Rev. 1:3 UTTERLY BLESSED

Today, I'll take time not only to review my readings for today but also go back and get Rev. 1:3, remind myself of the BLESSING that comes along with merely the reading and heeding of this book. I'd forgotten!

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand."

Scary Scrolls?

It's not just a book with some scary things in it, as some people think the book of Revelation is. It tells me a lot of things about what Jesus Christ is like, what God wants us to be like, and what He will do for us...and what I'm looking forward to most, the thing I can hold onto most--how do you say it--the "bottom line," the "When you get right down to it," kind of like Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon? How'd that get there? Oh--Solomon--because he was the wise one who wrote Ecclesiastes), but actually showing how it all ends up: the "final episode," so to speak.

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" is the OT forecast. In Revelation, we see God actually judging every single individual who will find he has no place to hide.

But that "judgment" perspective is only for those who have a judge--plaintiff relationship with God. It shows if you're more interest in how smart and successful you are--Solomon wrote those books, after all. But for those who are children of the King, Revelation should be very different--but too bad it's not. Most Christians think that Revelation's frightening "book reviews of the unregenerate" is for them too. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Throughout the Bible, the Potentate of the Universe has been bending Himself down to express His infinite Father-love to His Own through the most Precious Way Possible: the Gift of His Lifeblood in Jesus Christ.

This is His Ultimate Revelation of Himself to His own Children. It is His Seal of Faithful Love, not a Horror Film, as the Unsaved think it is! Well, it probably would be, for them! Do we notice the little alerts God gives to us...for example, Ecclesiastes may've been written by Solomon, but GOD CHOSE JOHN, known as the disciple of love, to pen the book of Revelation. It seems to me He wanted to communicate a special message of endearment, to speak through this last book of the Bible.

Father, today, OPEN THE HEART-EYES OF YOUR CHILDREN more fully to what YOU would have us see, to have us want to see more and be more blessed! O Lord, I know this is in line with what You desire as well...in Jesus' blessed Name, Amen!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

Something came back to me from DECADES ago. It's a snatch from a dream, only a few seconds long, if even that long. Daddy was alive then, and I was still single.

I was running away from something, and I saw Daddy up front. I ran in behind him, and he didn't know what was chasing me, just knew I was being threatened by something. He stepped fully facing whatever it was, almost announcing, "Nothing is going to hurt my daughter." and I felt utterly safe. I woke up then.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

That, I think, is a little what Revelation should do to us. It should let us hear a voice booming from Heaven, "NOTHING TOUCHES MY CREATION ANYMORE!" And any of us who are His and have groaned in a broken world until now can know He will make all things right.

Rev. 3:2 READY TO DIE

 ”Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die;" (Rev. 3:2)

"Ah...leave that be...it looks as good as dead...wait! There's some movement! It's alive! "

I was taking a walk right after the rainstorm let up, looking for blooms that might've survived the horrible pelting.

A little yellow flower near the wooden bridge had been spared most of the rain. But it was apparent the terrible dry spell right before the rain had nearly killed it anyway, as could be seen by some of the translucent bare spots. Clearly, it had been ready to curl up into a yellow wrinkle and die. But moisture from the thundershower had seeped back into its veins, and the movement I detected was the unfurling petals of a charming golden star on a dark green canopy.

God is so very kind, I remember thinking to myself, one little flower, and He made sure it got the water it needed. There was another evening and other flowers that came to memory. It wasn't the flowers' needs then, but mine...and my sister Joyce's.

We'd just come home after my stepmother's funeral activities--it had actually started in the morning, fellowshipping with believers at church; we went on to crematorium exercises with unsaved relatives; and there were meals in between, as well as the gravesite programs. Anyway, I think Joyce and I both felt like we could die--we were bone tired physically, emotionally, spiritually--by the time we came home that evening. 

I don't remember much of anything. We walked into the house; I think we locked the door; and fell asleep (I was on the floor). We'd brought home some potted flowers and set them down at the end table. I realized when waking up its reflective quality had been like a night light for us, dead to the world for hours.

Little wilted flower after a thundershower or two exhausted females after a funeral...it's so good to know our Heavenly Father never slumbers nor sleeps; and He gives us extra grace to pass on strength to others!

Rev. 5:2, 12 WHO IS WORTHY?

 "Who is worthy to open the scroll" (Rev. 5:2)

No doubt Christians have been exasperated. From the street, this church building doesn't seem to be "New Age" or bear the hallmark "Brotherly Love" signs with emphases on global brotherhood that shun actual cornerstones of faith: repentance of sin and washing in the blood. No, this church boasts a cross and preaches Christ as being the only way of salvation, the Bible as being man's guidebook for all of life. It looks good--yes!

But perhaps personal separation standards at that assembly keep you off balance. Or you manage to find a place that you feel comfortable with even that; but the way the people view other ethnic groups/financial or educational backgrounds just doesn't feel right. Even if the church is OK with all of that, well, handling of finances, church hierarchy, power play is a strong undercurrent here--yuck. Other places free of that still battle with female roles, neglect of missions/family. SOMETHING is wrong. As they say, "You're never going to find a perfect church."

