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Like a meteor ripping into our hemisphere and lights up the whole sky, this was but a dim flickering light compared to him-Jesus the light of all men, which had been incarnated within the virgin womb of a young Jewish girl.
When the birth of the Christ child happened there was an angelic host that appeared to a group of shepherds proclaiming the promised ones introduction into our space, time and history had come.
The shepherds went and found this child exactly where the angel had said he would be, and after they had seen him, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, and it says that Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Eight days later Mary and Joseph take the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, and in the process of doing this, once again this child is singled out and particularly by one Simeon, who says many different things regarding the child but this in particular, is what has captured my thoughts.
“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-- and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
Its this sword piercing stuff that I want to think out loud about, you know, the Prince of Peace stuff, only this Prince is wielding (brandishing) a very sharp sword in his hands.
Back in 2002 there was a series on television called ‘Firefly’, I honestly don’t ever remember seeing it at the time, but when the movie Serenity came out I became curious about its roots and then discovered the movie was birthed out of the original series on TV.In the series there was an episode called Objects in Space where this bounty hunter invades the ship the crew is on, (it’s called Serenity) for the purpose of capturing one of the crew a young woman called River, but in the process of this happening there was a slice of dialog between the bounty hunter and River’s brother Doctor Tam that fits in with my pondering here regarding ‘His sword piercing our souls’.
‘Have you (the bounty hunter asking Tam) been shot-No…You ought to be shot…or stabbed, loose a leg. To be a surgeon you know?To know what kind of pain you are dealing with. They make psychiatrists get psychoanalyzed before they can get certified… but they don’t make a surgeon get cut on…does that seem right to you’?
It is so easy to parrot the words, ‘I know what you’re going through’, without having the remotest clue of their pain, I know, I’ve done that.I would imagine there are many folks who have never known the addictions of drugs, sexual permissiveness or other in your face bondages/vices, and I don’t see God the Father requiring us to have experienced drunkenness (or other bondages) so that we can relate to those in slavery to alcohol.
But I do see Him making it very clear that even the Mother of Jesus was not going to be exempted from a sword piercing her very soul, and like wise I am inclined to believe none of us will get away from this soul piercing encounter with the sword brandishing Prince of Peace.
Like with Doctor Tam and the bounty hunter’s remarks regarding Tam’s need to be made aware experientially of the pain most folks walk in every day, there is a much needed soul piercing required in all who have flesh, as it were a heart circumcision that will address these issues.
As I was walking to work this morning, I sensed Papa speaking most clearly to me, and here are some of those thoughts. The sicknesses of sins influence within our flesh resorts to this demented logic, our works or lack thereof either qualify or disqualify us for or from the grace of God. Papa says to both-the religious flesh group-your works do not qualify you for my grace and to the sinful flesh group- your lack of works do NOT disqualify you from my grace. We qualify for his grace based upon His unconditional love, nothing more or less!! And it’s the wonder of this unfolding revelation caused by His sword-word piercing the core of our being bringing us to clearly see our true condition and recognize the total depravity of our flesh. So that we might be led to the place of hearing, ‘Blessed are you, who no longer measure yourself within fleshly means.
This majestic work of grace freeing us from the lies of knowing we are deserving of his grace because of what we have done, and for others, freeing them for all that they have not done to deserve His grace.
Rich
When the birth of the Christ child happened there was an angelic host that appeared to a group of shepherds proclaiming the promised ones introduction into our space, time and history had come.
The shepherds went and found this child exactly where the angel had said he would be, and after they had seen him, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, and it says that Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Eight days later Mary and Joseph take the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, and in the process of doing this, once again this child is singled out and particularly by one Simeon, who says many different things regarding the child but this in particular, is what has captured my thoughts.
“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-- and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
Its this sword piercing stuff that I want to think out loud about, you know, the Prince of Peace stuff, only this Prince is wielding (brandishing) a very sharp sword in his hands.
Back in 2002 there was a series on television called ‘Firefly’, I honestly don’t ever remember seeing it at the time, but when the movie Serenity came out I became curious about its roots and then discovered the movie was birthed out of the original series on TV.In the series there was an episode called Objects in Space where this bounty hunter invades the ship the crew is on, (it’s called Serenity) for the purpose of capturing one of the crew a young woman called River, but in the process of this happening there was a slice of dialog between the bounty hunter and River’s brother Doctor Tam that fits in with my pondering here regarding ‘His sword piercing our souls’.
‘Have you (the bounty hunter asking Tam) been shot-No…You ought to be shot…or stabbed, loose a leg. To be a surgeon you know?To know what kind of pain you are dealing with. They make psychiatrists get psychoanalyzed before they can get certified… but they don’t make a surgeon get cut on…does that seem right to you’?
It is so easy to parrot the words, ‘I know what you’re going through’, without having the remotest clue of their pain, I know, I’ve done that.I would imagine there are many folks who have never known the addictions of drugs, sexual permissiveness or other in your face bondages/vices, and I don’t see God the Father requiring us to have experienced drunkenness (or other bondages) so that we can relate to those in slavery to alcohol.
But I do see Him making it very clear that even the Mother of Jesus was not going to be exempted from a sword piercing her very soul, and like wise I am inclined to believe none of us will get away from this soul piercing encounter with the sword brandishing Prince of Peace.
Like with Doctor Tam and the bounty hunter’s remarks regarding Tam’s need to be made aware experientially of the pain most folks walk in every day, there is a much needed soul piercing required in all who have flesh, as it were a heart circumcision that will address these issues.
As I was walking to work this morning, I sensed Papa speaking most clearly to me, and here are some of those thoughts. The sicknesses of sins influence within our flesh resorts to this demented logic, our works or lack thereof either qualify or disqualify us for or from the grace of God. Papa says to both-the religious flesh group-your works do not qualify you for my grace and to the sinful flesh group- your lack of works do NOT disqualify you from my grace. We qualify for his grace based upon His unconditional love, nothing more or less!! And it’s the wonder of this unfolding revelation caused by His sword-word piercing the core of our being bringing us to clearly see our true condition and recognize the total depravity of our flesh. So that we might be led to the place of hearing, ‘Blessed are you, who no longer measure yourself within fleshly means.
This majestic work of grace freeing us from the lies of knowing we are deserving of his grace because of what we have done, and for others, freeing them for all that they have not done to deserve His grace.
Rich
2 comments:
I hope I can truly get a grip on this!
Thanks for your thoughts! And your encouragement, once again, on my blog!!
free spirit,
Here's the real kicker, He will never loose His grip on you!
As far as my thoughts and encouragement, there is nothing I long for more, than experiencing this unfolding mystery of His grace and seeing it releasing others from their grave clothes.
Isn't it glorious that all we have is Him and His ability to make real (in us) all that He has promised us~ and that you can take to the bank! :)
Richard
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