My offering for Easter/Resurrection Sunday 2011 is what God gave me, through the Holy Spirit,  suddenly and unexpectedly last fall.  May it lift you up, especially if you are lost on the trail of life, like I was, and may God bless you and keep you forever and always.   Thanks for your visit.  ( Read it here )

Your gloryteller

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way, about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Today is no different. Wait, it is different, for today is the Church’s official celebration of that creation-changing, world-changing, life-changing Day.  Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.  Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth,  for our Jesus is alive!  Let there be all of that, but, most importantly, let Him be the Lord of your life.

(This was written hurriedly, so please forgive its imperfection.)

 Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest

Of all the days of holiness,

For as the sun appears to rise

In the East,

The Son of God did arise

On Easter – Resurrection Day,

The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.

I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,

For my Savior lives!

Oh, Lord, He lives!

Now and forever, He lives!

And because He lives

So can I!

For my heart, too, was sealed

With hardened stone

And in that darkened tomb

Dwelt death.

With tender touch He moved

The hardened part away

To let in light and life

So death was put to death.

The Holy Spirit Jesus sent

Was sent to live in me.

As Christ began to breathe again

I felt my spirit leap.

It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm

So graciously removed from hell

That I can only raise my hands and say

Rejoice, all people, rejoice!

Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!

For our Savior lives and breathes in us.

He arose, he conquered bitter death, and saved.

He does that, still, today!

An excerpt from “My Joy”

By Len, Gloryteller Resurrection Sunday 4-24-2011

Filed under: Bible, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christianity, Easter, God's Glory, Good News, Gospel, Inspirational Writing, Jesus Christ, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Worship Tagged: Christ, christianity, Easter, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, Son of God

Glorytellers busy tiday, so he let me fill in ferim. Hi I’m his second cusin twicet removed on his daddys side.  My name is Chaff Rantley glad to meet ya its a plesure.

I wanna tell ya bout somethin I read thets causin’ a stink.

I read about that there guy named Harold who was a-goin’ camping and wanted ever-body to go with him, but, at the last minit he let ever-body down and didn’t go a-cuz he got some kinda rupture. Well, I had one of them ruptures once and it hurt real bad ………

Wait, what’sat you say? RAP sure? Haint thet some ole kinda music?  Raptors? Them’s birds of pray……

Oh, rapture?  !   At’s different  …………. Nevermind…………

Chaff Rantley, back agin.

Okay, this here bloggin’ or brite-in as my cuz calls it, aint quite as easy as I thawt.

I had to study up on rapture acuz that word aint in the Bible thet I can find at all, no way.  Thats why I got corn-fused.  Read this what Paul told them Thessalonianses–

Glorytellers busy tiday, so he let me fill in ferim. Hi I’m his second cusin twicet removed on his daddys side.  My name is Chaff Rantley glad to meet ya its a plesure.

I wanna tell ya bout somethin I read thets causin’ a stink.

I read about that there guy named Harold who was a-goin’ camping and wanted ever-body to go with him, but, at the last minit he let ever-body down and didn’t go a-cuz he got some kinda rupture. Well, I had one of them ruptures once and it hurt real bad ………

Wait, what’sat you say? RAP sure? Haint thet some ole kinda music?  Raptors? Them’s birds of pray……

Oh, rapture?  !   At’s different  …………. Nevermind…………

Hi friends, Chaff Rantley here agin. How are y’all?

I jist wanted to say i fergive all ya’ll who made fun of my name. I know what my name means. It is the husk of the wheat grain and it don’t have much value. It is thrashed off and blowed away and the Bible likens the wicked and evil doers to chaff. But God made them good to begin with and they made theirselves worthless by their choices and by listening to the evil one. Sometimes a persons name can bring him down. God would like them all to get back their value and they can by turnin around and makin Jesus the Lord of there life instead of there own sorry self bein lord. God’s grace is a valuable gift and when you get it, that makes you valuable agin, but you can only be eligible for to get it by choosing Jesus. You have to sign up to win the grand prize.