In the same way, you're never going to find a perfect pastor. There must be sheep all over the place who thought they found godly leadership where they could settle down and relax, being fed spiritual truth...then shockingly realized there are only redeemed SINNERS around them! Who is worthy to open the Word of God to them and care for their souls? It seems somewhere, somehow, something is lacking in everyone they find.

Perhaps that's it. We need to see, as it says in verse 4, there is no man who is worthy, and our expectation must be set, as we are told in verse 5, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus, the Son of Man, is the ONLY ONE worthy. Altho' today, the qualities like confidence and competence and praised--Jesus, altho' He really was a lion, as we were just told, appeared to us as a harmless, approachable lamb.

If Jesus had hung up on the cross then growled like a lion, I don't think I would've dared near the cross or ask for pardon. But Jesus knew even criminals wouldn't hesitate to listen to a lamb's baa and reach out to stroke it. He let us think it was something good in our hearts, but He'd programmed that urge in our hearts to make it easier for us to reach out for His goodness! That is the wise humility of Calvary.

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. 5:12)

Rev. 13:6 MALFUNCTIONING MOUTH

 "And he opened his mouth" (Rev. 13:6)

Let us imagine a boy anticipating a fully functioning piece of incredible technology as he switches it on. He has been working on it for some time. But instead of just serving its purpose, it turns to the scientific prodigy and lets him know he has no more use of him. He is, after all, fully automatic so can think for, regenerate, repair, improve himself with no outside help, and, in fact, will one day soon become the Controller of all functioning things. He also sees no need for aspects like love, beauty, character; they complicate matters. It seems almost reasonable that the self-determination chip installed in this formerly considered "marvel" would be declared faulty and need to be removed and rewritten before being reinserted or could be hazardous.

"and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name," (Rev. 13:6）

I know a creation that goes around claiming he is his own person and no one can tell him how to live. When his circuits hiccup, he spouts, "Oh my God" or "OMG". Altho' once pronounced Crown of Creation, now he says he will be Master of his own soul, even teaching others they need to TAKE LIFE INTO THEIR OWN HANDS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL. Of course, the mainstream model of this device has no use for attributes of holiness, deity, denying the Creator that formed him. Man's only hope, at the foot of the Cross, is the removal of a wrong heart and instilling of a new life.

"I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." (Ezek. 36:26)

Rev. 2:5 CANDLESTICK

Think back on what you once were, and unless there is a clear repentance and heart-regaining of what you lost, "I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place," (Rev. 2:5) the church at Ephesus was admonished.

I suppose that can sound rather threatening. But I found wee bits of comfort in even those words. After all...

I don't think there's one Christian out there who has felt like he cannot make a difference in a big, cruel world. What's just one candle, right? But I pictured the Owner of this flaming stick holding it with one hand and protectively cradling it, with the other, from the draft. It got me all woozy. That's how our Heavenly Father feels about His candles!

Also...I've heard that the way the Churches are spoken to here shows how God the Father sees His children, about how He affirms positives before criticizing negatives. But it would do well to notice He took time out to talk to His Bride in chapters 2 and 3, before the rest of the book of Revelation. What does that tell us about the priority He gives Family? 

Rev. 4:4 ONE-UPPING GOD? I NEVER! ...DO I? --journaled:

 "Round about the throne were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment" (Rev. 4:4)

Aug. 26, 2024:  Not actually "four and twenty elders", but Father, Thank You for such a wonderful, wonderful treat!

I went down to MCC yesterday. I'm coming to see God doesn't want us trying to improve on His arrangements, to "make things better." I'm such a perfectionist and also have this bad one-up-on-you tendency, horrify myself to find myself doing it by habit to God too!

Do it better than God?!

I don't say so, even mentally, but that's what it is, when I think well, maybe I'll just change this or wear that or go this way because it's faster or start earlier or make it safer for myself by doing such-and-so...and another leetle voice whispers, "Wouldn't God be pleased with me for the earnestness and wisdom and maturity I am displaying?" when it's really immature lust being allowed to be lured away by demons of distrustful thoughts? moooo.

At least the mother cows pulled the cart of the Israelites' ark back to the tribe away from the Philistines' camp. They knew better than to give first thought to lying natural instincts--even that of staying with their young! (I'm referring to the I Sam. 6 incident.)

Rev. 10:1 ANGEL INTO CLOUD (Come into Kitchen post)

  "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud;" (Rev. 10:1)

Yipes. Oh No. I'd seen the tail end of Rev. 9, about how men needed to repent of worship of gold and silver, so I was all set on drawing a pretty picture of contrasting Prov. 25:11 glistening gold apples in a background of silver. But the verse I'm actually on now, and what God seems to be talking to me about, is something in the next chapter.

I came out of a negative situation several years ago I saw as walking around in a dark cloud, not really knowing what I was doing, just putting up a mental-emotional guard and surviving moment by moment. What had looked like a menacing, nebulous mass couldn't possibly be where my Heavenly Father wanted me to go...could it?

"I'm sending along a mighty angel," the verse seemed to whisper; and farther on, it even mentioned the rainbow...letting me know the Jan. post had been seen too, of course. "FOLLOW ME."

Hm. What looks like a shiny road could be an angel of light I shouldn't follow; and what looks like a shadowy way could sometimes be the way of trust I should take instead? Oh Lord, help me to run from the voice of strangers but to heed Your every beckoning.

