Jesus' Last Days III – Acclaim

It is the first day of the week. Today Jesus enters Jerusalem riding upon the foal of a donkey, a path of palm branches and cloaks laid before His feet. The crowds acclaim Him as King. It might be seen as the pinnacle of His mission thus far.

But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
~ John 2:24-25 (NKJV)

I cannot imagine what Jesus felt inside on that first Palm Sunday as people showered Him with praise. For He has just wept over Jerusalem (Luke 13:33-35), knowing that the same people who today shout "Hosanna!" shall soon yell "crucify!"

"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED IT AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN." Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake."
~ John 12:27-30 (NKJV)

This is the only acclaim Jesus sought—that His Father's name be glorified. Just as the very will of His Father nourished the soul of Jesus:

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."
~ John 4:34 (NKJV)

And zeal for His Father's house will compel Jesus to clean it of thieves and robbers.

But that is for tomorrow, Monday—not Sunday, as is commonly thought. Our Lord has need of neither impulse nor haste.

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
~ Mark 11:11 (NKJV)

Isn't our God merciful to make His appearance as King, and then patiently give everyone one final night to repent?

Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
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Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Dare Mighty Things

"Far better is it to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs,
even though checkered by failure,
than to take rank with those poor spirits
who neither enjoy much nor suffer much,
because they live in the gray twilight
that knows neither victory nor defeat."
~ Theodore Roosevelt

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth."
~ Revelation 3:15-16 (WEB)

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."
~ Luke 14:28,33 (NKJV)

Jesus says He prefers even a cold person to lukewarm. Among the various thoughts for the meaning of "cold" are hostile and unsaved, angry and arguing, sinful and in need of discipline, broken and distant. Whichever His meaning, Jesus can evidently work with dynamic coldness, while His reaction to lukewarm is vomit it out. (The King James says "spew," the NIV "spit.")

What brings the person who was once hot or cold to become lukewarm? Just sitting, without movement or risk. Vibrant Christianity carries the risk of disdain, outright rejection, loss of favors, poverty, persecution, even death. And personal sacrifice is a daily cost.

To risk or sacrifice nothing might mean no cost, but it also means no gain—and no value. Those things which cost us the most time, drive, and sacrifice are the things we come to value most. We are anything but lukewarm about them.

Lord Jesus, You paid the greatest price of all history to leave glory and purchase us. You are worth any cost, whatever the pain or sacrifice. In moments of hesitation, please embolden us to dare mighty things. Please let us see the spiritual cost of turning away.

I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: terrystauffer.com

First Love

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
~Aristotle

First Love

"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary..."
~ Revelation 2:2-3 (NKJV)

Those Ephesians had quite the résumé. What church—what individual—would not love to hear the above commendation from the Lord Himself?

"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
~ Revelation 2:2-4 (NKJV)

Here are words I've previously used to describe first love:

First love is consuming. It takes over all thought, feeling, word, action.

First love is driven. It will go around or through and beyond any obstacle.

First love is empowering. There is nothing it will not do for its object.

First love is not extinguished by time, but [cooled] by the indifference of familiarity and the distraction of intrusion.

I do not think we are as likely to lose first love as we are to be fickle and transfer it to another object easily identified by certain questions.

If adversity strikes, where does my concern immediately turn?

If I'm feeling down, where do I first turn for solace?

If I were to lose everything, what would be the one thing I ask God to spare?

Life holds many things to rightly value—and every one of them holds potential to steal first love from the Lord, including Christian service.

The Lord doesn't ask us to build up a spiritual résumé of what we do for Him. He asks us for relationship, then invites us to do with Him.

Lord Jesus, help us to remember first love, and to pour it out lavishly upon You.

I love hearing from you. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image from healthewoman.org

Heading Back, Heading Forward

"Ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that."
~ Harold Whitman

Your word has given me life...
I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
~ Psalms 119:50,162 (NKJV)

If there's something that makes me come alive, it's expressing my passion for the Bible.

