Retaining Innocence

The flashpoint, ground zero, is this grand drama of the cross,

The innocence of God exposed, naked, to the depths of our loss.

That all the intentionality of hell was focused here

Where hell was convinced it had won, was a mere

Part of His plan to multiply our peace and glory!

From the most hopeless of all nights with no dicernable victory

The way of mercy for sinners is discovered here

Where he put an end to our slavery and servitude to fear.

A conflagration of love has destroyed death's claim.

No one who has trusted in Him can ever be put to shame,

For on the immovable, exalted Rock of His Word they stand,

Their very vulnerability, protected, by His personal fulfillment of His own demand!

The light of His glory is of loving servitude.

Gracious surrender our image too, fashioned in the interlude,

The time it takes to grow in relationship with Him as King.

Those whom He loves, He lifts up to His throne on wings.

Any not driven by the need to know Him well

Will be abandoned to inconsolable devastation of their self created hell.

The One who created all and then gave all is qualified the judge of all

To elicit fervent self sacrificial giving, when we recall

We, who are His body are considered dead to the lies.

All calling to accountability for our crimes, with Him, dies.

Then sent forth in freedom bearing that innocence of God,

For that dance of wisdom and innocence in us, is no mere facade.

Only the Lord of Glory has gathered the wisdom of the ages,

Yet retains His joy in mercy, His innocence, which is contagious!

Second Passover

Celebration of the Passover the dinner party of the King!

30 Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem to observe the Passover of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his officials and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover of the Lord in the second month, 3 because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves and the people hadn’t been gathered together in Jerusalem. 4 The proposal pleased the king and the congregation, 5 so they affirmed the proposal and spread the message throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, to come to observe the Passover of Yahweh, the God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they hadn’t observed it often,[a] as prescribed.[b]

6 So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his officials, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Israelites, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped from the grasp of the kings of Assyria. 7 Don’t be like your fathers and your brothers who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors so that He made them an object of horror as you yourselves see. 8 Don’t become obstinate[c] now like your fathers did. Give your allegiance[d] to Yahweh, and come to His sanctuary that He has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God so that He may turn His burning anger away from you, 9 for when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10 The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants[e] laughed at them and mocked them. 11 But some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them[f] to carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord.

13 A very large assembly of people was gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They proceeded to take away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple. 16 They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites, 17 for there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, and so the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the Lord. 18 A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—were ritually unclean, yet they had eaten the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah had interceded for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement on behalf of 19 whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God, Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, even though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” 20 So the Lordheard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day after day with loud instruments. 22 Then Hezekiah encouraged[g] all the Levites who performed skillfully before the Lord. They ate at the appointed festival for seven days, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

23 The whole congregation decided to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy, 24 for Hezekiah king of Judah contributed 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the congregation. Also, the officials contributed 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep for the congregation, and many priests consecrated themselves. 25 Then the whole assembly of Judah with the priests and Levites, the whole assembly that came from Israel, the foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and those who were living in Judah, rejoiced. 26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this was known since the days of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.

27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.

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Isaiah 62

62 I will not keep silent because of Zion,
and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem,
until her righteousness shines like a bright light
and her salvation, like a flaming torch.
2 Nations will see your righteousness
and all kings, your glory.
You will be called by a new name
that the Lord’s mouth will announce.
3 You will be a glorious crown in the Lord’s hand,
and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.
4 You will no longer be called Deserted,
and your land will not be called Desolate;
instead, you will be called My Delight is in Her,[a]
and your land Married;[b]
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land will be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so your sons will marry you;

and as a groom rejoices[c] over his bride,

so your God will rejoice over you.

Jerusalem,I have appointed watchmen on your walls;

they will never be silent, day or night.
There is no rest for you,
who remind the Lord.
7 Do not give Him rest
until He establishes and makes Jerusalem
the praise of the earth.

8 The Lord has sworn with His right hand
and His strong arm:

I will no longer give your grain

to your enemies for food,
and foreigners will not drink your new wine
you have labored for.
9 For those who gather grain will eat it
and praise the Lord,
and those who harvest the grapes will drink the wine
in My holy courts.

10 Go out, go out through the gates;

prepare a way for the people!