I dont know why my folks named me Chaff, i hope it wasnt to be mean but i dont know. Some people give kids goofy names jist to be different. They think they’s bein clever, but that aint funny. All I know is that Jesus is the name above all names and if i believe in His holy name mine dont matter much, but lotsa people dont know that yet.

So, folks if yer expecting a new little one, give some serious thought to the name he or she will have to carry around all their life.  Forgit all  them fad names or the name of the latest popular Hollywierd star.  Forgit yer whim of the moment or spelling Heaven backwards.  Neveah aint no kinda name.  Fergit namin them after common objects like “brick” or “mortar” or “chainsaw”.  And especially dont name them “chaff”.  Why add a burdensome name to all the other burdens they will have to carry through life? Ask God what to name them.  Why not give them a uplifting name?  This is Chaff and like my cousin says – I’m jist sayin………

An excerpt from a story I’m writing.

The H.S. says “Don’t wait, post this now!”

So, OK!

“Realizing my foolishness in trying to explain the nearly inexplicable, if I were to try to describe the difficult concept of how the indwelling Holy Spirit of Jesus operates for me, it would go something like this:   I am on a trail, hiking toward a glorious peak, a pristine lake, or a hidden green valley, but the trail is full of obstacles and choices, forks and distractions,  beauty and fearfully deadly hazards.  The few trail markers are easy to miss, but I begin to notice something supernatural happening. Awareness, like seeing movement in the corner of my eye. A shadow, a fleeting image, I see with a new eye, eternal and perfect.  An image steps out of my own, going before me.  Only a nanosecond ahead.  It is like my own image only sharper, brighter, more colorful, perfect.  Quicker than a thought, and before the outline can be fully perceived, I step into the form and fill it as it completely filled me only the shortest of moments ago. My course is slightly altered, and adjusted. The Eternal Spirit leads and follows all at once.  It helps me and asks for help in one breath, and the Spirit Man responds and follow-leads all in one smooth, ongoing, motion taking both beings, as one, up and down the ever-changing trail in the most effective and joyful way.  Together. Not having to chase or be chased, unless playfully.  Not like before they met.  Nanosec after nanosec.  Mile after mile.  Parsec after parsec. Together.”

When I write, I attempt to show how things look through my own personal lens.  Len’s lens, if you will…..

~~~

Often it is a rose-colored lens.

Is there also a color for Joy?

~~~

My lens has purposes.

To bring distant sights and insights near.

Are you looking to see the far-away closely?

~~~

To magnify the unseen.

Are you looking to see small wonders

Which are, even now, so very near?

~~~

To highlight the beauty of His creation.

To make clear the murkiness.

To see through, or past, the darkness.

~~~

But, sometimes my lens is cloudy.

At times, smoky, or smudged.

~~~

In those times, let it be repolished by Truth.