I can't help but see all of life through the lens of Scripture, because I see Scripture has already focused upon all of life.

If there's only one thing I know and write, love and breathe, it's the Bible and its Author.

: : :

The above photo and text were the start of a post I wrote on January 16—post #699. Later in January, I experienced an interruption to life and to blogging and to my established routine in manner of walking with the Lord.

This is post #796. For most of the last 100 posts, I've been drifting through life and the Bible without much direction beyond keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'd like to again be more purposeful. I believe a meaningful way to is restore a more orderly blogging routine on a daily basis, and I'm going to try that.

I plan to make more frequent posts shorter. Successive passages of the Bible will be the foundation for Monday thru Thursday, Bible / Christianity Q&A will make for a longer Friday post, something more casual and personal seems fitting for Saturdays, as does church community and praise for Sundays. And although I think a photo can really enhance my words, it will help me reduce the time it takes to post if I put the focus on writing.

I'm grateful for the prayer support so many friends have offered in the last several difficult months. I appreciate any prayers you remember to offer on my behalf as I move forward.

Much love to you all,
~ Anne4JC

Hard Answers

“Warriors of light hold inside them both the light and the dark,
weaving them together, embracing all as is.”
~ Maura Casey

Hard Answers

[Jesus said to them,] "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
~ Luke 14:26-27 (NKJV)

Even those who have wives should be as though they had none ... I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife... this I say ... not that I may put a leash on you, but ... that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:29-35 (NKJV)

Jesus’ words from Luke 14 are often interpreted as Jesus meaning that our love for God should be so great that our love for others is like hatred in comparison.

I happen to think Jesus really did mean that love for God would bring us to hate the people closest to us, and even ourselves.

I love my husband and pray to outlive him, to spare him going through losing me. I love my children and am driven to see them through to adulthood. I have close ties to my beloved siblings and hope to live long on the earth with them to finish what we’ve all started.

Things in the world are mighty difficult these days, and they’re going to get significantly worse as the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble approach. My desire to live is strong, so that I might deliver to the world desperately needed words of hope and faith. I’ve sometimes asked the Lord if I could be the last one to go before the Rapture for exactly that reason.

Weird prayers are birthed of irrational love. Deepest love is not rational, and makes me desire the opposite of that for which I’ve earnestly prayed.

The same love for God which compels my great love for people can make me hate them. My yearning to live like Jesus can make me hate the relationships which bring me to sin. Desire to please people in a healthy way is despised for its interference with ability to please the Lord.

My last post spoke of moments when longing for the Lord overwhelms me. In such moments I hate the people who keep me from Him by their existence. That is, I wish the people who are my reason for living ceased to be so that my purpose might be fulfilled and I could be done with this world.

I love myself enough to live this life to its fullest. I love God enough to hate the very best people of my life—even as my love for them does not diminish.

Lord, help me to love you perfectly, with all that I am, and to love others perfectly, with Your light.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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#discipleship

Husband

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
~Aristotle

Husband

These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you ... have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
~ Revelation 2:1-4 (NKJV)

Rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.
~ Proverbs 5:18-19 (NKJV)

"And it shall be, in that day,"
Says the LORD,
"That you will call Me 'My Husband,'
And no longer call Me 'My Master,'
Hosea 2:16 (NKJV)

Song of Solomon is not the only place in the Bible that describes romantic love with striking language, nor is marriage mere allegory of the relationship between God and His people. Over and over, throughout Old and New Testaments, marriage and romantic love model the relationship we are to have with our Lord—our "Husband."

Jesus walks among the lampstands—His churches—and we see ourselves through His eyes. The first church mentioned, Ephesus, is like the older brother of the prodigal son, like Martha critical of Mary: doing all the right things, but missing entirely what the Lord most desires: our attentive love. And our Husband is not satisfied with the tired, stick-out-what's-been-started love, but asks for the first love a man has for the wife of his youth, and she for him.

