Christ

I have been a bit contemplative these last days since several saints that I know have passed "over the vale" recently, Sam Narvaez, Adam's dad, went Home over the weekend, and I attended his viewing on Monday evening. I need to get back in to Alcorn's Heaven; it is so rich that I can only take small doses. :-)

Today, my eye caught a little blurb on MWB's Facebook wall, and I knew I had to find the source of such lofty lines. Here 'tis:

St. Patrick's Lorica (Breastplate)

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today.

The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

hope and change

Is it really true that only 53% of Americans pay taxes?

In other words, that *I* am part of the 53% that everyone else wants to disable and disarm?
Occupy your family, folks. Occupy your role as mom and dad. Occupy seats at your kitchen table. Occupy job cubicles. Occupy "9-5" jobs. Occupy ballgame risers. Occupy concert seats. Occupy church pews. Occupy life.

I'll keep my finances, freedom, and faith, thank you.
You can "hope" for "change," but I'll bet it'll have eaten a hole in your pocket.

I am so tired of political rhetoric. I was talking to a 40-year math teacher at PSC's Collegiate High tonight, Jerry Cox. I am completing 15 hours of observing in his classroom this month. He told me tonight that he is liberal and slammed Santorum for some ignorant comment that he had made on the tv news last night. Mr. C has me pegged a right-wing, card-carrying Republican. He answers my educational questions with random observations about politics, invariably. But tonight, he got me to thinking...

I quit watching debates months ago.
They had quickly become pointless and foolish.
Soon after voting in the primary, I was put off by most of the media coverage that I was seeing, so I turned it all off. What politician keeps his campaign promises anyway?!

I am unhappy with the economy.
I don't like my own Republican party and detest the Democratic party too.
Promises are made easily to gain verbal advantage, and then none are kept.
And why have most of the "conservative" ticket runners undergone "conversions" to voting prolife after being in office for years?

They are either too controversial...Newt.
Come on, how many marriages can one guy have before it's ridiculous?!?
I like your politics, but not your personal life.

Too young...Santorum.
He still has young kids at home, for crying out loud.
Go home!
Although I do like him best, I think.

Too impotent...Paul.
Just vote NO! Just vote NO!
Mr. Paul, just what have you done for your constituents, buddy?

And too rich...Romney.
Too scary "spirit-baby" Mormon.
Too stuck up.
How in the world can he even remotely identify with the middle men.

I don't think any of them can do anything to rectify the disabling of the dwindling middle class.
I have little faith in anyone on the ballot anymore.
I am not optimistic about "winning America back."
I sincerely think the judgment of God is being played out on the US of A for so many moral and social evils...
Primarily two.
Abortion
and the systematic dishonoring of God as our leader and foundation.

I remember that this world is not my home. I am a citizen of heaven.
Come, Lord Jesus! We are ready for eternity with You!
This world must pass away.

death and eternity

Heidi Nadolny, my brother's ex-wife's sister-in-law, called me on Wednesday to let us know that her beloved daddy had died. We used to be oh-so-close to their family and treasured our alliance with them. Heidi is such a dear one, and her four "babies" are precious to us as well. My heart broke for her, and I cried, weeping with those who weep.

Her Opa had passed away quietly during a midday nap. Bill had let her to go see him in Ohio for her birthday a little while ago. What a blessing those sweet memories will be to her in the coming weeks and months!!! She said they played games and talked and visited. I am grieved that she has lost him, but knowing he is now in heaven makes the loss sweet. Rest in the forever saving arms of Jesus, Heinrich Lohmeyer!

It seems like Jesus is calling so many people home to heaven lately. I am surrounded by death, and no sooner does one person pass that I hear of another!  It also brings up the pangs of missing Daddy so terribly. Some experts have said that the ache dulls over time. They lie. I miss Daddy more now than I did when he passed into Glory.
Please pray for Opa's children- Heidi, Lisa, Linda, Brian and their families!

