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I asked the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, he is Jesus the Messiah and there is no other like him, what he says next. He replies to all, again,

“Return all things to My Order, for the King of Heaven is at hand!”

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: “Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people: ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?‘

 “‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’—God is speaking.

“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’

“‘Get to work, all you people!’—God is speaking.

“‘Yes, get to work! For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.’

“This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

‘I own the silver,
    I own the gold.’
        Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

“‘This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), God’s Message came to Haggai: “God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling. If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?”

The priests said, “No.”

Then Haggai said, “How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse—if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?”

The priests said, “Yes, it will be contaminated.”

Then Haggai said, “‘So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.’ God says so.

“‘Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, how did it go with you? Isn’t it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops—half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine? I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn’t seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.’ God’s Decree.

“‘Now think ahead from this same date—this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched. Has anything in your fields—vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree—failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.’”

God’s Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month: “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:

“‘I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom—overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another. And on that day’”—this is God’s Message—“‘I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I’ve looked over the field and chosen you for this work.’” The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

The sable black field represents the dark rule of the oppressors. The flaming sword of liberation represents the avenging justice that breaks the enemy’s tyrannical rule. The rainbow above represents the hopes of many peoples throughout the earth for cleansing liberty. The sky of azure blue represents the heavens where all is right in order to support the righteous hope at hand below.

The Kansas Cyclone, a member of “the class that the stars fell on,” wrote to the Greatest Generation for the Longest Day. A day of great sacrifice and long struggle that became the greatest day in human history. It is our hope that today the next greatest generation will be embolden to sacrifice and struggle for the Great Day of the Lord.

From: SUPREME HEADQUARTERS

To: ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Warriors, trustworthy angels and humans, all servants and witnesses of the Creator, to all the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many millennia. The eyes of the world and heavens are upon you. The hope and prayers of all the saints and liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies, brothers and sisters and angels-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the Enemy’s war machine, the elimination of Satan’s tyranny over the oppressed earth and all peoples, and restore security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is will trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 5781! Much has happened since the enemies’ triumphs, our Allies have inflicted upon them great defeats, in open battle, hand-to-hand. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighters. The tide has turned! The free peoples of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.’

Amen

(2/7)

I asked my Lord, he is Jesus the Messiah and there is no other like him, when to reveal this and the Creator and Sustainer of all things said to me…

“I warrant it now, because it is ordained for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Therefore, De Jure, from the reigning King of a rectified heavens, I present a signal from those renewed heavens to the earth below… to all elements, spirits, and creatures therein:

Remember this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

 God spoke: “Light!”
        And light appeared.
    God saw that light was good
        and separated light from dark.
    God named the light Day,
        he named the dark Night.
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day One.

God spoke: “Sky! In the middle of the waters;
        separate water from water!”
    God made sky.
    He separated the water under sky
        from the water above sky.
    And there it was:
        he named sky the Heavens;
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Two.

God spoke: “Separate!
        Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place;
    Land, appear!”
        And there it was.
    God named the land Earth.
        He named the pooled water Ocean.
    God saw that it was good.

God spoke: “Earth, green up! Grow all varieties
        of seed-bearing plants,
    Every sort of fruit-bearing tree.”
        And there it was.
    Earth produced green seed-bearing plants,
        all varieties,
    And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts.
        God saw that it was good.
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Three.

God spoke: “Lights! Come out!
        Shine in Heaven’s sky!
    Separate Day from Night.
        Mark seasons and days and years,
    Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.”
        And there it was.

God made two big lights, the larger
        to take charge of Day,
    The smaller to be in charge of Night;
        and he made the stars.
    God placed them in the heavenly sky
        to light up Earth
    And oversee Day and Night,
        to separate light and dark.
    God saw that it was good.
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Four.

God spoke: “Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
        Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!”
    God created the huge whales,
        all the swarm of life in the waters,
    And every kind and species of flying birds.
        God saw that it was good.
    God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
        Birds, reproduce on Earth!”
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Five.

God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
        cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.”
    And there it was:
        wild animals of every kind,
    Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
        God saw that it was good.

God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them
        reflecting our nature
    So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
        the birds in the air, the cattle,
    And, yes, Earth itself,
        and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
    God created human beings;
        he created them godlike,
    Reflecting God’s nature.
        He created them male and female.
    God blessed them:
        “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
    Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
        for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth!”

Then God said, “I’ve given you
        every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
    And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,
        given them to you for food.
    To all animals and all birds,
        everything that moves and breathes,
    I give whatever grows out of the ground for food.”
        And there it was.