I didn't anticipate doing Revelation when I wrote "First Love" on January 3rd. That piece posted on a Sunday, when blog traffic is light, so I'll repeat here some of what was said there:

First love is consuming. It takes over all thought, feeling, word, action.

First love is driven. It will go around or through and beyond any obstacle.

First love is empowering. There is nothing it will not do for its object.

First love is not extinguished by time, but by the indifference of familiarity and the distraction of intrusion.

If love is one soul inhabiting two bodies, then His Holy Spirit is surely put in us to unite the soul of His church to the soul of our divine Husband.

Lord Jesus, help us to remember first love, and to pour it out lavishly upon You.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#knowingGod
Image from healthewoman.org

FLAME

Author and friend Billy Coffey posed a What If? question two weekends ago that knocked the wind out of me:

"You are given a chance to return to any previous point in your life and change a decision you made, but you will lose everything that has happened to you since then. Is there a time you would return to?"

His post garnered 30 responses. Not counting one tongue-in-cheek comment (from Katdish—of course), only four people said conclusively that they'd go back and change a decision.

I couldn't decide. My response?

"There are points in life I've always wished I could go back and change, each one a point of sin... Even if it cost me everything I have now, I'd still do them over to take back the pain I've caused others...

"But ... God works all things for good ... in the lives of both me and others. Do I allow His sovereignty to prevail, over even sin? Or do I believe that if He can work sin for good, how much more so might He have worked not-sinning for good?

"Then there's this. Does the pain of those consequences make me more dependent on God, draw me closer to Him? ... Do I love Him more because of the pain?"

A later comment from Angela well captured the idea that we comprehend grace through sin's forgiveness: "My failures and mistakes ... have helped me see how much I need a Savior and how precious God's grace truly is."

Jesus affirmed that love blossoms from the comprehension of forgiveness for sin.

"I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven,
and thus she shows such great love.
But the one who has been forgiven little
loves little." (Luke 7:47, author)

If we compare ourselves to one another, we might weigh our sins as "little." But the standard is Jesus Christ. I assert that we've all sinned much.

Even since I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus—and despite good intentions—in ignorance, I've sinned much. I've hurt others by seeing myself qualified me to judge them though I'm not. I've believed being right is more important than being compassionate. I've chosen to do as I wished contrary to God's will because I didn't bother to seek His will.

The Lord keeps forgiving my great sin. He keeps loving me. He keeps drawing me closer to Himself. Such grace and love compels my own love of Him with a consuming depth of passion I have for nothing else.

I've often defined that passion gives itself to its object so completely that it does not draw back, not even at the point of pain. My aversion is to causing pain, not to experiencing it for love's sake. Though not yet perfected, this is my passion for God.

Back to the original question. What if going back in time to a point of regret and sin would reduce the pain I've caused myself, others and God—and therefore reduce my comprehension of grace and resulting love and passion for God?

I cannot willingly choose sin, not even at the cost of love and passion's flame.

Praise the Lord, He does not allow retroactive decisions. I've no choice but to burn for Him.

Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

YAH

For July, each post examines an Old Testament name of God.

Friday Freelance: FAMILIARITY

Set me as a seal upon Your heart,
As a seal upon Your arm.
For love is strong as death,
Jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are arrows of fire,
the very flame of YAH.
Song of Solomon 8:6 (author)

One of the idioms of Hebrew is usage of "to know" in reference to physical intimacy between a man and his wife. When a man thus knows his wife, no part of her—body, heart, mind, and soul—should not become familiar to him in a way no one else will know her.

In more common usage of the word "know," surely no one knew the Lord better than Moses. He repeatedly held the power of God in his hands with his staff. Twice Moses spent forty days fasting on Mt. Siani in communion with YHWH. The Bible records Moses spending more time in direct contact with God than any other man except Jesus Himself.

When Moses comes to know YHWH so well, no wonder he desires to behold God's full glory—to see Him as fully as YHWH sees Moses. In seemingly contradictory passages of Exodus 33, verse 11 first says, "So YHWH spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." Yet YHWH asserts in verse 20 that no man may see His face.

