Am I Asking

 PSALM 2:7,8 
I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have 
begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends 
of the earth your possession.”

It  is hard to sit among those content with the comfortable mundane
  And say out loud, “I am God-endowed with a mission to fulfill.” 
It is a step of faith to stand unflinching and to all proclaim, 
  “I hear His call, despite it all. I know; I have been shown God’s will.
I have a vision of distant lands and people beyond the seas.” 
He’s not forgotten His Only Begotten, and He’s shown His will to me. 
 
He told me, too, “You are my son! Today I gave you heaven’s birth. 
  My precious one, to know I Am will be your inheritance and wealth.” 
The Firstborn of many chosen brothers shares His holy worth. 
 Like the Father’s promised only Son, He holds me to Himself. 

He is the Vine and I’m a branch on the heavenly family tree. 
He’s not forgotten His Only Begotten, and He keeps His hold on me. 
 
So will I ask for healing, wealth or some other selfish blessing?
  For temporal toys and shallow joys, and maybe a nice vacation? 
The ends of the earth are promised to me, given for my possessing. 
 He tells me, “You are mine; ask me for the distant teeming nations.” 
They  can be ours to know and love and tell as far as God can see. 
He’s  not forgotten His Only Begotten, and He will answer me. 
 
Have I prayed for the Berbers and the Bora, the Jula, or the Han?  
  Will I ask for Madagascar, Persia, or the isles of the Coral Sea? 
I can seek Him for the nations, Africa, Asia and far beyond. 

  I can touch the farthest corners of the earth as I rise up from my knees
I can pray and preach and go out and teach as far as I will believe.
He’s not forgotten His Only Begotten, and He has promised me. 

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THE BLESSING OF STRENGTH

 

I have been struck by Jacob's blessing for each of his 12 sons as he was about to die. I too want to pass my final blessing upon my spiritual, physical, and national children. I do not have the spiritual gift of predictive prophecy that God gave to Jacob But with the gifts that God has given me I offer you this blessing.

We look first at the blessing of strength. Genesis 49:3 addresses the strength of Reuben, Kacob’s eldest son.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,

    my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,

    pre-eminent in dignity and pre-eminent in power.”

So many of you have exceptional strength and abilities. In classes that I taught I worked with some of the brightest students I have ever known. So many in my own family have wonderful gifts. For generations our nation has been blessed with people gifted with exceptional ingenuity, integrity, and ability.

But Reuben lacked stability. Verse 4 of Genesis 49 reads,

“Unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence,

    because you went up to your father’s bed;

    then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!”

We too have become unstable morally, politically, emotionally, and spiritually. And the heart of the instability of America is the same as that of Reuben. Our most virulent sins are sexual. In our minds we have completely severed sex from marriage and children. The pleasure of sexual relations has become our purpose. And rather than sealing relationships, who our partners are has become irrelevant in the selfish pursuit of pleasure.

I do not know whether Reuben’s sin was the root or the fruit of his instability, but our sin is ravaging our strength as a nation. I cannot see how there was any blessing for Reuben in his father’s words. But that does not have to be the case for my children or for our country.

First, we have the blessing of a warning in these words. Through them you can see what is happening in your life and in our country, and because of us in the world. And seeing the results of our sins is the first step toward the redemption that has been purchased for us at infinite cost. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can be forgiven. He paid the price for our sins.

Because of Jesus we can be redeemed. He can change our thinking and purposes. Even if those around you are not willing to change, you can trust God to change your heart. 

And because of Jesus we can pray. You can pray for God to change your heart more and more every day. You can pray for your children, and you need to pray for them. And you can pray for our nation and the world.

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WRITER ON THE BEACH

 

WRITER ON THE BEACH

(Have you seen him?)

Sitting on a towel soaking up the sun,

He's not missing the beauty of the surf.

He still hears all the laughter and the fun.

But he's also writing for all he's worth,

Rapidly filling legal pads with words

Of a story that must be given birth.

Jade and ivory waves sweeping cross the sands

Form visual background music for his mind

As he envisions stories on the strand.

All this vivid stimuli help him find

Sandcastles with damsels and their brave knights,

And wicked villains spoiling for a fight.

He breaks at noon for a family picnic, 

And romps with them for the rest of the day.

Still in his mind he's wrestling his Pickwick.

Night finds them tired and happy in their play.

After they are all asleep and cozy,

Laptop lit, his tablets he's transposing.

 (I have been him.)

CITY WRITER

Sauntering through the crowded city streets

He soaks up every language, light and air,

Praying for all and everyone he meets.

Nothing prepares his heart to write like prayer.

He licks up the city's feeling and tone,

Like drips down a summer ice cream cone.

Still chilly in the filtered morning light

A mocha buys his seat in the coffee shop.

He scans the paper through before he writes.

He sips his coffee, tall with an extra shot.

Reading a novel, he was up too late.

Now to write himself, he must be awake.

Next he reviews what he wrote yesterday,

Assuming each character's perspective.

He's fully immersed in the interplay,

Trying out each one's smile or invective.

He's soon lost in another place and time.

Gathering ripe fruit from the muse's vine.

At noon he savors a hot bowl of soup.

He closes his eyes to give them a rest.

He leaves his table to a larger group.

It's important not to become a pest.

In a park he finds a shady table

To weave the plot of his modern fable. 

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MY FINAL BLESSING Part 1

 

I recently read Genesis 49 in my daily devotional time. I was impressed as Jacob gathered his family and imparted a blessing before he died. The doctors tell me I am at the same threshold where Jacob stood. And I would like to share my blessings with you. I do not have the prophetic gift of Jacob, so in accordance with God’s gifts to me I want to apply the blessing of Israel to those who are closest to me and to the people and nation that I love. In the next few months I will seek to speak to all who will listen to these words of Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to apply them to your heart.

Then Jacob called his sons and said, 

“Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

“Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,

    listen to Israel your father.

Genesis 49:1,2

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