God looked over everything he had made;
        it was so good, so very good!
    It was evening, it was morning—
    Day Six.

Heaven and Earth were finished,
    down to the last detail.

By the seventh day
        God had finished his work.
    On the seventh day
        he rested from all his work.
    God blessed the seventh day.
        He made it a Holy Day
    Because on that day he rested from his work,
        all the creating God had done.

This is the story of how it all started,
    of Heaven and Earth when they were created.

“Houston… Heights Base here… the Spirit has landed…”

“That’s one small step for God, one giant leap for humanity…”

Amen

(1/7)

When I returned from sabbatical, this was the first message of resonance that I encountered. Almost immediately, I knew that I was not alone down here. I was undone all over again among the ashes wrought by an unclean people. Engaging with the most fallen people in the most fallen place in the world seemed a most dubious blessing. I asked for that as a young man and thought I was clear of it.

David has long been one of my favorite ethicists. I disagree profoundly with a few of his conclusions, as too in the moment, but his premises are right and his desire is blessed. The story of God’s people has always been about progress, not perfection, not quite yet. Overall, this speech is even more oracular today than it was then. It is worth more than a day’s fast.

American evangelicals were confronted by God and the oppressed for seven years about their support of our corruption among the nations. How long could they be useful to save the nations while also sowing death and destruction in the Lord’s fields? They failed to respond correctly. Therefore, in September of 2008 they lost their beloved empire.

Through continued disobedience, now God and the oppressed confront them about their support for despotism within the rotten walls of their fallen republic of self-rule. How can they take refuge in God as they reject refugees? How can they claim Familial bonds while creating widows and orphans? How can they claim God’s Sacrifice for their salvation while they cannot even be troubled to wear a mask to save their neighbors life? Does God desire a kingdom of hypocrites? Hell no, it will never be. Did they not know, did they not proclaim, was it not written that God is righteous and jealous in his honor to be known among all peoples and his will to be done on all the earth?  We know they did.

Their beloved republic is struck down, now. Their response, their choice, toward the oppressed and therefore to the only Living God will determine their inheritance.  It is true because “our” lord and savior, Jesus Christ, has always faithfully proclaimed this as his father’s design. We also know that Caleb was delivered from a most wicked generation who preferred to perpetually test the God that had just liberated them with great signs and terrible wonders for decades. Caleb and his heirs did not share in their kinfolk’s death in the desert of disobedience. It was because of his spirit and whole-hearted devotion to God’s way.

Regardless, God is moving with or without American evangelicals and their attachments. Jesus Christ called them and they claimed to be daughters and sons of the Most High, but will they die like the subjects of foreign gods? How they respond this time, now, will determine their inheritance.

As for me, I petitioned the Most High and his council, for my raised lord and savior above, to strike down the empire in 2001 for his honor and to fulfill righteousness and save the peoples of the earth. For that, I fought through hell, both here and there. However, I still took comfort in the constitution. I confess that I was a bit proud of that scrap of paper and all its hopes and sacrifices. I still remember it. Perhaps, that was my sin. In September 2018 I handed over that cherished sin of mine to my God. The weight shifted and here we are.

I have seen what comes next. It is becoming now. It is holy, perfect, and desired by the Creator and Reconciler of all things. God and his servants are bringing it into being from overlooked  places with forces the wise councils here cannot understand. They are shaping the events that trouble many. But I rejoice in God’s glory born despite the pains of the birth.

Now, beside the Ancient of Days, amongst and above the ashes, amid and before the Holy Spirit I bind myself to the seven in every dimension of creation: I choose to live in action for my principal, Christ Jesus, in believing loyalty and fidelity, not my vain imagination of him, and his plan, not mine, without contingency… until the end and no matter the cost.

2 Cor 1:23, Gal 1:20, & Phil 1:8

David Gushee’s 2018 address:

September 29, 2019
Happy Biblical New Year (5780): “Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and has commanded us to wash our hands.” Painting by Wendy Somerson

His secrets cry aloud,
we have no need of tongues.
His heart keeps open house,
while our doors widely swing.
An epic in His eyes,
His Love wears no disguise.

Our truths are all foreknown,
His anguish we self-reveal.
We are naked to the bone,
His nakedness His only shield.
Overselves is all we wear,
we keep His Spirit spare.

His Love will endure,
the dead will speak the Truth.
In language strict and pure,
we stop our lying mouths.
Desire wraps our clearest cries,
Witnessed agony carries us to the skies.