The Hebrew word for face, paneh, can also mean "before," as in "before your face." The voice of YHWH was heard by various patriarchs, His presence was visible to the Israelites in the pillars of cloud and fire. Moses alone was given the privilege of coming before YHWH’s visible and intimate presence in a one-on-one intimacy that man had not enjoyed since the garden—but which still excluded the full, unveiled revelation of the divine face.

When Moses begged, "Please, show me Your glory" (verse 18), his Lord graciously granted fuller knowledge and manifested His glory—but withheld from Moses the fullest knowledge that yet awaits each of us on the other side: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Webster’s Dictionary: vehement: marked by forceful energy:

POWERFUL: as a: intensely emotional: IMPASSIONED, FERVID:

b1: deeply felt 2: forcibly expressed 3: bitterly antagonistic.

Oxford’s Dictionary: vehemet: showing strong feeling, forceful,

passionate, intense; ORIGIN Latin vehemens : impetuous, violent.

According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, YAH is a contracted form of the sacred name YHWH, and its meaning is defined as YHWH "most vehement."

This emphatic and personal name of God occurs 51 times in Scripture, and is usually translated "LORD" (as YHWH is, with small caps; or, KJV: JAH).

The Psalms use YAH 25 times in the imperative phrase "Hallelu YAH." That phrase is usually translated "Praise [ye] the LORD," and is familiar as "Hallelujah" or the Greek "Alleluia." Halal is a Hebrew word for a clear, shining, showy, celebratory praise—most fitting to evoke the intensity which is consistently connected to the name YAH.

YAH first appears in Scripture immediately after the powerful and clearly miraculous deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea. Thereafter, YAH appears exclusively in poetic contexts, where the speaker is giving testimony to or exhorting praise for the power of God with which the speaker has become familiar. It is because one has personally witnessed the power of YAH, extended on his or her behalf, that one is compelled to praise Him.

Perhaps the similarity of the name YAH to the Hebrew yada ("to know") is not accidental. New Covenant believers who belong to Jesus Christ experience unthinkable physical intimacy with divinity and its power: the Holy Spirit takes up residence in mortal vessels of flesh. Such familiarity is beyond amazing.

In light of the strength, passion, praise, and intimacy of knowledge associated with YAH—as well as the fact that it is the sole pronounceable form of the divine name YHWH, and the only name for God which retains the Hebrew pronunciation when translated into English—YAH is this student’s favorite name for our mighty and intensely personal God.

You will keep in perfect peace
The one stayed upon You
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in YHWH forever,
for YAH, YHWH, is the Rock of Ages.
Isaiah 26:3-4 (author)

Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Dod-iy / My Beloved

For July, each post examines an Old Testament name of God.

Dod-iy / My Beloved
(pronounced: "dohd-EE")

Now let me sing for my Beloved my love song ...
~ Isaiah 5:1 (author)

His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend ...
I am my beloved's,
And my beloved is mine...
I am my beloved's,
And his desire is toward me...
Make haste, my beloved.
~ Song of Solomon 5:16; 6:3; 7:10; 8:14 (NKJV)

Song of Solomon is in the Hebrew called "Song of Songs." This most beautiful, most sensual, most romantic love song is indeed a song above all others, composed as God's very Word.

The ballad may—nay, must—be read two entirely different ways to be appreciated. (It helps to use a translation such as the NKJV which identifies speakers, based on the gender and quantity of Hebrew pronouns, which are otherwise unclear in the English.)

One first reads this short book as the account of King Solomon and his Shulamite bride, named by him only as "My Love." Scripture's portrayal of consummated romance is the model for wedded lovers of all times. The poem never ventures into the graphic illustrations characteristic of our culture. It instead draws upon evocative imagery which piques the imagination. The kiss with which everything begins is described in the words "Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue ..." (4:11)

But such imagery is not what elevates this poetry as the Song above all other songs. Ready to take romance up a notch?

