The Greatest of Afflictions

by Peter Piñon

The timber now stands vacant

empty of the sacred load that it did bear.

The sun has long since fallen

and now only a shadow lingers there.

All the sadness, all the crying

holds on strong as memory.

The barren cross in darkness standing

shouts loud the testimony.

Declaring boldly, as life flows out like water

and prickly thorns afflict deep the soul.

When sharp nails hold back your true desires

and many want trickling blood to pay the toll,

Remember, tribulation is never forever,

the greatest of afflictions soon will pass,

and the burden that you now carry

will one day be an empty cross.

We is

by pppinon 2011

We is what we is

and right now we is old

we are set in our ways

or so we are told.

We gripe and complain

and sometimes we do snore

We don’t get enough

And we ask for some more.

Our bones always crackle

our knees don’t quite bend

our hair is so messy

and our smell might offend.

We’re old and we know it

we are so yesterday

I’d like to continue

But I forget what to say!

“Or The Lack Thereof”

Image via Wikipedia

Note: This is the second part (Part One ” The Flesh is Squealing”) of a message written by myself in March of 1998 and originally titled “A Lighted City”. It is a message  I wrote and felt, even then, was to be read and not heard (preached). It came to me during a great turmoil in my life and after forty days of fasting. May it be a blessing. Much Prayers and Many Thanks.

Failure to employ a prayer and fast lift will usually result in a positive or negative reaction.

On the positive side the personal spirit will recognize the essential need and quickly render to God, yielding to His summon. Negatively, God’s Spirit will be instantly denied and a greater distance will establish itself in all things God related or connected.

To deny God and His goodness at this point in life is like denying the power of  flowing electricity. Just because the “switch” in every room in the house  (which is never controlled by the provider of electricity) is OFF does not mean that power is not available.

Prayer, or the lack thereof,  is controlled by the “switch” of our personal will. This control allows or withdraws the connection to the source of the overwhelming power of the Spirit of God! When we pray and fast we turn ON that switch that allows the power to flow through us and produce the reactions of service in us and in those around us.

We know very well today that no energy source  is free! Power must be bought, purchased, and paid for. The power company must, upon delivery of product, receive payment for service within the allotted time. Intending to pay is never an acceptable excuse in any and all transactions. Ignoring late payment notices will only produce an instant dissolution of debt in the mind. A disconnection notice, when put into effect, will result in loss of service and inconvenience. The “Failure to Pay” notices are made known to us by God through our reading and hearing of His Word. Most of the time God finds us operating on low power, almost totally discharged batteries located inside  rusty flashlights that we use only in emergency situations. Due to our lack of concern, we are found very weak, disheveled  and practically living in darkness!

How can this be? Should not the restoration of power in our souls be priority one? Are the consequences existing in a power loss not greatly and immediately recognized? Why then do we adjust our lives to the absence of electricity ( Holy Spirit Power) instead of making every effort to reconnect to the source? (Holy Spirit)

Fasting pays the reconnect fees, all late payments due and faithfully continues to keep us up to date. Fasting brings us out of the past, back into the light, even if  His Light makes our  prodigal eyes squint.

It is therefore absurd to curse the provider of power because of our own gross failure to maintain and  live within the boundaries of provision. Constant and direct power means always feeding the Spirit and maintaining the flesh under control.

Not even by our ignorance or our instability will God be made a fool. His eternal  power can and will overcome all.

Let us not close our eyes so tightly to the light and strength that God continues to provide for us in our times of weakness and need. In spite of our ignorance, foolishness and doubt, fasting and prayer helps us conquer and dominate.

The lighted city that we are in Jesus is the grandest testimony of  the power that drives that city.

Always Squealing

Our flesh, when weakened, allows our spirit to be revived and the Holy Spirit power to completely dominate.  Man was created to be a thriving, spirit controlled, being and not a deadbeat, immoral non feeling machine, as presumed by the twisted, socially educated, elite. This great natural truth is revealed automatically in every human during a designated fast.  An amazing reformation and restoration is  accomplished when the body is denied strength and the Spirit is fortified with humble prayer and reverent fasting.