Rev. 9:1 KEY OF BOTTOMLESS PIT (Come into Kitchen post)

"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit." (Rev.9:1)

Ooh; this year's memory work is starting out with a verse telling about a fall?! And the "best" part is that to him was given a key...the key to the bottomless pit!

What will I seek THIS YEAR as the apex of my attainments, my absolute "Best"? Will God look at it and shake His head, saying, "You want to attain it sweetie, but that's only Passage to Quicksand (Key to Bottomless Pit)."

• Some people think getting a key to a brand new super expensive car is a dream, not realizing that it will lead to needing to purchase premium fuel, keeping up insurance, putting on burglar alarms, not knowing any more if friends are real...or if they're just interested in a luxury motor vehicle.
• Others think a large ministry would be desirable, not realizing this may mean needing to mediate an increasing number of disputes between members; having less time to spend with family, hobbies, even rest; due to demands of constant pressure, exposing the soul to the danger of artificiality.

We must not say "I WILL" rise to where God does not put us. We may find ourselves too, falling, instead of staying in our place. Even Satan was once the highest archangel of Heaven, Lucifer, until he said in his heart: "THIS YEAR, I WILL GO UP HIGHER!"

God made him the Prince of this world (John 12:31), shutting him off to something "limitless": the bottomless pit. He was to look up at his Maker from there.

Thoughts are still incomplete, but...

Rev. 6:12-13 UNTIMELY FIGS (Come into Kitchen post)

 "And I beheld, when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood;

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." (Rev.6:12-13)

I had to smile. I wonder what that earthquake will be like? Our family's been through a "Shindo 6" quake in 2011. And Sun., at 4:30 AM it was still black-ish out. But I suppose in an eclipse, it's not even dark-ish, but completely black--I wonder what'll happen then? And the blood I saw wasn't the moon, but a physical filter between my nose and the heaven...will man be living under some sort of dome at the time of the prophecy, a dome which will be spattered red with blood? And when I looked up Sunday, altho' the stars looked small, at least they stayed up there, didn't get tripped up by some crevice as they traveled across the heaven to fall to the earth in spectacular collisions. I tried to envision what it would be like that day in the future when those things happened.

They're not supposed to--are untimely--like figs being shaken from trees. Is that the way I looked when I turned from the vending machine to walk home and flew splat onto the sidewalk? But it was shi-kua-sa, not figs. God can use anything. And even a slight breath from His nostrils can be a mighty wind shaking man senseless. Lord, help us fear You as we ought.

I think what happened Sunday was a Heavenly Daddy's loving spanking. The past few weeks, I was overworking, sometimes pulling all-nighters. I had the idea I could lightly speak of getting my days and nights mixed up but I forgot this body is not mine. When I do not get the sleep I need, I am desecrating the Temple of God, and that is serious sin. 

So He saw what I was doing; patted me on the head; let me go for a little ride through the air before making a crash landing (ouch!); and tucked me in bed to get the rest I so need. I know I "so need" it because I have absolutely no problem falling asleep at night or to stay asleep in the morning.

Rev. 8:5 SAFE THUNDER (Come into Kitchen post)

"and there were voices, and thunderclaps, and lightnings, and an earthquake." 

 

What could those voices be saying before all those scary things mentioned in Rev.8:5?

Well, I imagined angels couldn't refrain--rather like me, at the beginning of this post--from slipping in the words: "Children of God, LOOK! Your Loving Heavenly FATHER has been watching all the evil you have had to endure! He saw what was being done to His truth, to His world, and He is putting an end to it!"

I can imagine one angel's voice assuring His own; another voice declaring an Omnipotent Sovereign's Perfect Justice; still another commanding all nature to yield to its Creator; finally, a joyful voice ringing out a call to see what God does...

Actually all that is extra, I realized. JUST ONE WHISPER from GOD of: "HOW DARE YOU!" would be enough to make anything get out of the way.

When I was a little girl, I remember learning the lyrics to the hymn: "How Great Thou Art". The teacher reminded us, whenever we're in a thunderstorm and "hear the rolling thunder", to think of our powerful Heavenly Father.

Some people don't want to see God's all-powerful side; they prefer a God Who is soft, always accepting, forgiving. Maybe it's been songleaders like this, but I've always felt safe with a FATHER-GOD whose voice is like thunder (but makes Himself slave to lambs like me), Who one day no one will dare stop when He make all things right.

Rev. 7:11 FALL, WORSHIP (Come into Kitchen post)

I looked at past posts and realized it's taking me a while to get through memory work. Will you put up with another entry about "fell" again? I think I'm sensitive to that word now, whenever I see it. Falls may seem to be interruptions, irritations. But some irritations can be coated over to form priceless treasures, can they not? Anyway...

"...and fell before the throne on their faces to worship God" (Rev. 7:11) 

Do I listen to God like that, or is it more like taking a stroll through nature and "feeling at one with all things;" lifting up my face to the sky and letting out a slow breath of utter contentment? We need to take care that we do not give obeisance to the Prince of the Power of the Air. He did promise to give "ALL THESE THINGS; just fall down and worship him". Jesus' response was: "Get thee hence, Satan. for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Some angels fell worshiping before the throne of God; some refused, chose to follow the Prince of the Power of the Air so were cast out of Heaven and it sounds like they fell from the sky.