The fuller understanding of Solomon's love song requires a second full read, identifying "My Beloved" as the divine Bridegroom. The king and his bride are an allegory of the King of kings and His blood-purchased bride, the church. Song of Songs is poignant revelation of Christ's all-consuming love for us.

This most excellent romance expresses things such as how we see ourselves ("do not look upon me, because I am dark"), and how our Beloved sees His bride ("Behold, you are fair, my love!") He lingers over every part of her, noting every detail (4:1-15; 7:1-8)—even as the Holy Spirit seeks to touch every part of our lives.

Surprising details include the bride's ability to captivate her Bridegroom with her mere glance ("My sister, My spouse, you have ravished My heart with one look of your eyes"), and even overwhelm Him with her gaze ("Turn away your eyes from Me, for they overwhelm Me"). Her detailed description (5:10-16) of the One she calls "My Beloved" demonstrates a long study which has taken Him in completely. When His bride describes the King to others, they are compelled to seek Him out, that they might look at Him for themselves (6:1).

The entire protrait is not of submission to a Husband's dominion, but of a bride surrendered to her Lover's delight in her and of her delight in Him. I have attempted to say enough to capture your interest, without spoiling Song of Songs for your own read. The best is left to be discovered.

I close with a last observation. The passionate zeal of both human and divine romance is depicted as nothing less than the very "flame of YAH" (8:6)—tomorrow's final name in the series.

Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Hated by All

"And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 33:16 (NKJV)

"A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake."
~ Luke 21:17 (NKJV)

While in Best Buy, shopping an iPod to use as a pocket Bible, I used their internet to insure compatibility between the device and my favorite Bible program, E-Sword. I googled to get the desired hit, but clicking the link received only an error message, "Filtered for content, corporate level: RELIGION." An employee explained, "We protect kids from stuff they don't need to see." (It was enough to buy my iPod elsewhere.)

Corporate America evidently bows to the notion that religion is as threatening as pornography. Hostility toward religion in the USA has been around even before the masses extolled John Lennon when he serenely sang, "Imagine there's no heaven, and no religion too." As animosity becomes increasingly widespread, it is important to establish fidelity before an hour of testing.

In Jeremiah 23, the Lord establishes His name, YHWH our Righteousness. (YHWH Tsidke-nu). In Jeremiah 33, He puts the same name upon Jerusalem. As when a man puts his name on a woman to make her his, God calls Himself her Husband, and her fidelity is zealously expected.

Christians likewise bear the name of Christ, and with it, the promise to be hated by all. In whatever surprising place it springs upon us, may such hatred inspire our own zeal for Him.

Lord Jesus Christ, we long for Your coming as King, to reign and prosper, to execute judgment and righteousness in the earth as YHWH Our Righteousness. How privileged we are to bear Your name. Remind us that we are also privileged when we are considered worthy to suffer for Your name's sake.

"Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven."

Luke 6:22-23 NKJV

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Flame of Yah

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
~ Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

Seal my love upon Your heart;
Seal my arms around You.
Love is as overpowering as death.
Passion is as unyielding as the grave.
Its flashes are arrows of fire—
The very flame of YAH.
~ Song of Solomon 8:6 (author paraphrase, based on GNB & GW)

"And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace."
~ Jeremiah 29:7 (NKJV)

Jeremiah 29:13 is my life verse (note the large letters at bottom of page). I don't remember a time when I didn't relentlessly seek spiritual truth. The Lord had to utterly exhaust me of searching for it in wrong places before He revealed Himself to me. My eyes were opened to Him in 1985. My life was surrendered to Him in 1988. Relentless search for truth became relentless pursuit of God.