The Spirit is very willing and full of desire! In our weakness we are made strong. We now well know that the Spirit is always willing while the flesh is always squealing. Seeking God at a physical weak point, in our life, is a common  human action. Our bodily weakness makes us sensitive to the moving of the intensified Holy Spirit. God receives all the glory once we reach our physical  limit. To ignore His internal spiritual nourishment and deny our very own spirit sensitive growth  leads to a personal  rejection of God and the foundation principles embedded in our soul.  When overwhelmed by a  problem, a severe sickness or death, the Spirit of God may be suppressed by a bitter and vengeful heart. This is why  the word of God says that a continual, fervent prayer is so important. Prayer provides the necessary power, through the Holy Spirit, to help a disoriented person when they are not able to help themselves.  Fervent prayer breaks down the mighty walls of suppression and misunderstanding!  It speaks directly to the wounded soul and allows the Holy Spirit to function as a true guide. People who are not lifted up in prayer operate in conflict with the Spirit  Christians who do not pray and fast  are easily defeated and downcast. The breaking down of the personal will and desire, will through prayer intercession, open up the miracle door of spiritual and Godly control!

TBC (to be continued)

Sometimes God Puts Mud in Your Eyes!

Sometimes God puts mud in your eyes,

and sometimes He asks you to do the impossible.

Sometimes it seems that He makes things worse, but

the healing that you desperately want, you will find

at the end of the  long  and lonely road of  obedience,

and your blindness will be gone when you wash there

at the humble pool of provision and and thanksgiving.

 

Sometimes God sends you away,

and sometimes He tells you to leave Him.

Sometimes when you petition before Him to change you,

and you want Him to touch you and hold you,

He turns you around and He shows you

the place where he wants you to go, and your

skin is made clean and  new as you run there!

 

Sometimes God allows you to die,

and sometimes He lets your pain conquer!

Sometimes He lets darkness surround you

and the plea of those that continually call  Him,

as a friend, to come quickly and heal you,

is the plea that He seemingly ignores, but

from the grave with authority and

power He will call you

to rise and to live evermore!

 

Sometimes God says “get thee behind me”

and sometimes He  just let’s you deny.

Sometimes he knows what you’re feeling

when you say you never will leave Him!

And when His eyes, full of mercy, stare right straight at you,

you remember the time that he told you

that  the rooster would faithfully crow.

Bitter tears are determined to drown you, as

His forgiveness allows you to know, that

though you turn away and purposely fail Him,

for you, to the cross He will go.

Bless This Food!

 

 

I had a rough day at work and the deep pain I felt in my stomach didn’t help any. I walked into the house through the back door and after briefly talking to my wife  I went straight to the living room couch and threw myself at its’ mercy. The turmoil in my stomach was unbearable and right at the moment tears starting rolling down my cheeks and I felt I could take no more.  My daughter Heidi, who was three years old, walked into the room and quickly headed in my direction. I tried to hide it but she saw me wiping my tears.

“What’s wrong Daddy?” she said, as her big brown eyes seemingly popped out of their sockets.  Speaking to her as calmly as I could, I informed her that my stomach hurt and that I was going to rest  briefly.  She remained focused on the tears rolling down my cheeks and very quickly determined  that I was in much need of her assistance.

“Do you want me to pray for you daddy?” she said, with love and compassion  in her voice. I was really sold out about healing prayers for others but at that moment I could not muster up enough faith to believe for my own.

“Yes, please do, I said.”  I hated myself for being a fake but I resolved not to let her see my failure to trust in God.  She quickly placed her small fingered hands on my over swollen stomach, tightly closed her eyes and began to pray. I watched her every move through my half closed eyes.

” Lord!” she said, with such power and authority, and  then seriously continued, ” Please bless this food.”

I felt like laughing and while I held it back, somewhat, my whole body trembled. It was then that I saw the sincerity of the only prayer that she had been able memorize  Afterwards  she came right up to my face and with a big smile assured me that I would be alright.

I finally stopped laughing inwardly and laughed out loud. She joined in and for a few moments that’s all we did. It was a little after that moment that I noticed it!  All my pain was gone. I was healed by the prayer of faith of a little girl and none of my own.