Hm; I said to myself; the first "fall" expressed worship; whereas the second "fall" was part of punishment.

. . . (I skipped over some of the journal entry. This one was rather long.)

So we lift our hands; we go down on our knees; we open up our hearts; we fall on our faces; and we realize we have been invited to approach the throne of God. Yes, we are on earth, but those of us in the Beloved are also in the heavenlies. Take off our shoes; this is holy ground. This is worship.

Rev. 11:12 HE'S STILL SPEAKING TO ME! (Come into Kitchen)

 "And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up here."

(Rev. 11:12)

Today's portion speaks of how God's voice sounds, but it is only after the prophet had been willing to be killed--shamed and overcome by evil for God--and there's a period of silence. Am I ready to pass through a time of temporary not knowing why, even experiencing a season of darkness and obscurity, of fruitlessness--that's what death feels like--or will I too "kick at the goads" and say "No! I won't serve God then!" It may be only after that I would hear God's still, small voice saying, "Come close by my side, and let me whisper to You the way I see things."

I look at I Kings 8:58 (Solomon's temple dedicatory prayer) and Psalm 51:17. King David did not parade his uprightness before God and offer himself to serve Him--no; by Ps. 51, he knew he had committed atrocious, unforgivable sin before God and was fully broken. But that broken spirit was the heart the Eternal Spirit would not despise--in fact, had inclined the variables of life to turn to Him, and it was Him alone Who would keep that heart fixed there, in God's forgiveness and acceptance and choosing to accept us, in spite of how so very unworthy we were!

There is a big difference in Peter's first declaration, "I will DIE before I deny you," and his latter: "You know I love You." 

The child of God can only say, brokenhearted, "You know what is in my heart; but You can have all of it anyway."

 And, I think, God responds, "That's what I needed to hear."

(Photos taken above in 1970,  right in 1986)

Rev. 11:13 SOBERING THOUGHTS (Come into Kitchen excerpt)

"The same hour...the tenth of the city fell...in the earthquake...seven thousand" (Rev. 11:13)

The same hour - sometimes, the very same time God seems to be doing something, He may be doing something else too; and he can operate on multiple levels at one time in ways that man's mind cannot fathom. We can never assume on the mind of God.

the tenth of the city - isn't this a minority? but it's of no consequence to God. Just a corner of a handkerchief or the center of it too, and to a great God, it's still a handkerchief. Perhaps it's called representation. Even the fallen minority can tell God about the heart of the standing majority.  The way God announces His woes or executes His mercies may be according to responses of this minority. Do Christians, the minority, call down God's mercies on fallen man, then turn and cry to the majority, "please, be reconciled to God"?

Fukushima Earthquake, 2011

in the earthquake - make no bones about it, this was an act of God. Recently, I was going back over 2011-3-11 earthquake we had in Fukushima, Japan, and how our family had to move out--all U.S. citizens within a certain radius of the damaged nuclear reactors were encouraged to move then, I remember. And with only what we could carry in our backpacks, we got on a bus moving through a back way--resourceful minds had patched together an exit route for the bus--and left Koriyama City, barely getting out of the metropolis. The Sendai airport was destroyed, train rails were uprooted but the bus--and few of us even managed to get gasoline then, so I don't know how they did it--somehow bounced over those split but manageable roads. Much could be said of that time.

were slain of men - not troubled, lost, or hurt, but killed; pretty final. And God Himself had punctuated the "period" there. And was not man the crowning act of creation, made in the image of the One...Who had killed him? Why?

seven thousand - wait...this was the number, the Holy Spirit seemed to bring to my memory, of faithful prophets who would not bow the knee to worship Baal, wasn't it?

This is just me. I couldn't help but see Moses' and Elijah's corpses from previous verses being infused with life and ascending to Heaven; believers praising God for His undeniable power; the unsaved deciding to shut these faithful Christians up but before they get around to it, a great earthquake comes from Heaven as if to say, "Oh, no you don't; I can get them Home Myself, thank you."

Hospital Window, Okinawa

Perhaps it's the YouTube movie I just viewed. The main character wanted to free her child from an institution and bring her home. Wouldn't that be a Heavenly Father's desire, not to leave His faithful loving children in the dark and broken walls of a cruel earth where they are mistreated, mocked, tortured, not given what they need, labeled hatemongers-criminals of society-minority outcasts?

The institution seemed to want to keep its patients medicated and unable to even recognize-respond to the rightful custodian who could grant her actual freedom. Is this "catatonic" inducement not brought about by the world's allure of social status, material security, and offers of satisfying vindication? Most human beings seem to lose sight of, desire for, Creator God Who can truly liberate and bring beauty out of ashes.

Back to "my vision". I saw a merciful Heavenly God taking His children Home in death, very aware, at the same time, those human creatures who remained and were not His would be terrified and then be given opportunity to give glory to the God of heaven.

We do not know this is what happens in Revelation, of course. But if God were to so choose, to use our deaths to lead unsaved to repentance, how many of us would willingly die for Him?

