The Ultimate…

THE ULTIMATE…

You missed the train. Got that feeling in mind? You failed the exam. Got that feeling in mind? You went for the lottery – you were one number short.

Miss, lose, fail, fall short?

Hurt, rejected, guilty, condemned…?

Got those feelings in mind?

We then search for a reason not to feel this way.

We want to be released from these feelings.

I am the Way the Truth and the Life – the only ultimate ‘reason’ that will release us from these feelings with 100 per cent certainty and legitimacy.

We won’t miss eternal life. We won’t lose our life. We won’t fail to reach the eternal destination of bliss. We are reckoned – no longer to have missed the mark, or to have fallen short. All pain and hurt is removed. We are accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1/6). Our guilt has been removed. We are no longer condemned.

The ultimate authority has provided a way – we can receive this salvation as a free gift.

John 8/

9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

 

In a world of people

In a world of people

People – poets – spill out their words

People – protesters – spill onto the street

Busby-headed guards stand there – nice and neat

Buses queue one behind the other

Which one is for you – as you diligently seek?

 

Society at large creates the common view

Some go astray in alcohol – intellectually askew

The common proletariat retreat to the dining room

Sunday lunch without fail – to consume

 

Those inbred digesters – give time to the TV screen

Big part of their lives – another drama or

Documentary scene

 

Over-indulgence and mass clickety-click

Anything at all to distract

Ten minute study – now move on

Some puff cigarettes still

Others as a result swallow their pill

Killing-off cancer if cancer doesn’t kill

 

“What’s next?” the decorator asks his boss

“Go upstairs and move the wardrobe

When you finish painting that wall

You can give the wife a call”

“Fine” says the decorator failing to know

That he will spill a full tin of paint

his second in a row

 

He’s having a bad week

Tries to compensate

by not crying over spilt paint

 

Back to society at large

Many go to and fro

Like men with umbrellas

In Magritte’s sky

Many lose their job forcing themselves to think:

What does it matter anyhow?

“I was made for something better than this”

But no compensation when all goes amiss

 

And into the canyon go the heroes and villains

Breaking windows randomly 

And applauded by their gang

Mindless denial of normality

 

Susceptible to the easy influence

Many can’t separate good from evil

And in the midst of the upheaval

Suddenly run out of steam

And saunter back to the back streets

 

And what of the here and now

What say ye?

What have you chosen and what is your buzz?

Are you studiously disgusted like the rest of uz?

 

Corporate power-plays

Play-out their aspirations

Selling the world-over – to all nations

 

Through times of trouble

And more besides

The world of people that can’t decide

 

We are all the same – but individuals still

Stopping for a break and a random think

Many have ‘had it’ and kick up a stink

“Where’s it all going to?”

One man asks – stepping out of the shadow

In which he basks

Now he is in the

Sunlight – in the fresh-air and right up to date

Waiting for the pandemic to dissipate

 

Back in the old routine

It would or might seem

In the world of people –

People dream

Some scream – they know what you mean

When you tell them things are uneven

Even Steven has to stop making movies

Profound Simplicity

Profound Simplicity

The Truth of God in Christ is both profoundly simple and deeply unsearchable, at the same time.

It’s rather like the knowledge of a professor (a recognised expert in his field) who has recorded his knowledge in books. So that we refer to the books when seeking to solve given intellectual conundrums.

Or –

We alternatively, – can marry the professor! So that He is available 24/7 to apply the solution himself, in response to our questions, as we face these intellectual conundrums.

Because He is with us to answer the difficult questions – there is hope that even when we don’t understand, the expert who does, is with us to guide us. The expert in His field never leaves us.

God in Christ has provided a way to obtain fellowship, relationship and an ongoing developing acquaintance with Himself. 

It requires a ‘simple’ step of faith to come into this relationship. From then on we are dependant on His mercy and grace, to help us obtain answers to life’s dilemmas and our own wayward tendencies.

My aunt who was a missionary in Japan, where she spent most of her life, would remind me that the most difficult of sheep were: ‘straying humans’.

We need a good shepherd to guide us. A child can find Him in prayer. A towering intellect full of intellectual pride, has a bit further to go. But forsaking all others he too can bow the knee and ask in child-like faith that Christ come into his life.

In so doing he will then subjugate his intellect to God’s. 

God our ‘Professor’ has given us the book. And He is willing to answer our questions by applying it in His classroom of prayer.

In the book – taking heed, we read:

2 Corinthians 11:3

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Weather

WEATHER

The wind and rain whipped across the rooftop

With severity

Bashing everything in it’s path

Showing no charity

Curling and lifting and tossing and bossing about –

Anything it could get it’s hands on

leaving all in no doubt

About – the fact that it meant business of

the most unkind-kind

 

Tarpaulin ripped apart releasing all that it tried to bind

Wind – No respecter of persons it’s coercion – included

All trees – thumped and bent and harassed and denuded

The wind blows where it will – we hear the sound

 

Indoors we hear it’s drum roll and the rain’s merry go-round

Heard one way – heard another way –

fixed on drenching the house

 

Creatures run to hide – rabbit, fox or mouse

Deluge of showers watching it’s own result

As saturation point is reached leaving injury and insult

 

The weather – whether or not – it’s nice or

throwing a tantrum

Living up to it’s name –

proving itself our chum or leaving us numb

 

We engage in wordy-aftermaths, as we each tell our story

Of how bad this was or talk of the sun in all it’s glory

Sun shines to heat – and sunburnt – we meet – her –

with a welcoming Oil

Everyone relaxes from their work and toil

 

They sang of slipping into the shade

To sip their lemonade

Or run and hide their heads from the downpours drench

 

Who knows if this rain will last and we need to dig a trench?