That day I realized two things,  one,  that God can perform a miracle through the faith of another and  little or none of your own, and two, that words don’t matter as much as the compassion and the trust in the heart .

Burning Wildly In Our Direction

Not long ago I read a story about firemen who entered a multi story apartment building after the fire had been controlled. There in a dead-end corridor, underneath a roll of discarded carpet they found the body of a deeply charred woman. They determined, at first, that the cornered woman made a final, desperate, attempt to find refuge and life under the carpet. But when the firemen turned her burned body around  they were startled at  the crying noise that they heard. It came from a tiny month old baby boy. The woman had hidden her son underneath her body. The baby was untouched and unburned  by the flames that destroyed his mother’s life.

Many years ago our Father in heaven saw the deadly flames of sin burning wildly in man’s direction. He knew that the only way to rescue man from his ever so desperate situation would be through the ultimate sacrifice of His only son Jesus.

Jesus unselfishly hung on a rugged cross and He,  himself, became the great covering of protection that was to deliver a lost and dying world from the  scorching overpowering fire of destruction.

And so we live today!

 

Stoned or Hammered (huh?)

After one of the greatest battle victories that Joshua ever had, he went up into the mountain to build an

altar to offer sacrifices unto the LORD. Joshua 8:30,31

He built it according to the instructions that Moses had left in the book of law.

Uncut and natural stones.

We are the stones that form the altar of sacrifice unto God.

No altar was ever made from one stone.

You alone will never be the total that God wants to use.

We will never be the only church that is pleasing to God.

There is many stones that form the altar of sacrifice and praise.

No one effort will ever be the one that will leave others behind, below or on the side.

Every stone on the altar built by Joshua was important.

There were stones on different levels.

Some stones carried more weight, and some stones were hidden and  unseen in the middle.

Do not worry if you are an unseen stone. God is very much aware of you.

The stones that were on top felt the knife, the fire and were ultimately

blackened by the smoke and covered with the blood of the burnt offerings.

Their suffering, their position and their strength was derived from joining with the others on top to

become one altar table and the support of the various levels of stones below  formed the soundness of one.

Not all the stones were the same size or the same shape and they didn’t have to be.

They just needed to fit into the right place next to the other.

All were chosen by Joshua. We are all chosen by God.

Oh yea, stoned or hammered?

Well, no stone that had been hammered on by man was allowed to form  part of the altar.

No stone broken or formed by human made iron tools was altar material.

Only stones broken naturally  by other stones (stoned) or by God qualified.

It’s not what the world, in all it’s great knowledge, has formed you to be that is truly useful to God.

The chisel and hammer marks of excellency, pride and  superiority

will always cause God to look for broken, humble and meek.

It’s not what you have  to offer God from  experience, culture, education

or position that impresses God,  it’s your willingness to serve him as he  made  you and  not  as you

have made yourself  or even as other hands have formed you to be.

Even today with all our techno babble this truth is obvious……..

………God always has and always will choose the simple!

 

 

 

Hugs can tingle, kisses can sizzle.

So many people will go their whole life and never get to know the feeling of hearing the words “I love you.”

Someone once said that love was one of the few things that multiplied when it was divided. I believe this!

This Valentine’s Day, many kind words, gifts, hugs and  kisses will be  given away.

It seems however that the people who really need these acts of compassion and, will see this day like all others, in loneliness.

Kind words fade out of memory.

Gifts in time lose their  value.

Hugs can tingle and kisses can sizzle,

but the only everlasting true love is the overflowing Love of God.

This Valentine’s day we must show the True Love of God . His love is eternal.

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

The First Daylight Saving Time, like ever.

There has never been a day like it before and there has never been a day like it since.

A day when the LORD listened to a man.   Joshua 10:

The five kings of the Amorites  joined forces against the conquering Israelites.

Joshua needed more time to do the impossible and fulfill the promise God had given him.

And so he asked God for more daylight so that he could save his people and his allies from the Coalition of Kings.

Joshua said something like this: Lord I need some Daylight Saving Time.

And all the clocks went back and hour or more!

And the moon and the sun stood still until Joshua and his armies were able to conquer.

Need more time….ask the creator of time, no one else can accommodate.