Opa and one of Linda's boys

Lesley

MB, Lesley & Tricia- Christmas 2008

On Sunday morning, Tricia and I heard that our dear friend, Lesley Fay Dingwall, had passed away into eternity the evening previous.

Lesley with her cowgirl hat :-)

Oh. My. Goodness.
I can't begin to tell you what emotions and feelings have surfaced this week...
Nostalgia
Love
Joy
Pain
Remembrance
Regret
Anger
Forgiveness

I am just so thankful to know that Les believed in Jesus as her Savior, and that right now, she is in heaven. She experienced more heartache, devastation, hurt, rejection,abuse,  misunderstanding, harm, and health issues than anyone else I have ever known in real life. At times her life was so overwhelmingly disastrous, I wondered how long God would keep her alive before taking her home.

On her "going Home" day, Lesley was walking her beloved Harley (her rescued German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix), and he apparently ran out into the path of a truck. Of course, Lesley went after him, knowing her and her protective instincts for anyone and everything OTHER than her own self. Harley was killed on impact, and Lesley was rendered unconscious and rushed to Dothan where she died several hours later from head injuries.

Les with Mark, Bobby's first baby

I really have had such a hectic and stressful week, that it had not sunk into my consciousness until Mama, Tricia, and I drove to Chipley for her memorial service on Friday. I could feel the feeling of abject loss creeping over me, that same feeling I felt when Daddy slipped away from us three years ago. Her mama Leslie hugged our necks as we walked in the door of the church and told us that Lesley would be glad that we were there. The church fed everyone lunch as Leslie and John greeted their deaf friends.

Les was cremated, appropriately. She had told T & me that she wanted that when she went. I was glad that they did it, for her sake.

A couple- friends of Les's parents- spoke/signed, as did the pastor of their church. Lesley had told us about them before. I thought is was so strange that people who did not really know her were the ones allowed to eulogize her. Two songs were played, meaningful ones to her mom. And then the family said their goodbyes and the rest of the mourners were ushered out.

Lindsey Yoder & Sara Welton, both her friends from the late 90s at Indy, and Danielle StOnge Horton came in for the service as well. It was great to hug both Ben & Johnny's necks, meet their significant others, and see wee Katelyn (Ben's 5 mo. old baby girl) for the first time. Lesley never got to see her. :-( Tricia and I think that maybe Johnny's Shaena is expecting. Of course, Bobby & Ira were not able to come in from Russia with their babies, Marks & Nikki; I think they will be forever in denial over her death. I am reminded to pray for all of them so often!

I was pretty worked up by the time the memorial service was all over. It certainly did not reflect the complex and oh-so-wonderful girl that we all knew. Why didn't they let those of us who loved her say something? Shaena, Johnny's gf, said that you could tell the people hadn't handled death very often. After the service, I was just ticked off and sobbing. I couldn't just leave. It all just wasn't enough.

So we drove around the backside of the church in time to see the family walking back in from the graveyard and waited a bit in the truck. Then T & I walked back to the crest of the hill that overlooked the woods, the little crescent of land that she was going to be buried in. The pastor stood there reverently.

Tricia and I cried as the funeral home guy uncovered the hole, lowered her little lavender casket into it, and began to fill it up with red clay dirt. After patting down the grass again, they both left, leaving the two of us to say our goodbyes. I took some pictures, just for our memories and not to be shared. It was all just too private. I'm glad I took my hankie.

Seeing her buried was both too much and just enough, all at the same time.
I'm glad we held back and did it; maybe it will help to provide more closure for me, I don't know.

Merciful God, I know You do all things well!

And I have just realized that Lesley passed away almost on the anniversary of the first day that we met her, at the start in Equip 2 in 1996, sixteen years ago. I am so glad that she died with HOPE for a future in her heart, poor baby. Her life was too hard.

More later...my heart is too full.

heaven and hell. yeah.

So in my astronomy class, the prof is incessantly walking about the "molten iron & nickel planet core" theory. It has made me want to know more about the realities of heaven and hell. And then the advent of Rob Bell's heretical book, suggesting annihilationism and the belief that hell’s fire is not eternal or real. I know only those who KNOW God's Word to be the Rock of our faith will stand against this "Christo-Platonism."

