Voice in the Desert

Thanksgiving Part 2

2010-11-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

The earlier post concerning thanksgiving is not a diatribe. What it is, is a comparative reflection contrasting eternal truth with temporal reality. Has anybody read it? I cannot determine that, however examining Creator’s directives as a mirror for contrasting current reality with His heart a response wells up within me compelling me to speak. Jeremiah (8:18-19^a)had much the same experience dealing with the dominate ideology in his day. Like him, I have tried not to voice what I see and hear. Also, like Jeremiah compulsion pushes me to voice this infraction against Creator/Yahweh and those made in his image. Paul tells us clearly that giving approval to evil equates to participating with that evil. Those who give approval through silence or denial will join the actors of ignored evil in Creator’s justice on behalf of the victims (judgment), Romans 1:28-32. We have got to take this seriously! The European colonizers, our, hands carry the blood of injustice. Injustice enacted by the hands of colonizers, whether personal or systemic reflects the contrasts between the questioning of the “pious” and the instruction of a true fast in Isaiah 58. The seriousness becomes even more evident through Paul’s instruction concerning proper empathy to the situation of other members of His Body 1^st Corinthians 12:22-26. Thus, First Nations and indigenous people across the Earth and the injustice thrust against them should be understood and embraced by the Church as suffering of the whole body. Only when this connection takes on reality that we are members of one another can grieve over these issues within His body begin. Grieving gives rise to the healing process with empathic identification culminating with true reconciliation. Segregation of another’s experience is segregation and makes those whose experience different from our own an outsider, an “other” who needs to deal with their issues. This conclusion born out of individualized “Christianity” instead of a shared communal understanding, by principle rejects Paul’s instruction of empathy identification.

Since the time, “When the Most High gave the Nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples,” Deuteronomy 32:8 NASB His intention guided the people to homelands, “Filling the earth” which has been Creator’s heart from the beginning. The ancient boundaries between “the sons of man” are His. Through the study of the Scriptures in the earlier post we understand changing them brings curse. To do so through the means of bloodshed, theft, or enslavement incurs a double portion of curse. Studying the list of Scripture proclaims plainly and openly implications associated with the process that motivated much of colonization by people migrating out of European nations not only in what has become the US but throughout the peoples of the world. Moreover, the insidiousness harkens back to the action imposed upon the “sons of man” gathered in the, “plain in the land of Shinar” Genesis 11:2 where Creator/Yahweh imposed His heart through forming the nations and people groups He planned, Genesis 1:26-28,& 9:7 to reflect the multiplicity of Himself. Colonial culture today expresses itself in modernity. Modernity embodies the sin of Babel one culture one language turned against the Creator and His heart. Lucifer understands two things about the process of modernity. He draws upon the Fallen heart of man to make a name for himself and the understanding that the unified/homogenized identity eliminates competition, and alters the image of Yahweh seen in the diversity of Man. This in turn renews the Babylonian heart of, “nothing which they purpose to do will be imposable for them” Genesis 11:6^b. This singleness of expression seems to be expressed with, “kings of the earth… were made drunk with the wine of her immorality”, Revelation 17:2.

Drunkenness implies impaired activities and the ease of the ability to take advantage of the impaired by, “mix[ing] in your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their nakedness”, Habakkuk 2:15. As we can gather, through these connections the “venom” implies a serpent/snake. The venom we call sin entered into Man at the fall and the poison inflected through the “bite” intoxicates (Latin root of poison) Man (kings), through the promises of an oneness apart from the truth of Scripture. The most insidious aspect of modernity (and her mother colonialism) hides uniformity under the cloak of unity where even Yahweh’s people become mislead as history testifies, and Jesus warned Matthew 24:24. Manifest Destiny and other aspects of imposed racial cultural superiority often took on religious fervor and unfortunately combined with Scriptural terminology influencing a reaction to “civilizing” as Jesus being the “white man’s god”. I often ask, is your savior your creator and is your creator your savior they must be one and the same or you worship a false god. He who created who flooded the earth also, “… made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God [Creator/Yahweh]”, Acts 17:26-27^a NASB.

So, I ask again in conclusion, “Who’s thankful for what?”. Moreover, let me add “Can we sit together as one at Yahweh’s table giving thanks to Him for His blessings shared in common?”

l

2010-10-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving?