Garden, Missionary Acres

"And Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24)

Rev. 12:6 WOMAN FLEEING INTO WILDERNESS (Come Into Kitchen post)

 "The woman FLED into the wilderness," it says in Rev. 12:6. I shared with some friends today about this passage. I hadn't realized how many characters in the Bible actually fled. Because I've berated myself in being such a big chicken, a coward, running away. I hear about people facing dangers so bravely...I know I probably wouldn't do that. I'd be looking for EXITS out of the room and using any energy to figure out the most efficient way to use them.

Sometimes I feel as Brave as a Worm...

But wait. Bible characters? Jacob fled from Esau's wrath. Joseph fled from Potipher's wife. Moses fled from "murderer!" David fled from Saul's men. Elijah fled from Jezebel. Jeremiah fled from Jonathan the scribe. Joseph and Mary fled from Herod. Paul fled from the Pharisees. And yes, the Woman in Revelation 12 fled from the Dragon.

And what I saw, in the phrase right after the comma after the information that she ran was what blew me away: "where she had a place PREPARED BY GOD"! I still remember the time Jesus defended a woman, "Leave her alone; she's MINE." (When she was criticized for extravagant use of oil.) I thought then, I'd love someone to think of me like that. A heartbeat later, I realized SOMEONE does! 

And then this verse affected me in the same way: GOD HAD TAKEN SPECIAL PAINS to prepare a special place out in the wilderness for a loved one HE KNEW would come running out there and would need a shelter! The God of the Universe gave the woman V.I.P. treatment!

Readied Room

He didn't call her a coward. He caught up the infant she'd given birth to (v.5); made sure His bride would be nourished 'til fully recuperated (v.6); and told Michael the archangel to get the servants under him to confront and expel any threatening renegades unhappy with God or heaven (vs.7-9).

Some people would say the woman of Revelation 12 is Israel, and the prophecy there is not for all. This is true. We cannot "claim" these promises to be ours accurately. But...

There was a Gentile mother who, when Jesus looked at her and told her He'd come to give bread to the Jews, and it would be wrong to take bread away from the children to which they were intended and give it to the puppies, she responded by saying even they'd be happy with the crumbs under the table. I am thinking the God who'd receive a mother in the wilderness--who'd run away from a dragon--and not call her a coward would be large-hearted enough to allow her to have a puppy, and whisper to those feeding the woman to make sure her bread is the extra crumbly type. Even Boaz told his reapers to allow handfuls of barley to fall for Ruth to glean, didn't he? Can we not hope for our Lord to be at least as gracious as a human lord?

Again, after reading these few verse and thinking these thoughts, I found myself saying, "Hey--I'm not supposed to be feeling this way. I'm reading in Revelation, not Psalms."

MCC - where Ron Sisco taught Revelation

One of the friends I was talking with was the person I had to thank most for giving me real desire to look at the book again. Ron Sisco, a retired missionary and interim leader-pastor of the English department of a church up in mainland Japan I fellowshipped at 10 years ago, preached through studies in Revelation, and his messages then got me interested. They were recorded then posted on the church website several years later. I've listened to them repeatedly since. He'd emphasized then the blessing that comes along with its reading. A lot of people avoid it, he said, because Revelation looks scary-difficult.

Maybe I'm a bit strange, but if it's not being studied, I think it feels kinda good.

Rev 22:2 HEAVENLY FRUIT (Come into Kitchen post)

 Daddy saw I'd left my slice of golden peach untouched and asked me, "Junie, you don't want your peach?" At that time, my parents were speaking to us in only Japanese, so this was in Japanese.  I'd answered the Japanese way, which is responding to the QUESTION. "No." (In my mind, that meant, No; I DO want my peach!)

Daddy heard, "No; I don't want the peach." Well, you can imagine when, to my horror, he said, "Oh! Well, I'll just" and scooped the slice into his mouth!" I screamed and cried I was saving it and Mommy came running into the room. It took a while before everything got all cleared up, and we figured out what had happened.

Revelation 22:2 speaks of the tree in heaven that bears fruit every month of the year, whose leaves were for the healing of the nations. I am a fruit person. I have always loved fruit more than cake, chocolates, or ice cream. But I wonder what heavenly fruit will taste like.

And...I wonder what language we'll be speaking up there. I am sure, when we get to Heaven, there won't be any misunderstandings or communication tangles, like Daddy and I had! I am so looking forward to that. Aren't we all?

RAINBOW

A young boy had his heart broken constantly by a rich CEO father who regularly broke his promises to him.

One day, the son went to Sunday School and heard the story of Noah and the flood. At the end of the story, he heard God made a promise never to send another flood to destroy the earth, and as a sign He would keep His promise, He set a rainbow in the sky.

Nice story, the little boy thought. But as soon as the world got real bad, and it got inconvenient, God would quickly wash away that promise with a downpour. The boy had almost expected the flood at the beginning of the story of Noah and the wickedness of man on the earth being great, but then there was a rainbow.

It made the little boy think, maybe God wasn't like his dad.

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"

(2 Corinthians 1:3) 

Thoughts from Xmas 2001: Xmas 2001 Parallels

1.     Mary's "How Can It Be?"

the Christian's doubting HIMSELF when God says He wants to do something

2.     Joseph's Mental Turmoil

Confusion with how to interact with OTHERS God may place around us

3.    Full Term Pregnancy Travel

Some of God's Designs seem Inconvenient, even Detrimental! We simply Trust.