Let it be cleaned through Grace,

Focused by Faith,

Illuminated by The Light, Himself.

~~~

Let my lens redeem the darkness.

Let it resolve Jesus’ reflected image.

Let it be placed in tandem with His lens.

For only through His lens can the full glory of The Father be seen.

“Choices” is the first post on my dear cousin’s new website.  It is a very special post for at least two reasons.  It is about our Father and our older Brother, and it is written by a member of my family, my dear cousin Ann.  She has plenty of wonderful things to say at http://inspiredannotation.wordpress.com.  I hope you give her a “read”.  Ann, you express your perception of the glory of God in a uniquely beautiful way.   You have a gift and an anointing, and I am very proud of you!

CHOICES

I look at the marvels in Your kingdom and wonder,

why is it that anyone would choose to live in destruction?

I see the power in Your blood and ask, why is it then,

that people choose sickness, anxiety, frustration?

In this world death displays its power, but in You, life is freely ours.

I choose to live! I run to You! Jesus, You make everything new.

I look at the lives of those You have changed

and wonder, why would others not want the same?

I see the gifts You provide for Your children and ask,

can some deliberately choose ruin, emptiness and lack?

Could anyone really not want You as Father?

Of all the choices we make every day,

there is but one choice, the only true way

to find blessing, joy, abundance and safety

if we would only cry out and bow our knee

and declare that Jesus is Lord God Almighty.

Beautifully written! Well done! Congratulations on your great initial offerings, and welcome to the wonderful world of blogging/briteing.

I’m quite amazed at how similarly we “see” things, then I remember that we share blood – the blood of our fathers; the blood of our Savior!

I know why people choose to live in destruction. For the same reason I did when I was kept “blinded and deafened” to the Truth by an enemy who constantly seeks our loss, our death, and our utter destruction. That is the one who makes sin and death look like pleasure and fun, and who hides the resulting “ruin, emptiness, and lack” until it can spring, roaring at our backs, dragging us hopelessly to the ground.

From the place I’m standing now, I don’t see why people don’t want to embrace Him as Abba – Father, especially when presented with the message of the beautiful Truth written by such a one as you. That you exist, that you write so well from a joyful, overflowing heart is a testament to our merciful, grace-giving God. He has truly gifted the world – and me – with you, and I thank Him once again!

“Inspiredannotation” – Perfect !!!

May God bless this, and all, of your endeavors!
Lots of Love,
Len “Gloryteller”

(Re-posted with permission.  Many thanks, my cousin.)

P.S.  Chaff Rantley is my “adopted” cousin;  Ann is my “real” cousin.  Love you both, hehe.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way, about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Today is no different. Wait, it is different, for today is the Church’s official celebration of that creation-changing, world-changing, life-changing Day.  Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.  Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth,  for our Jesus is alive!  Let there be all of that, but, most importantly, let Him be the Lord of your life.

 Rejoice!

Rejoice, My Soul – All People, Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest

Of all the days of holiness,

For as the sun appears to rise

In the East,

The Son of God did arise

On Easter – Resurrection Day,

The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.

I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,

For my Savior lives!

Oh, Lord, He lives!

Now and forever, He lives!

And because He lives,

So can I!

For my heart, too, was sealed

With hardened stone

And in that darkened tomb

Dwelt death.

With tender touch He moved

The hardened part away

To let in light and life

So death was put to death.

The Holy Spirit Jesus sent

Was sent to live in me.

As Christ began to breathe again

I felt my spirit leap.

It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm

So graciously removed from hell

That I can only raise my hands and say

Rejoice, all people, rejoice!

Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!

For our Savior lives and breathes in us.

He arose, he conquered bitter death, and saved.

He does that, still, today!

With love,

Your gloryteller

Re-posted For Resurrection Sunday,  4-8-2012

I have taken a hiatus, of sorts, from writing during this demanding season, but the heat has at least served to boil something down for me.  Today, while doing the most mundane work, wrapped in sweat and dirt, I was given renewed purpose and also a new way to express my purpose:

