing body of Christ as Dad declared in the enclosed blog I shared a while back.  And because He has fully equipped us to address the problem as presented in this other enclosed blog, we will be without excuse and in the words of Lucy’s husband, “have some explaining to do”, if this situation is still the same when big brother Jesus returns.   Finally, Dad equipping us to address the issue of poverty all over the world exposes both our greed wrapped up in extreme capitalism and the fact that emails suggesting that we only take care of people in our own back yard are ignorant.  Dad has equipped us to address it all and the entire world is our backyard!   

With that, please and absorb the enclosed info, pass on as led to, pray and listen to Dad, and then do what He lays on your heart to do in response.  With that, may He continue to bless us all, His whole world, richly!

Pics from Ethiopia

Was supposed to share these through Delivering Hope but am currently in Pike County Ohio and forgot the info to get into the site so this is my attempt to share what pics I've seen so far through this site.  Hope everyone can see them okay, enjoy, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!

 Drew and Jaime with some of our Ethiopian family

 Cole in Ethiopia

A mother and her child that our sister Gretchen gave some candy to

 Jaime with one of our Ethiopian brothers

 The groom of the Ethiopian wedding they attended

The bride