4.    No Vacancy

Too busy accommodating man to give Christ priority and "gushing love" space in our hearts?

5.    Mary and Joseph's TAKING of the stable--birth of the baby

God's entering of what little room we DO give Him--then filling it up with JOY

6.    Research of Wise Men

Conclusive Result of True Science and Honest Seeking: GOD.

7.    Gifts were given for birth of Earthly King

What Gift is Fit to present to the King of the Universe?

いつまでも

 （この記事は英語で書いたものを通訳アプリで一度訳して、それをチェックしただけ。）

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私は来世にいる夢を見た。交通事故で死んだのだろうか？それとも突然の心臓発作？あるいはテロリストの銃弾？いずれにせよ、私は宇宙の絶対的に正義の神と対面し、自分の生き方を正当化するよう求められていた。その神は、私が想像していたどんなものよりも、はるかに偉大で畏敬の念を抱かせる存在だった。

偉大なる全能の神が罪びとである私に怒りの目を下すのが見えた。神は私を持ち上げ、火の池に投げ込もうとした。

 

「イエスさま！」と心の中から声が漏れた。あまりの恐怖に、叫ぶことさえできなかった。そこに投げ込まれるのは当然だと分かっていたが、いつまでも、いつまでも、そこから出られなくなるという恐ろしい考えが私を麻痺させた。「イエスさま！」

私を永遠の絶望の淵に突き落とすはずだった動きが、私をさらに高く持ち上げ続け、周囲は明るくなり、私はどこかに着地した。

 人々が駆け寄ってきた。「巡礼者よ！兄弟よ！もう永遠に安全なのだ！」彼らは人間だったと思う。この者たちは皆輝くような笑顔を浮かべ、隠し事も脅しも冷酷さも感じさせず、まるで子供のようだった。

 私は息を呑んだ――下で何が起こったのだ？私は振り返り、下を見た。

 まさか？罪に対する怒りで暗く染まった神の顔が、地面から持ち上げた人物を見つめていた…待てよ…ほんの数秒前まで私だった…ならば、それは私ではなく、イエスさまだ！そして神は彼を暗い穴の底に投げ込んだ。

 私は立っていた場所の端まで走り、ヒステリックになった。「なんてこと！だめだめだめ！」しかし、私の後ろから他の人たちの足音、そして「心配する必要はありませんよ。それが、イエス様が十字架でなさったことなのです」という声が聞こえた。

「昨日も今日も、そしてこれからも、いつまでも私は変わらない」と、また別の声がした。「私が何をしたのかを見てもらいたかっただけです。」

「イエス様！」私は慌てて振り返ると、イエス様が両腕を広げてこちらに向かって歩いてくるのが見えた。

「でも、あなたは…私の代わりに…いたと思ったのに。」私は言葉が出ず、イエス様の腕の中に倒れ込んだ。

「十字架の上でわたしが何をしたのか、君に見てほしかったのでね。必要なら何度でもやるよ。でも、もうその必要はないんだ」と彼は静かに言い、私の頭を撫でた。

「ああ、イエス様、ありがとうございます」と言おうとしたその時、悲鳴が聞こえた。

誰かが激しく身振り手振りをしながらどもりながら、「で、でも、あれはイエス様ですよ！」と言っていた。

自分の涙はまだ乾いていないのに、あの人に言った：「大丈夫。イエス様は十字架の上であなたたのために何をしてくださったのか、知ってほしかっただけ。ホラ、見て。」私の後ろに、両手を広げ、昨日も今日も、そしていつまでも、ご自身の民のために微笑んでくださる方がいました。

Cat and Mouse...I mean, Birds...Ducks? (8-5-2011)

My daughter and I were baking cookies once for a youth group activity. We were actually trying to make them into the shape of birds because the theme was peace and the cookies were supposed to be doves...but the only bird-shaped cookie cutter we could find looked more like a flattened, upside-down triangle with a beak on one end. So Emily came up with the idea of using duck-shaped cookie cutters instead.

I think they looked like DUCKS, just plain ducks. Emily, in a playful mood, made one triangle bird cookie, "mama bird", then lined up other ducklings in a row after it. She went back to the bed, came back with the stuffed cat, propped her up at the end of the table, and said, "Look! The cat is after the unsuspecting birds! It's a nice, sunny day, and the little chickies are just following mommy...won't they be surprised when terror pounces all over them!"

Sometimes my daughter and I have really deep, meaningful talks.

TRUST ME; I'M YOUR FATHER

There was one program about an orphan who'd grown up thinking her parents had been killed in a fire. A wealthy butler-type man finds her, seems to fool her into thinking he may be her father who actually escaped the fire, seems to frame her for his master's murder after which he becomes filthy rich, and she is thrown into jail. The police smell something funny and discover the murder was committed by the man posing to be her father after all, and he is executed, she is given rightful claim to fortune.

The VERY END of the program has a surprise. THAT BUTLER WAS ACTUALLY HER REAL FATHER, WANTING HER BEST, AND HE HAD POSED TO FRAME HER AND BE EXECUTED FOR A CRIME, KNOWING SHE WOULD END UP WITH FORTUNE BECAUSE OF IT! Long story simplified.