To come to know my Father-God’s GLORY in new, deeper, more exciting, more relevant terms, whether the individual revelations be particulate or magnificent;  and then, in my own way, with His guidance, to constantly make known that GLORY to all the people who have eyes to see, and for all nations who have the ears to hear.

I have faith in His faithfulness to bring this to be in me.

Solid stone heart made tender and pliable.

Unworthiness made righteous.

Dreary unforgiveness fading as the grey flees sunrise.

His Selfless Love replacing selfish “love”.

To come to know and, in the knowing, to make it known…..

Yes, this will be do-able.

He boiled it down.

Illuminated

To paraphrase  C.S. Lewis in “The Weight of Glory” :

“I believe in Jesus Christ as I believe the sun has risen, not only because He illuminates me, but because by Him all else is illuminated.”

LS<

Great Evil Translated To Greater Glory

The greater the amount of evil defeated in saving one’s eternal life, the greater the glory attributed to God.
(LS 11-29-12)

I don’t mean that one sin is “worse” than another.  I don’t mean that a certain grace imparted is greater than another, nor that it is harder for God to defeat a “greater amount” of evil in any given person’s life.  There is no sin that can’t be forgiven, and no evil that He can’t defeat.
What I mean is that, from the perspective of a person who was granted the miracle of saving grace later in life, the odds of my seeing and accepting that grace seemed slim, at best.  The awe and wonder I have in light of that are immense!

I also mean that the large amount and the “seriousness” (as judged by Earthly standards) of the selfish evil accumulated in my own life that was defeated by Grace, is a metaphor for the “increasing amount” of wickedness, and evil, and selfishness I see accumulating in the world today.  The longer He lets it build up – the worse it gets – the more awe and wonder there will be when He comes in all His Glory!  That metaphor concludes with all the evil of the world being defeated in due time, and on that day, great will be the glory of God!  On that day, all people will “bow their knee” to Christ.  (Sadly to say, for a great many souls who don’t know Him, and consequently whom He doesn’t know, that will be their last desperate act before their everlasting death.)  For Eternal Life, and for the Great Glory of God, I continue to present my case – His case for evil to be translated to glory, and I continue to pray toward that end.

We must remember this,
Amidst the noise and fuss,
JESUS is the subject of Christmas,
And the object of Christmas is US.

*LS*

My Biology Pants For Theology!
Yes!  I’ve Got To Catch Him!

Oh, my heart,
Oh, my heart,
Oh, my heart!
Why do you race and beat so?
Oh, legs how you run,
You’re chasing the Son,
You’re climbing where you’d never go!

Oh, my chest,
Oh, my chest,
Oh, my chest!
Why do you heave and pant so?
Breaths coming fast,
How long can you last?
In pursuing the One you would know!

Oh, my soul,
Oh, my soul,
Oh, my soul!
Why do you leap and dance so?
Oh, arms how you raise,
Oh, voice singing praise,
Oh, mouth loud and bold are you now!

Oh, my Heart,
Oh, my Mind,
Oh, my Soul!
Why do you long for Him so?
You failed again and again,
Finally let Him come in,
Now there’s nowhere else you can go!

Oh, my Life,
Oh, my Joy,
Oh, my Faith!
Why do you so make frenzied haste?
There is rest here below,
Just be still and you’ll know,
He will wait, then again you can race!

(Can’t you just see Him turn and wink at you as you reach toward Him and He turns, laughs, and speeds playfully away, grinning in approval as you follow precisely in His steps?  “Come on!” he shouts. “It’s impossible not to catch me!” )

Another Divine Paradox

And then I considered Job…….

“Oh, Divine paradox that trials may be desirable,
That attack indicates being on the right track,
That oppression can be a positive expression,
That the enemy’s wrath means I’m on the right path,
That God weaves the brambles of satan’s discouragement into a soft, glorious, robe of encouragement.

When I was newly born-again I was warned that I would be attacked because the devil considered me vulnerable.  It happened several times, but I withstood because forewarned was forearmed!  But, as I grew in faith, and with the passage of time, that warning wore off.  Now, every time I drop my guard, the debbil is ready and very willing to punch me where it hurts, especially just when I feel I’m getting closer to God.  It seems that he attacks when threatened.  Doesn’t want to be forgotten by his old pal who has betrayed and forsaken him.  He wants his revenge, no doubt.  The ultimate stalker.  The quintessential murderer.  Should we take it as a sign that we are on the “right track” with the Lord when we are sore-oppressed by the enemy?  I think so, yes.   “Because God redeems even this….”
By this be encouraged, oh People.  Be forewarned, and stand your ground.
Remember, the more worthy the adversary, the more cunning and vicious satan’s attack.  Be a worthy adversary!