I'm a fanatic for learning names of God. Of the hundreds I've collected, my very favorite is Yah. It is an intimate name (perhaps even a nickname), used fifty times in Hebrew Scripture. It is most familiar in the phrase, "Hallelu Yah" (Greek "Alleluia"), which literally means "give clear and shining praise to Yah." Bible authors generally use Yah in contexts of up close or very personal encounters with YHWH's power. The first appearance of "Yah" in Scripture is when the Israelites danced and sang praise after being delivered through the parting of the Red Sea.

The consequences of relentless pursuit of God is discovering the consuming love of Yah, as many contemporary praise songs attest. Such consuming love can make us yearn for heaven a little too much, to the point of losing peace over being earth's captive.

Though we yearn for heaven, we must also remain firmly engaged in bringing God's peace to this place of captivity—for therein we also find peace.

Oh Yah, how You confront me today! Please give strength for the pursuit and to withstand the flames without shrinking back. Please enable us to praise You with unbridled passion as we engage ourselves in kingdom work on earth. Please lead in paths of peace.

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Foolish

Thus says the LORD:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)

I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant ...
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
~ Psalm 73:21-22,25 (NKJV)

Some people see me as on fire for the Lord. Some people see me as simply exuberant. Not a few call me foolish. I honestly don’t mind being seen as foolish for the way I love the Lord.

I have a confession. Lately I really have been foolish. I’ve allowed distractions to draw my attention from the glory of the Lord enough to become "vexed in my mind." It honestly doesn’t take much “cares of this world” to steal from a relationship with the Lord.

I’ve been blessed by the prayers of those who love me, and by one friend in particular offering just the right words. How deep is my gratitude for such people. Yet I wouldn’t have been vexed in the first place if I’d kept my heart where it should be.

What can this world offer to best the ability to glory in knowledge and understanding of the LORD? A sermon I heard this weekend suggested that human glory is the opposite of shame. Such glory I’ll gladly accept.

Oh God, You are my God. Whom have I in heaven or on earth but You? What shall I desire but You? Your glory is a consuming fire I cannot bear for long. Yet even as I back far enough away to recover, let me not become cold. Please show all of us how to draw near and endure Your glory.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Having Children

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."
~ Luke 14:26 (NKJV)

And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law. But a woman will be saved [preserved whole] through having children, if she perseveres in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.
~ 1 Timothy 2:15 (GNB, amplified by author)

"Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."
~ Matthew 18:3-5 (NKJV)

I thought today's post would be about great love for God willing to push aside even something as good as children—as if with hatred—for the sake of the divine. Then I read Letting Be, by my friend Billy Coffey, about the importance of allowing ourselves to live life by doing a little more nothing.

Every truth has offsetting truth, to give truth wholeness and balance. I might use God as an excuse to give my spouse and children less than they deserve, because "I love God so much." Truly, my love for God must far exceed love of family. But especially as a woman, I should remember that after Eve sinned, she was preserved whole for the sake of having children.

Feminists are surely screaming. Even Christian women may be wincing. And God does not direct or even allow every woman to have children. But shame on me if I use "serving God" as excuse to neglect motherhood. My friend Denise is just one beautiful example of love for family balanced with love for God. There is more than one way to be fruitful for the kingdom.

Being wife and mother (daughter too) is my first work and ministry. I do well to remember it.

Heavenly Father, I am incredibly blessed to be a wife and mother. Thank You for all the love in my life because of my family. Please help me keep balance—to put You first, family second, and only then service to neighbor. Lord help me learn how to sit still and do nothing just a little bit more.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Praise and Worship, Hot and Cold

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving ...
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God.
~ Psalms 95:1-2,6-7 (NKJV)

"To the ... church at Laodicea write: '... You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. Therefore, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth.' "
~ Revelation 3:15-16 (author)

O put my tears into Your bottle ...
~ Psalms 56:8 (MKJV)

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You.
~ Psalms 63:1 (NKJV)

Laodicea had no water source. Its aqueducts brought warming water from the Hierapolis 95-degree hot springs, and refreshing water from the Colossae snow runoff. Otherwise-satisfying hot and cold waters were a distasteful lukewarm by the time they reached Laodicea.