Murder and framing are by no means right and noble, and this is not an attempt to justify either. But it got me thinking. Sometimes God may ACT like He's "framing us" because He loves us so much He is willing to be HATED for what He does for us! At the end of the story, the main character recalls the butler's words to her: "Trust me; I'm your father." He hadn't been saying that just to fool her; he really meant it. We need to remember always too to trust God; He's our Father!

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" (Job 13:15a)

"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. (Ps. 103:13)

MY FAVORITE JERK

The disciple Peter was one character in the Bible we could really love and thank God for his example, BECAUSE HE REALLY ACTED LIKE A JERK sometimes but LOVED THE LORD WITH ALL HIS HEART, and GOD LOVED HIM BACK IN A SPECIAL WAY AND USED HIM MIGHTILY! Encouragement for all of us who are regular jerks but oh do love God too and really do want Him to use us!

ALARMING DISCOVERY

The night before, I'd crawled under the covers with the alarming thought I'd forgotten to set the alarm clock "so God, please wake me up in the morning!" VERY early Sunday morning, I was startled awake with the sound of the alarm clock! It turns out when my children had toyed with it, and I put it back where it belonged, I must've pressed the button setting it to go off. So I think God must've chuckled when He heard my prayer the night before. "You just THINK you didn't set the alarm! You don't know you did!"

This was part of the testimony I shared with the church folk at worship service.

GOD KNEW BETTER

Sunday morning, I woke up with my back hurting something bad--long, cold nights do that to me sometimes, especially since last year. I keep a heating pad on my mattress, and I turned it on, lay there for a few minutes pondering staying home from church for the day. I'd taken a peek at the weather forecast, showing it would be warm; so I said to myself that God had warm weather waiting "just for me"; I COULDN'T possibly stay home and "let it go to waste"! I didn't know what God had for me but thought it had to be special for all the opposition I was feeling to keep me from going. Walking into the church building, I said, "Okay God; give it to me!"

A few hours later, when I saw Russel Waala come through those church doors--and God had arranged it so I would be the one standing nearest to the door then--I could almost see God smiling! "See June; you THOUGHT you wanted to stay home; I KNEW BETTER! You would've been real sorry if you had!"

* This post is NOT saying people should always fight against physical discomfort and attend church meetings no matter what; I am just relating one experience the Holy Spirit happened to give me that time; I realize there are exceptions!

ACT LIKE IT!

One of Piper's mentions of John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" was about the completely wrong interpretation it is often given: Keep doing right if you want to prove you really love me. What it really says, he asserted, was: If you really love me, ACT LIKE IT!

SHOCKING TRUTH

Something else happened a few days ago. I was walking along this pretty new path near our home and saw doggie droppings. Should I try to move them?--but I didn't have anything with me and couldn't see anything around that would help, so I didn't. (I did so last week when I saw a worm had come out onto the path, and deposited it onto the dirt nearby so others taking a walk wouldn't have to see the yucky creature.)

And a funny scene came into my head: what if somebody saw me and asked, "What are you doing that for?" I COULD reply--with a halo above my head, of course--"because I don't want peoples' walks being ruined with unpleasant stuff like this"...or give an HONEST reply--I wonder what their reaction would be if I said--"because I want people to think I'm a good person"!

The heart of man, the heart of man. Jeremiah says the heart of man is DECEITFUL above all things, and desperately wicked. Even when we think we're doing good things with good motives, the real reason is we want to feel good about ourselves, and if someone else would think so too, all the better!

FOLLOW

This is the day children of God commemorate the way God made Reconciliation possible for us by sending us His Son Jesus to die on the Cross--HALLELUJAH!  May the day be soaked through with awareness of His special love rebounding in irrepressible praise.

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A short thot for today:

"Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall FOLLOW me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." (Ps.23:6)

O Lord, FOLLOW me!

When my back is turned to Thee, follow me!

Sinful, wretched soul I am, yet follow me!

Then Lord, may I turn around and

be able to do none else than

with all my being

follow hard after Thee.

HELPLESS FOOLS

You know that poem Piper wrote about getting roses for his wife for their 30th anniversary? This morning, when having my Garden Time and thinking about how I really wanted to clean house today, I found myself praying, "Lord, enable me--fill my life with overspill of joy power--to do right, not just because it's right and what I'm supposed to do, but because it's something I absolutely WANT to do. Lord, help me not be able to help it but do right!"

"Oh Johnny, these are BEAUTIFUL! Why did you?"

"I...(chuckle)...I couldn't HELP myself!"

May we be "helpless", happy fools for Thee!

HEDONISTIC MOTIVES

 - I go to the beach

Not just because I have to measure the tide

    or take samples of the sand back to the laboratory

        or study the sea life

But I go there to swim with long strokes, circling freely with my arms

    to feel the ocean breeze and cool splash of water

        to listen to laughing seagulls and children.

- I eat this meal

Not just because I have to ingest proteins, vitamins, water, calories

necessary to sustain life

    or participate in customary activity to be courteous

        or even to maintain self-discipline in daily routine

But my mouth waters - happily, effortlessly

    when I chomp into the juicy steak and buttery potatoes

        when I become momentarily oblivious to all other senses.