Weather weather weather all different kinds

Especially in the homeland where I come from 

Step out in the sun – swim in the rain – freeze in the wind

Or do all three – each day – alternatively

 

Weather weather everywhere part of life you see

Weather for you and weather for me – forecast on the TV

 

Some hang on every word wanting to know the score

I couldn’t care less – glasses for sun – umbrella for rain

How difficult does it have to be – need I say more?

 

Weather – global warming – plastic playing it’s part –

Coral reefs – ignorant I be

of what all this means – comparatively

 

I like you – look to – the experts agenda –

ready to do my part

 

But above and beyond in outer space and further

In the untold reaches of the universe –

that’s where the answers be

 

Weather in the here and now – look out the window

What do you see?

Can I hang out the washing – or ‘a waste of time it be’

Take your dog for a walk – in the park

 

And contemplate with me – if it wasn’t for the weather where would we be?

Originality…?

Originality…?

So as the eyes grow weary of even the Great Art

Mankind thinks thoughts – innumerable in a day

His eyes land upon something else

And for a moment he is entranced

A moment of moments

Becoming moments gone by

 

He will leave his Great Art

And wander again in conversations had

with anyone willing to listen and talk

Regurgitation is inevitable

As is – response to former opinions

Past – present – future

 

And what’s it all about anyway?

Why discuss it?

It’s largely make-believe

We have invented the wheel

And now art wants to steal – 

 

So boiling it all down

Post-modern needs post-post-modern

Or some such thing

to become fresh and new

 

What ‘pops’ in your eyes this weather?

You have seen it all before?

Not quite?

It’s exciting tonight?

Tomorrow – a different story?

 

A different story – is looked for…

As the debate continues

And the eyes find new things:

 

It’s digital?

It’s found or fun objects?

It’s the thought that counts?

As aesthetics are minor-ised

It’s the isms and prisms

And the secret knowledge

Brought-out about camera obscura

 

So what’s left to say?

Much in every way?

Or does the regurgitation continue…?

Aunt Jane’s Shop

Aunt Jane’s Shop watercolour by Ken Riddles

Hearing

HEARING

Sometimes when we make a point to someone, passing on something we think they aught to think about or do, we hear the response: “I hear you…I hear you!”

Sometimes there is a reluctance, exposed in their tone of voice – but at the same time they know what you shared is applicable.

Revealing a certain kind of hearing. Let’s just call it reluctant hearing.

Spiritual hearing, can start in a similar way – reluctantly. But deep down we know it is applicable.

Hearing begins in the natural – our natural faculties hear words in a message, a communication.

And we respond accordingly.

Our response is individual. Sometimes others agree and we respond corporately to what is communicated.

Everyone wanted to agree that the Health workers in the front line for us all – should be shown and assured of our deep appreciation for their valiant efforts.

So – many responded and stood at their doors and applauded, hoping the echo would resound throughout the community and be received as encouragement by these dedicated servants.

But if some stay indoors and don’t applaud, is this because they didn’t hear or don’t agree?

Or did they hear the call alright – but had a reason not to respond?

Unavailability – would be a possible reason for not taking part in the applause, i.e. engagement elsewhere, in some important activity.

Otherwise human reasoning – annulled their hearing. Because the hearing of the call to corporate applauding – demanded response.

They heard and didn’t hear, at the same time. Because they did not respond.

So it is with the gospel message, or any message of truth that calls for a right response.

In the corporate applauding situation, it’s easy to conclude that those who heard are non-appreciators.

We conclude they didn’t hear by virtue of their lack of response to this small act of appreciation, because they didn’t join in.

This is an illustration of how to hear and yet not hear.

So hearing and understanding can be two different things, in this instance. 

Usually understanding provokes your will to do something, this affirms that you heard and understood. Understanding usually calls for response of some kind.

Where am I going with all this?

Well not to disappoint your expectation of the spiritual point.🙂

Jesus said:

Matthew 13:19

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

What way are we meant to hear and respond to spiritual truths?

If there is no response – does that reveal that we have heard and yet not heard? Heard – according to this verse and not properly understood?

If you don’t like the idea of being a person that doesn’t ‘get it’, one who doesn’t properly understand – you can examine it further until you do.

In the verse above – those referred to, didn’t hear and understand – I submit to you – because they did not act upon what they heard, even if the response was to simply explore the thoughts and words of the gospel further.

Jesus said:

John 8:

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

So hearing/understanding/believing/responding with action/ are inextricably linked.

True spiritual hearing is followed by understanding and by a choice of the will to believe.

Jesus said:

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 

You and I – MUST be born again – according to The Lord Jesus Christ.

MUST is pretty emphatic.

Do we understand what this means? Then we shall take the necessary ACTIONS  to prove we understand in the truest sense.

 

 

No violence

No violence 

‘Over and out!’ he shouted down the phone

‘Over and out?’ I asked – reasons for – unknown

‘Yes we always part that way,’ he said

‘Leftover from back in the day’

 

He was talking to an old school friend

The one who used to drive him round the bend

Marvellous what the years can change

When we mature and rearrange

Our thinking – on things once in concrete

We learn life is not so black and white

Things that before we held in a tight grip

We can now studiously allow to slip

And though we hold our principles fast

We embrace differences – so friendships will last

So into the air I say:

Agree to differ – and from all violence turn away