Jesus expressed a desire for either hot or cold. It is commonly thought "cold" refers to the heart frigid to God, and such is desirable because it makes for a more needy convert. But because Jesus addresses those of His church, some think "cold" means something good in believers.

The Lord is no doubt warmed by zealous praise and thanksgiving filled with songs, joyful shouts, and uplifted hearts and hands. Perhaps the cool waters He finds refreshing are tears shed by a heart broken by that which breaks God's heart, by sweet communion with His Word and Spirit in early morning's chill, or by His child bowed low upon cold ground in worship.

Rock of our salvation, no fire of mortal praise is sufficient for You. YHWH our Maker, we cannot bow low enough before Your exalted throne. Teach our hearts to make both praise and worship which is pleasing to You.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

How Long, Lord?

A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite.
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known
Your faithfulness to all generations....
How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
~ Psalms 89:1,46 (NKJV)

I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
~ Psalms 143:6 (NKJV)

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
~ Reginald Heber, Holy, Holy, Holy traditional hymn

Ethan the Ezrahite once waited for the Lord to show Himself. He is now in the Lord's blessed presence, where he will continue to sing of the mercies of the Lord, a delight begun on earth. Like people who love the Lord, music is one of the few things to follow us from earth to heaven.

Surely Ethan knew the pain and the pleasure—the agony and the ecstasy—which praise may evoke. When one praises the Lord with abandon one thirsts for ever more of Him. No matter how close one comes to the throne, the eye of sinful man may not see the glory. In deepest passion of praise, passion's pain can overwhelm.

Jesus' love for us knew the depths of passion's pain. He did not draw back at the point where His love for us pierced Him. We can do no less in our praise for Him.

Lord God Almighty, You are the great and powerful King of the universe, and You are Ruler of our hearts. You command us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then leave us spent, thirsting desperately for all of You. How long, Lord, until we see Your glory?

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Just Any Time

Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die."
~ Leviticus 16:1-2 (NKJV)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus ... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.
~ Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)

Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
~ Psalms 113:5-7 (NKJV)

Years ago a friend told me about sharing the Gospel with a Jewish woman. She was astounded to witness the casual manner with which Christians approached God in prayer.

The Lord has not changed from the time when Aaron came before the mercy seat with utmost reverence, carrying offerings of blood and incense before him. His two sons had already been struck dead for their carelessness, and he no doubt took the Lord's directions seriously.

Each time we pray we boldly come before the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place of the heavens, where God dwells between the cherubim. If not for the blood of Jesus we would have no place to draw near at all, and certainly not just any time we wish.

The favor we have of an audience with God Almighty whenever we please, to obtain mercy and find grace in time of need, is a privilege we surely do not fully appreciate.

Lord of Hosts, how is it that You, the King of the Universe, should allow us to speak with You? Your great love and mercy is beyond our comprehension. Please let us appreciate with awe the favor You grant to us. Remind us to use our privilege to pray not just any time, but all the time.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

The Word

[The Bereans] received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so... All the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
~ Acts 17:11,21 (NKJV)

My eyes fail from searching Your word ...
~ Psalms 119:82 (NKJV)

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword ... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
~ Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

I'm hopelessly uninterested in the latest technology innovations. I'm equally boring domestically, content to decorate once and be done with it, and to stick with tested recipes I'm less likely to ruin. But when it comes to the Word of God, I'm a cross between Berean and Athenian, able to spend my time in nothing else but tell or hear some new thing I've searched the Scriptures over.

Forgive the repetition, but I'm convinced not a single verse of the Bible is boring, and welcome the challenge to prove it. I'm continually amazed that I can read an ancient passage I've seen countless times before, and discover some new thing which makes my heart alive with wonder.

The Word of God is alive and powerful, a sword to cut right to the heart of a matter. The Word of God is God Himself made flesh, and is therefore and foremost a revelation of God, of whom knowledge cannot be exhausted.

