Go? No, “Come”

False religion says “Go.”

– go to Rome, to Mecca, to Ganges, to vortex points.

Christ says “Come.”

– “Come unto Me”

Mat 11.28 

– eab, 6/21/11

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Jesus the Stone

Jesus died at the hands

of the next-to-last “world power,”Rome.

Soon, Jesus the Stone, will crush to powder

all world powers.          

– eab,7/20/2006

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MORNING CAME TO STAY

It was evening on Golgotha,

For the second time that day. [1]  

They had taken down a Form,

Grave-wrap’d and carried it away

Rome, its mission over,

Clattered off with cadent pride.

It was dark in old Jerusalem. 

The Prince of Peace had died.

v 2

It was silent in the chamber

Where eleven men had fled

He had promised so much victory,

Oh, the glor’ous things He’d said.

But they’d heard the thud of hammers,

Seen the life-blood flow.

They thought their senses told them,

All they’d need to know.

v3

Now the Spirit says expressly

That a drifting trend will come.

Oh, the world be too much with us,

Seems to us too much like home

But the Father, He is with us;

Helps us meet our goal

There’s vict’ry for the sinner,

There’s filling, un- fill’d soul.

v4     

O, remember saint, Christ loves you,

Always has, and always will.

And the morning soon will open,

Fill’d with joyous, raptured thrill!

All four kingdoms of the world,

Will bow before our King.

Millions, past and present will,

Join voices as we sing.

Chorus

Christ was triumphant over sin. Is now triumphant.

And He’ll always Conquer’r be.

He is triumphant.  He is triumphant.

He has brought man victory. [2]

          – 9/29/2000

 

 

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^[1] In some ways the hardest line of any poem is the first. This idea came as a new thought – two evenings in one day.

^[2] Written in my associate professor office during the week and sung in the night service 10/1/2000.  (Pastor Pierpoint thought someone he’d known years ago had written it.)

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IN A NUTSHELL

Upon a tree with serrated leaf, I found,

A fresh nut growing, smooth and round.

It had grown all summer, at its best,

But September still found it far from rest.

Its shape was right, its form – “No sweat.”

But maturity it was striving for, and

Hadn’t reached there yet.

Its size told that, a little small,

Give it time, “Rome wasn’t built in a fall.”

Its color also revealed its youth,

Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t uncouth.

It just lacked the brown of Autumn’s tone,

The pastel acorns claim for their own.

I’m sure given time it will be just right,

Big, full-fruited, sealed “Tupperware”-tight,

Grown-up color, maturity’s stroke,

The future, miniature, enduring oak.

But this morning, it’s not ready for all that,

Growing feet above the forest floor mat.

This morning it’s ready to be youthful and green,

To stick by its place and flourish unseen.

 

I’ve expressed in part what I felt to tell,

Youth to maturity – in a nutshell. 

                                       Farewell.     

 – eab, 9/76

 Written while I working with Christ Church – Bible Methodist, Christ College and Christ Academy in Friendsville, TN, but on a visit to Cincinnati.

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Isaac Newton, Sir – death, Mar. 31, 1727

Daniel was in the greatest credit amongst the Jews, till the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: and to reject his Prophecies, is to reject the Christian religion. For this religion is founded upon his Prophecy concerning the Messiah.

– Isaac Newton, OBSERVATIONS upon the PROPHECIES of DANIEL and the APOCALYPSE of St. JOHN (LONDON: Printed by J. DARBY and T. BROWNE, 1733), chap 3.

 

Soon after, upon Christmas-day, the people of Rome, who had hitherto elected their Bishop, and reckoned that they and their Senate inherited the rights of the antient Senate and people of Rome, voted Charles their Emperor, and subjected themselves to him in such manner as the old Roman Empire and their Senate were subjected to the old Roman Emperors. The Pope crowned him, and anointed him with holy oil, and worshipped him on his knees after the manner of adoring the old Roman Emperors; as the aforesaid Poet thus relates:

– Isaac Newton, OBSERVATIONS upon the PROPHECIES of DANIEL and the APOCALYPSE of St. JOHN (LONDON: Printed by J. DARBY and T. BROWNE, 1733), chap 7.

This Leopard reigning in his four heads, signifies the same thing with the He-Goat reigning in his four horns: and therefore the He-Goat reigned in his four horns till the rise of Daniel‘s fourth Beast, or Empire of the Latins:

– Isaac Newton, OBSERVATIONS upon the PROPHECIES of DANIEL and the APOCALYPSE of St. JOHN (LONDON: Printed by J. DARBY and T. BROWNE, 1733), chap 9.

 

The Prophecy of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven relates to the second coming of Christ; that of the Prince of the host relates to his first coming: and this Prophecy of the Messiah, in explaining them, relates to both comings, and assigns the times thereof.

– Isaac Newton, OBSERVATIONS upon the PROPHECIES of DANIEL and the APOCALYPSE of St. JOHN (LONDON: Printed by J. DARBY and T. BROWNE, 1733), chap 10.

We avoid also the doing violence to the language of Daniel, by taking the seven weeks and sixty two weeks for one number. Had that been Daniel‘s meaning, he would have said sixty and nine weeks, and not seven weeks and sixty two weeks, a way of numbring used by no nation.

– Isaac Newton, OBSERVATIONS upon the PROPHECIES of DANIEL and the APOCALYPSE of St. JOHN (LONDON: Printed by J. DARBY and T. BROWNE, 1733), chap 10.

Isaac Newton died this date (3/31/1727-N.S.) Kensington, England.

 

 

 

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The Fullness of Time – Twice

The Greeks had developed their own way of talking,

A language with more than one way to say “love,”

And spread it abroad by tough sailing and walking,

From major port cities to high towns above.

 

The city of Rome had become its own nation;

Was mighty in men and machinery of wrath.

Long roads now connected each distant war station,

Flagged stones lay in order o’er many a “path.”

 

While kings in the East with a studied reliance,

Had carefully placed many stars on their chart. 

From speaking, to fighting, to far-away-science,

It seemed a new era was ready to start.

 

Yes.  Formal, predictable ritual held sway.

God, in His power was all but forgotten.

But glorious, wonderful, Son-perfect day;

The fullness of time came–He sent His begotten!

 

Exact parallels would be foolish to muster,

But some similarities seem to be found.

Greek is no longer the language to utter,

It’s English that’s now the wide-world-wanted sound.

 

But Rome still controls, iron-and-clay yet exists;

From titles like “senate,” to shapes of  “domed roofs.”

And Rome-borrowed gods and Greek words do persist;

Try “Juno,” “Apollo,” and “Titan” for proofs.

 

Ritual is freshly re-gripping most churches.

A “calendar year” is once more being heard.

Toward broadway, broadway the movement now lurches

Nor is “eucharist” (mass) an in-Bible word.

 

Christ came the first time when God opened time-gates

And He’ll come again when conditions are right.

But antichrist also awaits with his pit-mates.

The false may come first–as “an angel of light.”

 

By “modern” assemblies pure saints are thought odd;

Who celebrate nothing–nor worship the earth.

The saints will be caught up when God gives His nod.

His Return will surprise; as His first did, at birth.     –eab, 12/3/98

  

Written while pastoring in Olathe, Kansas – NOTE, written ONE  DECADE  AGO

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