(each time God sits a writer down to write, satan knows he’s lost another fight)
wink
LS<

He Sees You

Prophetic note

To a searching friend:
To a searching church:

As far as your “search” for fulfillment, here is what God wants me to tell you:

You Are Seen.  Maybe not by the people you want to be seen by, and maybe not in the ways you want to be recognized, but by Him Who made you to carry His spirit.  He knows you exceedingly well.  You may be searching for something you cannot find.  Let Him provide the finding. Therefore, be still and rejoice in just being, for awhile.  Sit, and rest, and bathe in the love He has for your willingness to serve.  You do not have to be physically present, simply present your heart.

What does this mean to you?

Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way, about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Today is no different.
But wait, it is different, for today is the church’s official celebration of that creation-changing, world-changing, life-changing Day.
Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.
Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth,  for our Jesus is alive!
Let there be all of that but, most importantly,
let Him be the Lord of your life.

Rejoice, My Soul – All People, Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest
Of all the days of holiness,
For as the sun appears to rise in the East,
The Son of God did arise
On Easter – Resurrection Day,
The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.
I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,
For my Savior lives!
Oh, Lord, He lives!
Now and forever, He lives!
And because He lives,
So can I!
For my heart, too, was sealed
With hardened stone,
And in that darkened tomb
Dwelt death.
With tender touch He moved
The hardened part away
To let in light and life
So death was put to death.
The Holy Spirit Jesus sent
Was sent to live in me.
As Christ began to breathe again
I felt my spirit leap.
It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm,
So graciously removed from hell
That I can only raise my hands and say,
“Rejoice, all people, rejoice!
Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!”
For our Savior lives and breathes in us!
He arose!
He conquered bitter death and saved!
He does that still, today!

With love,
Your Gloryteller

 Resurrection Sunday,  3-31-2013

I “love” mountains and I “love” The Mountains.

(I’m using quotation marks because I’m trying to teach myself to use the words “love” and “hate” appropriately, that is to save them for situations in which their true meaning applies)

What I really mean to say is that I like mountains intensely.  In my book, one can only love living entities that one can have some sort of relationship with, like God (especially Him), a person, or perhaps a pet.  Of course the words love and hate can be used metaphorically and that’s the way they are most often used.  You hear it umpteen-zillion times a day. (Wink) I, myself, hate that.  Oops, I dislike that.  It is so common we don’t even notice the frequency of “I love it when”…., or, “I hate it when”. It’s annoying when I hear “I just love your hair, and that purse, I just love that, that’s to die for!”. We all do it, but how did we get so far from the true usage?   Love God with everything you’ve got.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  That’s a tall enough order for the word “love”. Hate the sin, love the sinner! Another mighty tall order, yet, in those two sentences are found the true meaning and usefulness of the words love and hate.

I’ve gotten slightly off the trail. Let’s get back on it: If there were inanimate objects I could love, however, they would be “the mountains”.  I have had, and am having, some wonderful real and metaphorical relationships with them, a few notable individual mountains in particular. If I had a “bucket list”, being in the mountains would be on it right after being with my people.

Mountains have real and metaphoric value in my life because they emphasize several opposing concepts:

Ascending and descending.
Higher and lower.
Danger and safety.
Climbing and falling.
Struggle and peace.
Beauty and desolation.
Heaven and Earth.
Spirit and flesh.
Good and evil.
And the awareness of the proximity of life and death.

I could expand this list almost endlessly, but you get the point.

Recently, the subject of death has been on my mind. My post, http://gloryteller.com/2013/03/25/one-last-mountain/,  uses ascending a mountain as a metaphor for death.  Perhaps it will become more than a metaphor.  Perhaps I will “meet Death” on the slopes of a real mountain. Most likely it will be a metaphoric mountain that will claim my bodily life.