I'm madly in love with the Word, and I pray it rubs off on you.

Word of God, You are beautiful and wise, omniscient and omnipotent. Thank You for putting us where the Word is plentifully available. Please send the Word quickly and abundantly to those who anxiously wait for Bibles, a treasure above anything else we might own.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Keep a Cool Head

At that time a great persecution arose against the church ... As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
~ Acts 8:1,3-4 (NKJV)

The rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed...
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.
~ Psalms 2:2-4 (NKJV)

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.
~ 1 Peter 5:8-9 (MSG)

My sense of humor is warped enough to find humor in Saul's hostility toward Christianity, which advanced the Gospel into new regions as a precursor to him becoming its greatest evangelist.

The Lord laughs at efforts to thwart His purposes. Jonah simmering in the dark for three days as fish vomit before likewise succumbing to a successful preaching ministry is hilariously God, whose sovereign plan is hindered by neither human nor demon.

Despite certain defeat, the devil still foolishly attempts to frustrate God's plans. Across the globe, Christians suffer intense persecution. The Lord uses it to weed out wannabes and set His people on fire. And what waters God's Word more effectively than the blood of the martyrs?

Twisted humor is a hallmark of warriors—a means by which to keep a cool head for deadly battle.

Sovereign Lord, thank You for calling us to be citizens of the winning kingdom, subjects of the Most High King. Please give our brothers and sisters in chains (BASIC) strength and endurance in the face of persecution. Please make us fervent in faith despite lack of persecution.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Necessity is Laid Upon Me

"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
~ Acts 4:20 (NKJV)

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
~ 1 Corinthians 9:16 (NKJV)

Let everything that has breath praise YHWH.
Hallelu Yah!
~ Psalms 150:6 (author)

I thank every one of you who reads this, because through you God is fulfilling the desire of my heart. What His Spirit puts in me cannot be contained there. I cannot but speak about my God. Indeed, necessity is laid upon me to share Him everywhere, and to be grateful for all who hear.

There was a time when I was criticized as way too showy about my faith. Sundays were a bittersweet time. Praise time was always conducted with upmost decorum rather than the exuberance in my soul. I entered church hoping for an opportunity to share the Lord, rejoiced if I received such an opportunity, and then weathered disdain for being so vocal.

The Lord has brought me to a church with an enthusiastic music pastor, praise orchestra and choir. My drama team director encourages me to be "over the top" in every performance which gives testimony to my Lord. And I am blessed with this blog, an unedited forum to declare Him.

Thank you for the moments of your day you give to consider the wonders of our God.

Oh my Lord, I can hardly bear the love You've put in me for You. You are exceedingly more glorious than the creation presented as Your gift. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant. Please cause this blog to be seen by whomever You will, richly bless each of them, and speak to their hearts through me.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Oh, that You would rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your presence ...
For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
~ Isaiah 64:1,4 (NKJV)

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! [Maranatha!] ~ 1 Corinthians 16:22 (NKJV)

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" ... He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
~ Revelation 22:17,20 (NKJV)

Isaiah's words are over 2700 years old. All over the world, the Spirit of God is breathing new life into them. The Lord Jesus' return to earth draws near with mounting and tangible anticipation. When in all of history have songs of praise extolled Him with words of such unbridled desire?

The day of the Lord's return is not known. It may be many years away. But the fervor with which God's people look for His return is building. Even among Jews, expectancy mounts for the arrival of Messiah. It can be nothing less than God's Spirit putting in our hearts what is in Himself.

If we sing songs of desire and bid Him come, then let us make ready. Let His Word be continually before our eyes and in our hearts. Let our lives be externally purged of whatever repels Him. Let our souls be cleansed of all not holy.

Let the Bridegroom find a pure and radiant bride ready for Him.

Lord Jesus, can You feel our longing for You? Surely it is less than Your own for us. There are days when we seek little more than escape from this world's darkness. Please purify us with Your Light that we would instead make You manifest amid the darkness.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy