The Bone Farm Memorandum

It was in a Vineyard worship service back in 2007 that a line from the chorus went something like, I want to see you and be where you are Lord. We sang the hypnotic melodic mantra over and over. I remember thinking; do these people know what they are singing? At that moment I said under my breath, where are you Lord? I didn’t sense that He was even in the building. I heard in my spirit the answer to that question. “I am in My Word; in the Law and the Prophets, the Psalms and the Proverbs. I am the Gospel, the Acts and the New Testament letters. I am the Genesis and the Revelation. If you stay in my Word and My Word stays in you, you will be where I am. It is there that you will see Me and know Me.” I noted the moment in a notebook and I encourage anyone who is waiting on a visitation from the Lord to keep one handy, just like you do when you are expecting important information over the phone. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Heb 4: 12.  If a person stays preoccupied with scripture and is in continual communication with the Almighty, those conversations become one with the marrow in the bones. When His word becomes part of a person through meditation, memorization and recollection then there is in some fashion the resurrecting power of life as we now know it and afterward in the grave also. Forgive any mystical comparison but His word stays in your dead bones until He Himself calls it back to Himself. His word and your bones in that respect are so attached that you become inseparable. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper whereto I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11.  Remember Elisha’s bones? If there is in a sense more prosperity in the bones of a saint who has gone on already, how much more is there in those of us who are alive and remain. My father’s body is mostly decomposed by now in a one bedroom underground bone condo in a fancy West Toledo landfill called Ottawa Hills Memorial Cemetery. Cleo and Beatrice LaVigne have a piece of land in a neighborhood together with strangers of both worlds. As for me, I’m still alive and remain ambulatory, above ground, like a living sign or a grave marker. As Paul once wrote, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20. To the casual visitor I look in fair shape on the outside as I remain upright with some brief but yet appropriate information chiseled on the face. Life and age have not worn away the truth that lies beneath. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is just a grave site. In some respects the only thing we have going for us is the resurrection; that final event that will disturb this otherwise comfortable repose and will ultimately ruin the handiwork of both mortician and grave digger. Another song says that soon and very soon we are going to see the King. When He comes, the tune goes on to say, there will be no more crying there. I don’t know about you but the absence of doctors, bankers and elite politicians alone thrills me right down to the core. Some may think me disrespectful as I have such little regard for the bones of the dead but we are nothing more than a collection of nerves and organs that are temporarily housed along with our soul, inside a shell of skin, and a very thin shell at that. We may as well shed that easily bruised and notoriously selfish nature as soon as possible and put on Christ. That would be as in, Christ “in” ( bones included ) you, the hope of glory.

Planting Season... What's in Your Garden?

Spring is in the air and everyone looks forward to a fresh start and maybe a new row of prize tomatoes. This last weekend of March gave us the pagan celebration of Ishtar along with engaging the Catholic mystical machinery as it closely coexisted with the cross pollination of Passover on the 2013 calendar. Iconic chocolate treats will be half price on April first; as any fool would take it as a sign of favor from God. Then we're on to other warm weather, family friendly distractions. A garden variety of social events and self improvement seminars are in store along with the usual suspects of concerts and conventions of all kinds. Christians often talk about revival and associate it with a week of heavy preaching, a visiting evangelist and a big name gospel band. In some cases its nothing more than a fancy fund raising gimmick that if its pulled off well will be forgotten the following Monday. I’m sure that isn’t the intention of every planning committee but if forgetting our past sin was as easy as this I wouldn’t be posting this.

 I believe Satan loves revival too. He would love to renew and enlarge your memory of an old habit, inclination or other such thing pertaining to our weak nature. What remains of some old sin, long forgiven by God could be the potential yeast for a brand new transgression. Our own righteousness and good works may also be placed into that novel category. To reuse some old dead thing would suit Satan just fine if for nothing else than to discourage you and keep you impotent in the things of God. Death is the devils business and production is at an all time high especially in these days of spiritual and economic bankruptcy. Since death is all he has to work with it is no wonder that he would like to rejuvenate an old temptation in order to possibly fashion a gentler and kinder death for the believer. He knows he can’t have your soul but he does want to diminish any gifts or potential productivity in Christ. To keep you busy with doubt and worry is the key hook in this selling point. He’ll assure us that all these items are still in stock and available for overnight delivery; if you are in the market that is. He’ll have you out hoeing in a freshly planted row of vain imagination in no time. Since historical iniquities lay dormant in our mind long after we are saved it would be a resurrection born in hell to get you to dwell on it anew. Don’t buy it! It’s nothing more than an old 60’s eight track player because sound thinking wise and in terms of usefulness it is obsolete already. Let us pray that those rotting carcasses would stay in their grave and that you would leave your shovel in the garage. Since digging up the past has run its course you might want to leave the sins of others alone too in case you thought you still had a bone to pick with someone. It may be planting season everywhere else but let us bury the past and be assured of a bountiful crop failure.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4: 26-28

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Col 1: 10- 11

Lock the cemetery gate and give that key to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and go out there and enjoy a new season of growing up in Him.