Ever since Daddy passed into eternity, I have been slowly reading Randy Alcorn's book Heaven. It's a l-o-n-g read, chock full of biblical references and commentaries on heaven with info about what it will be like, at least according to our understanding of other-world physicalities and more dimensions than we can experience with our five senses.

Jesus said in John 14:2 that He "goes to prepare a place for you."  This place is topos in the Greek, indicating that Heaven is an actual place. Matt. 25:46 Jesus says, "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." If one is a physical place, then the other is also.

 So I went online tonight and started looking up verses about hell. WOW. I didn't know that there are no fewer than 49 references to hell as being an actual geographic place, specifically in the center of the earth. Here are a few:

1. Ez. 26:20 – lower parts of the earth

2. Num. 16:32-33 – earth opened her mouth down to sheol.

3. Is. 14:9-10 – hell from beneath

4. Amos 9:2 – though thou dig into hell

5. Is. 5:14 – hell, they shall descend into it

6. Ez. 31:14 – lower parts of the earth, with those who descend

7. Ps. 63:9 – lower parts of the earth

8. Matt. 12:40 – so shall the Son of man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth

9. Eph. 4:9; Matt. 12:40- Jesus Himself descended to the lower parts of the earth, and spent 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.

10. Luke 16:22-23 – Abraham's bosom and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

11. Rev. 5:13, Phil 2:10- mentions everyone in Heaven, and on the earth and those under the earth

12. Rev. 9:2-  demons come up from the bottomless pit during the tribulation period and smoke comes up with them and darkens the sky, real smoke from a real fire down in the earth

13. Ez. 31:16- "Down to hell, with them that descend into the pit" in the nether(lower depths below) parts of the earth.

And then several verses that I will have to study some more: Rev. 20:13-14 & Matt. 25:30

After Judgment Day, Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire into outer darkness.

The Lake of Fire is the final hell, right? So is there a "pre-hell" until after the White Throne Judgment? 

missionary tribute: Bob Bishop

Bob Bishop passed into eternity on Saturday. He was 74 years old, and had recently had health issues including Parkinson's. Bro. Bob was the president of Globe Missionary Evangelism, later renamed Globe International, a missions board that has sent out hundreds of missionaries into foreign fields. I was only 9 years old when I met Bro. Bob.

When we moved to Pensacola in 1985, our large family was welcomed into the Lillian, AL homegroup, comprised of senior citizens, living out their retirement dreams in Spanish Cove "over the bridge." They all sat together, right in front of the balcony edge, left side. So for several years we sat there too. And so did Bob and Beth Bishop.

Missions conferences would roll around each year in April. Former Liberty Bible College graduates, laboring on foreign fields all over the world, would come in to raise support and spread the vision for their ministries. I remember sitting through hours upon hours of morning and evening conference sessions, enthralled with the stories and pictures. Bro. Bob was always involved in the missions conferences somehow. I know that Globe Missionary Evangelism was not formed until some time later, but he always had his hand in the missions pot at Liberty, so to speak. Bro. Bob was a steady man, a faithful man. A man who loved God and wanted to see the world evangelized with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One year I well remember an certain incident involving Bro. Bob. Dirk Wood had been on the field a year or two at that point, and he was crazy for God and as spicy a personality as anyone I remember from my childhood. Towards one of the last fund-raising sessions, he called Bro. Bob up to the stage and had him take his shoes and socks off, amid much laughter and cheering. Then he had him climb onto one of those old rust-colored upholstered chairs that always sat up front, and he shouted out, "LOOK AT THOSE BEAUTIFUL FEET, YA'LL!"

Of course, this is a reference to Isaiah 52:7 and  Romans 10:15, which both basically say, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

We cannot imagine all the people that will be in heaven one day because of the fulfillment of God's destiny and will for this man and his family's life work. Bro. Bob's memory will be blessed (Prov. 10:7).  We were made for eternity!