Altho' of a different category,

- I am a Christian

Not just because I have to uphold exemplary standards of moral living

    or think of it as defining my religious persuasion

        or even to please God

But because He is MY TREASURE and I get to revel in

the power, joy, freedom He affords my day

    because He works to please ME

        because then I can live life to the -nth degree

...to ENJOY!

BENDS DOWN A WHOLE LOT (Osaka Trip Series)

I thought about meeting Brian at the Eki when I got to Osaka, surprised at how much I had to stre-t-t-t-t-ch up just to give him a hug (we Orientals don't get that close to heaven!). I said to myself, "How in the world does someone as small as 5-year-old Amy get her arms around her daddy's neck?" And I could picture Brian saying, with a twinkle in his eye, "Well, I have to bend down a little."

And it hit me. God "BENDS DOWN A WHOLE LOT" to see we get embraces of Love from Him!

A slight change to a familiar hymn:

"Into my bondage, sorrow and night,

Jesus has come, Jesus has come;

Bringing His freedom, gladness and light,

Jesus has come to me.

Into my sickness, bringing His health,

Into my want and bringing His wealth,

Into my sin and bringing Himself,

Jesus has come to me."

PREARRANGED MEETING (Osaka Trip Series)

When I got off at the Osaka train terminal, I realized the place was much bigger than I'd thought; the words I'd given Brian, "I'll see you at the Osaka train station" was nowhere near sufficient! Then the thought crossed my mind about Mommy and Daddy meeting for the first time in front of the Forbidden City Restaurant in Tokyo when they hadn't even seen each other, and I knew God could get me and Brian together.

"Okay, God, You'll have to get us together, 'cuz we absolutely have no idea where to go or how to meet!" I got off the train at the central exit and began walking towards the west exit. I didn't know it, but Brian had gotten to the train station and prayed the same thing as he began walking from the west exit to the central one. We met in 5 mins., as if the meeting had been prearranged.

Well, I guess it had been. God had arranged it, just not let us humans know!

EPILEPSY EXTRAS (Epilepsy Series)

 * The time Kinya jerked open the shower door when I was still inside. He must've been wondering if I was lying there unconscious after a seizure 'cuz it was taking so long for me to get out. Actually, I was done with bathing but was cleaning tho' still in my birthday suit. Things like this are EVIDENCES of Kinya's caring about--worrying about, anyway--me, since only something like that would make him take such an impulsive action. And the thought that normally follows: GOD PUT KINYA THERE TO WATCH OVER ME!

* I could go on and on about the "extras" I've gleaned as a result of my epilepsy...oh, just one more! I did tell you, didn't I, about Kinya's "cyberspace knight" incident in which he protected a person being bullied on the Internet? It's a LONG story. But the reason her website caught his eye was because she was engaged to a person who had epilepsy, and Kinya's self-introduction to her was something like, "I think we have something very much in common." And they'd become special acquaintances that way. It was my having epilepsy that gave him this outreach; that resulted in his being instrumental in protecting her; that, as a result of this incident, ,y first poem to Kinya was composed; that, as a result of that, led to a second poem which ended up in commencement of letter-writing to Kinya.

Back in the 9th grade, I did as Paul did in the New Testament. I asked God to take away the "thorn in the flesh". If only we'd be able to recognize His "My grace is sufficient for thee" actually ends up being " My blessings will be too much, burst and overflow, for thee". What we often see as holes, flaws, are just APERTURES FOR HIS BLESSINGS without which we would miss out on so much!

FORESEEN RESCHEDULING (Epilepsy Series)

Tuesday's Martha and Mary Kai activity, I'd been pretty sure I wouldn't be able to attend because I needed to be at school, so I'd told the pastor's wife and the woman's group president. It turns out the place we'd planned on going to was closed Tuesday due to a national holiday Monday (I guess because it's a tourist place, a place lots of people go to for holidays CAN'T close then so have their days off the following days!) So our M and & Kai was rescheduled to next month, and I can go then Besides, God knew that even if my school activity ended in time for me to hurry to church for M and M Kai, I wouldn't be in physical condition to do so! (I told you about the seizures that afternoon!) Would a human physician have been able to foresee my physical condition ahead of time...or even if he could, would he have been able to tell establishments to close on certain days because events needed to be rescheduled? Praise God the Orchestrator of the Universe Whose we are!

RED SEA CROSSING (Epilepsy Series)

That time of the month is never a really good time for me, sometimes the epilepsy medicine being lost in the blood and resulting in petit mal seizures.... Petit mal seizures aren't bad at all, just can be embarrassing if they happen at the wrong time (like when teaching children's church down at Tama). This time tho', it's been a little more than usual--had three this morning while having devotions--and worried that they might act up again when I went to school for yakuin stuff (collecting and counting money for bazaar food). Over two hours, nothing happened. I came home and was on this computer, making the announcement for next month's children's meeting, and I had several seizures. It's like God held back the water for the Israelites to cross, then let it go when the restraint was no longer necessary. I's gonna go upstairs and nap; I've had several more while writing these two paragraphs. Mebbe I'll let Hubby either make supper or take the kiddos out tonight. He's good about that. (Hubby DID take the kids out. And God gave me time for writing him a letter, listening to Piper tapes, doing a little emailing!)