When I was transformed into a believer, my many and various fears were either taken away completely or were significantly diminished. My almost obsessive fear of death was one that was removed. All that is left is the natural, instinctive, compulsion to preserve my bodily life. Death, to me, is the necessary step I must take to reach Paradise, Heaven, and eternal life in the presence of my Lord and my Heavenly Father. Yet, it dawned on me that perhaps I’m taking death too lightly. Is it really a natural part of life? Is there nothing that can be done about it? If it is normal and natural, should anything be “done” about it?

I subscribe to the school of thought that death is a corruption thrust into a creation that was perfect before selfishness turned into sinfulness and spoiled the whole plan. I also believe that there is something that should be, and can be, done about death, and that is to believe, and believe in the Savior, who was sent to vanquish it. Death is the consequence of our sinful nature, but He accepted true death in our places, so that we would not have to face the permanent consequences of our selfishness. Jesus defeated selfishness with selflessness! Everything that should and could be done about the problem of death has already been done! Problem solved! Done! Over! Finished! But only for believers in the One who did it perfectly and died for it perfectly! (I’ll leave it to you to discern and comprehend the larger, more complex, concept of death beyond the relatively simple death of a body.)

So, that being said, perhaps I still don’t really know enough about death, nor the process through which it will take me. Perhaps when the moment comes, I’ll be unprepared and I might succumb to fear, or find out that everything I thought I knew was wrong. It only happens once, and, although there are those who claim to have returned to their bodies, or returned from Heaven or Hell after they died, I suspect that death is an individually unique occurrence to which the testimonies of others have little value. There is only one person I personally know who has returned from death – my Lord and Savior, Jesus. I only trust what He said about it. That is recorded in the New Testament.

To climb a mountain, it is vital to be prepared. It’s interesting that the word “vital” comes from Latin roots meaning “relating to life, or the quality of being alive”. In my case, it means being able to preserve my life and my ability to stay alive throughout the whole journey; until the adventure is completed. I must pack the essential food, water clothing, and first aid supplies. I must have a map of the area and the route to the top either in my “head” or in my pack. I must be in good physical condition. I must have a positive mental attitude. I must have skills and knowledge, and be able to use them wisely. I must read extensively about the subject. I also must know how to pray and talk to the only One who will be my companion all the way. There will be only one chance to “get it right”.

Preparing to summit a mountain is like anticipating both bodily and metaphysical death – knowledge about what will kill you, makes you stronger. The stronger you are, the more likely a good outcome. The Bible says every person will die, then live again in an eternal body. The only question is “ which of two eternal ‘places’ will a person exist in after that”. I choose life – abundant life – with God.

Yes, that metaphoric mountain rises before me, and yes, evil will stalk me all the way up, but, before me, Jesus walked, and fell, and died, and lived again on that final mountain so that I would need to fear no evil; so that I would not have to fall, and break, and die before reaching the summit. His Spirit will accompany me and I will rely on His strength as I get weaker on my journey to the top, where He, Himself, awaits my arrival. From this land’s end until The Endless Land, I will trust God and believe in The Son of Man, and that not a moment too soon, for now, day breaks the gloom of night, and I can begin to see my humbling,        huge,        sobering,         mysterious,       towering,        massif on the horizon.

^^^

Filed under: Allegory, Belief in God, Bible, Christ, Christian Writing, Christianity, Comparison, Creation, Evangelism, Faith, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Glory, God's Love, God's Promises, God's Provision, Good News, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspirational Writing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Resurrection, Salvation, Worship Tagged: being prepared for death, christianity, death, God, Jesus, learning about death, Lord, Metaphor, Mountain, Sin, Thinking about death, what is death

^~^

^~ ~ ~^

With you

Not only some cash

Not only some time

Not  only my past

Nor pain

Not only my failure and success

My love

True, and again, yes

But most of all I shared my faith

Spurned or embraced

That is all I have that really matters

Even Faith-So-Small

My everything and All-In-All

My joys and my sorrows

To make a difference

THE Difference in hope for your tomorrows

A deposit with endless interest

Awaits you there

When and where

And if you will accept the prayer

Of faith

Of everything with you I gladly share.