Build it up, build up the highway;

clear away the stones!
Raise a banner for the peoples.
11 Look, the Lord has proclaimed
to the ends of the earth,
“Say to Daughter Zion:
Look, your salvation is coming,
His reward is with Him,
and His gifts accompany Him.”
12 And they will be called[d] the Holy People
the Lord’s Redeemed;

and you will be called Cared For,

A City Not Deserted.

True Seeing.....

My badge is number seventeen. It was the seventeenth day of the month that the door was closed on the ark, by God, Himself. It was the seventeenth day of the month that the ark came to rest in the mountains of Ararat. Israel came through the Red Sea on the seventeenth day of Nissan. After Israel crossed the Jordan, they first ate of it's grain on the seventeenth day of the same month. Ester and her kin were delivered from their enemy on the seventeenth, the day Haman was hung on his own gallows. The most important seventeenth is the one that the Messiah rose from the dead on, giving His kin the sign of Jonah....

You whose eyes are veiled, will you not yet choose to see? The knowledge is directly in front of you! Will you not choose to understand? It is your turn to comprehend His mysteries, not just receive the revelations. Will you respond with faith, to take Him at His Word? Will you surrender to Him what pleases Him? The seventeenth is your day to awaken from the dead! Do not be afraid of any fire or flood, for the Lord will defend you! Give glory to your Lord, for He is there for you!

We are now in the seventh day! Six millennium are over and past! This is the time for Messiah to begin His reign! Accurate seeing will come to your sons. Watch for the 17th of the month, for then the reins will be given to you.

There was a story, of a bride, living in her Husband's house, who had never yet seen Him. She was told He was a horrible monster. She saw His tender care, and declared that she was unafriad, that she loved Him, and even longed for Him. This particular bride loved art. Against the advice of those surrounding her, she painted a picture of what she knew of Him, what she really saw Him as. She knew that being able to make a picture, to repeat and represent another's form, meant that you had to truly SEE them. In response to her faith, the curse on her eyes was broken, and she could see her husband beside her for the first time!

Fullness of the Gentiles is the TIMING

Romans 11:25Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

25 So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Luke 14:23-24 (Message)

“The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’”

His dinner party will start on schedule......

Luke 21:24
(Jews)They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Ephesians 1:9-12Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him 10 for the administration[a] of the days of fulfillment[b]—to bring everything together in the 
Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.

11 We have also received an inheritance[c] in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.

Mark 13:33
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Luke 12:56
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

Romans 13:11
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

To the Diligent Searcher for Meaning

"Whoever shall call on The Name of the Lord shall be saved."

If you ask "Why? For the terrible trial?", He will tell you, "I Am here; Still here! Will you not recognize the face of your Redeemer?" You are being delivered, and MIGHTY is the One who delivers you! Find your freedom in the praising of the excellence of the Lord! Find your joy in the expressions of His Love! Find your voice, bursting out in song, from the gratitude that wells up in response to His presence! Do not consent to the slavery which forbids the full expression of exuberant participation! Shed shame like a soiled garment. Put on His garment of light! Step up into the high office of His calling! Feel the glory of KNOWING HIM. He is right there next to you, for the speaking of His Name!

1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

The Wounded Warrior

"Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war."

Wisdom seems to dictate that we do what we can to avoid pain and suffering. After all, there is something to be said for surviving to live another day. Along with what seems obvious, is the assumption, unaware and unavoidable, that there must be something wrong with the one who is suffering. We deem them "smitten of God." They MUST deserve what is happening to them.

The laws of the world are to be obeyed. Violators are punished. Conformity is assured. That's just the way it is, right? Keep emotion out of it, don't even look at it, or it will break you, will drive you insane.

For the strong, suffering has turned into a gift. They gained their very strength in the fight, for courage has found it's anchor, and faith the meaning for it's being. In the lowest pit of hell, Love has arrived. Walls are broken down, locked gates are blown wide open, with the impact of His arrival! Pain has conferred an inevitable grip on an awareness of His beauty and inestimable value! Who He Is enters into us, remakes us, and inflames us with His passion! As strong as that sorrow feels, His joy is mightier, all consuming! He creates in us the capacity for the feeling of it! Violence and fear used by the enemy to break us and control us, is now the creative energy that He already authorized! Our very wound is now known to be the catalyst that fires our change into His image, victorious in His joy! We have been trained in how to exercise joy!

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:17

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 

"If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!"