Listen; hear the widow wail over the cold stiff orphan crushed into her breast fruitlessly holding the life already taken. Her voice joins the blood crying out from the ground that once provided life. This ground given by Creator, their ancient land, ancient boundaries gifted to them since the days of, “Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided;”, Genesis 10:25. This ancient land has blood crying out the blood like Cain’s, “crying to Me [Yahweh] from the ground.” , Genesis 4:10. Mingled throughout the cacophony of misery falls the master’s unanswered cruelty cracking upon flesh the ripping whip drawing blood flowing and falling to the ground. African captives taken from their ancient lands becoming the foundation of economic stability of blood stained land taken from widows and orphans made through the genocide of the peoples of this land.

There is a “Manifest Destiny”. There is predestined outcome. The blood crying out will find justice! “And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”, Genesis 4:11. This blood cries out about moving ancient boundaries, society/city/country built upon bloodshed, wages withheld or forced slavery, stealing from widows, orphans, and weak; Deuteronomy 19:14 & 27:17, Proverbs 22:28 & 23:10-11, Hosea 5:10, Jeremiah 22:13-17, Micah 3:9-11, Habakkuk 1:13& 2:8-17, Jeremiah 5:20f & 7:1f, Deuteronomy 24:14-15 & 17-18.

The above scriptures studied reflectively concerning the forming of the US and other colonizing efforts have not produced fruit of shalom or thankfulness for indigenous peoples. As far as the U.S. is concerned, honest historical study reports this nation nearly constantly in turmoil since her inception. The question those sitting around the turkey need to ask is who is thankful for what! Remember Yahweh is not mocked the blood crying out from the cursed ground demands justice, the people of the United States most not respond as Cain but respond with I AM my brother’s keeper. This will then begin the 2^nd Chronicles, “If my people… till then only one chorus of voices reach Heaven and their song is a bloody verse springing up from the ground!

The Blessing of Grandchildren

2010-10-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Poetry by Maryellenbernadetteiachettageniipuffbrokop

March 12, 2009 (revised for Ethan Paul - 10/10/10

Greet the dawn,
You who are loved by God
You with the golden hair
Greet the dawn – a new day for you to learn
Be it cloudy, or sunny – like your many moods
It is a new day – and you are loved by the God who made it
Greet the dawn

Greet the dawn
You who’s God is the LORD
You with the sky blue eyes
Greet the dawn – young warrior with laughing eyes
Be angry at unfairness – fight your enemies
It is a new day – and your God, the LORD is with you
Greet the dawn

Greet the dawn
Little bird, with your sweet laughter
As you dance a new dance
And sing a new song

Greet the dawn as your ancestors have
Begin this day with a song of joy – little bird
It is a new day, and you have the love of many nations in your heart.
Greet the dawn

Greet the dawn
Another new life, another new day
When you learn to stand
You will stand firm for the LORD
For now, you will be held close by the family
Who loves you and welcomes you
Greet the dawn

Greet the dawn,
and the God who loves you,
the LORD who is your God,
the LORD who knows each sparrow
and the LORD who helps each heart beat strong
Will bless you
Greet the dawn children of a new generation
Greet the dawn.

SantaFe Worship in the Square

2010-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Worshiping the Creator, Father - Son - Holy Spirit, with the heart beat of the land! Fathers and Sons - Brothers and Friends praising the LORD!

The Voice of Yahweh

2009-02-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

presented to our brothers and sisters at Christ Church, January 31 2009

The Voice of Yahweh (Deuteronomy 18:15-20)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” Hebrews 13:7.
If this is true, then He who came to the Prophets as the word of Yahweh and the voice of Yahweh is unchanging. Yet, the reports of Yahweh’s speaking to man appear to differ. We will be exploring verses Deuteronomy 15 and 18 especially and how they apply to Jesus’ contemporaries and what it may mean to us today.

First let us ponder the differing reports of how Yahweh spoke to man, and how man reacted. And as with any good report let us start at the beginning - Genesis. The first recorded time Yahweh speaks to Man in conversation happens in the Garden which He planted in the East especially for Adam and Eve to dwell. The text indicates daily face to face meeting between The Creator and His created was a regular occurance, however, this day, the day of the Fall, something has changed! Yahweh comes to have the evening “sit on the porch” and Adam and Eve are hiding. First Man and First Woman say that they fear the “sound of Thee” verse 10. This is their response to Yahweh’s asking, “Where are you?” verse 9. At this point in History immediately after the Fall, fear has become the response to the Voice of Yahweh. Lets jump quickly to Noah and Abraham. Both of these men are reported in Scripture as ones finding favor with Yahweh and righteous. They hear Yahweh’s voice most likely with some fear. However, their obedience to Yahweh’s interaction with them - their “relationship” today places them in the position of intercessors. They also stand as prophets to their generation warning and instructing according to what they hear Yahweh saying and doing. Their obedience further provides the family line from which Jesus will enter into the Earth to be the Devine intercessor and “The Prophet”. Although Noah is not reported to have a face to face encounter, Abraham does. At this time in history man’s interaction with Creator has become less intimate, yet still somewhat personal. This changes as we jump to post Exodus interaction with the Covenant people, Abraham’s decedents, just delivered from slavery.

These decedents encounter their deliverer - Yahweh - at Sinai. Their perception now is earth shaking - literally, Yahweh’s voice; now sounds like a trumpet increasing in intensity, the visual - smoke and fire like a furnace. What changed? Well, if we take Hebrews as truth, not Yahweh or His voice! Therefore, we have to understand the change of perception lies with the hearer - man, who now has a few thousand years of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil influencing their perception. As Paul says, man has become an enemy Romans 5:10, hostile in our thinking, alienated, and engaged in evil actions, Colossians 1:21. Therefore, deepening sin among Men has caused Yahweh’s voice to be perceived with more adversity and His presence more confronting then comforting. The multitude at the foot of the mountain had been invited to meet with Yahweh the same way as Moses. Exodus 19:5-6 tells us that if they obey His voice and keep His covenant they would be a people like there father’s Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob set apart from the Nations and a Kingdom of Priests. But do to the Earth shaking environment being experienced at the foot of Sinai they turn to Moses as their intercessor, after all he just went up there and lived.
The Hears of Jesus’ Day

In the movies there would be written on the screen after fading to black “a few thousand years into the future” as the scene opens fading up to the First Century, we find two men standing in a river one dripping as He comes out of the water. At that moment the heavens open as the voice of the Father declares that the dripping Man is His son and simultaneously the Holy Spirit in a form like a dove dwells upon Him. The setting here, reveals the Voice of Yahweh’s speaking. Yet, does not reflect Sinai but seems to be more like the Garden, more personal. The Holy Spirit dwelling with the dripping Man - Jesus, reflects prophecies of Isaiah 61 where the Holy Spirit is upon Him - staying, dwelling. Because the Spirit comes upon Him, the presence of Yahweh made manifest through His incarnation is being fully revealed and through the veil of becoming man is able to speak intimately the Voice of Yahweh again to Mankind. Jesus declares, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”, Luke 4:21. With His reading of that section of the scroll and His statement in the synagogue of Nazareth the intimacy so long missing is about to be restored. By the response of His hometown they understood He meant that He Himself was the fulfillment of that section of Scripture. As the one fulfilling the prophecy of Moses. His claims make Him to be more then the carpenter’s son which they have known Him to be.

The Father in Him

We normally turn to John the Apostle and his Gospel for the “I Am’s” or the “Great Shepherd” illustrations, but this book contains other direct indicators pertaining to who Jesus is. Exploring a different set of statements confirms that Jesus is “The Prophet” Moses informed us about at the foot of Sinai. John 12:49-50 John 14:7-10

He in Us
Now let us move into the last night of Jesus’ incarnation. He begins teaching the twelve something important. note John 15:15 John 17:7-17 Luke 10:16
“The one who listens to you listens to Me, the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me”

Before the event of atonement - His death - He wants those around Him to grasp an important concept,
Therefore since the Son through the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we are His Body then we as Jesus was saying, on His last night now can speak intimately with the Father and have His Voice. Therefore since the Spirit is present, the very words of Yahweh we can speak, 1st Peter 4:11. His actions as written in the Word we can emulate, Romans 6:12-18. We now can chose intimacy with our Creator… We reflect the Torah lived out, Galatians 4:5-6. This is so because Jesus like Moses entered into the slavery, when He did not have to. Jesus like Moses challenged the slave master and delivered those captive. Once delivered, Jesus, like Moses gives us an identity and words by which to live righteous and pleasing before Him. Man when confronted with the raised up and risen Crucified one can either heed the invitation ascending the Mountain of Yahweh or shudder in fear. In the still quiet voice, or as the sound of many waters, Yahweh speaks to our hearts. What is our perception of that voice, what is your perception? And what is your response?