Over The Shoulder

so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 1 Kings 1:50

The criminal in us has found an asylum by laying hold of the horns of the altar. The corner projections on the altar harbor protection; they are strong and they are smeared with blood. Horns are the chief means of attack and defense for the animals endowed with them. A salvation and strength is applied to them denoting prosperity and triumph sovereignly from Genesis through Revelation. Surely there is a significance in the psaltry language of them and for us – (1) You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me. Each portrayal vests us in gaining of prosperity or cuts us off into poverty. Even the shout is projected from them in the battle forum. So strong is the horn of salvation that still we can arise, go and take hold and receive refuge without fear. For the horns of the altar have been chiefly christened, not in dead burnt offering sacrifices any longer but in living flesh of the Son of man, now to the four corners of all the earth. Make way for the re-establishment of pardon and protection, the vicarious asylum of our unworthiness raised, outstretched, and lifted high. No prosecution can bring us down from laying hold of salvation’s horns. As that blast protrudes, run to it, take residence there, and echo the ensuing ivory tower; affixed for you- take hold.

(1) – Psalm 92:10

Over The Shoulder

“Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 2 Samuel 23:15

When stronghold has us dug in, hemmed up good, and at jeopardy, thirsty we may become. When the enemy is camped around the well, it’s as if our quench will never be satisfied. And then mighty men break out. Lines are broken through, water is drawn, the gate shutters and it is brought to you. Have you ever been so thirsty that you feared for your life?
The cup of salvation is so detrimental to your being that it is poured out. Though your craving remains a drought, you cannot drink it. You pour it out to the Lord, every last bit, because of the peril ventured to bring it to you. Now there is a new gate at which you stand and three mighty Man repossesses the cup and says drink; all you who are weary drink. All who are bound up and pinned in come to the well. I have seen you hiding and have known your fear for life. Respond to the rescue and offer again a thanks and praise for the appointment I have for you. The antagonist and adversary may be camping but I dwell in front of you and more than all around, to break free of the brigade that so easily entangles so that your quench becomes my desire and in that you shall have unreceding geysers enlarge your territory; such deserts can’t deplete like irrigations. So sup what I bring you, poured out for you, battle grounds of battle grounds Holy and anointed. Amen.

Over The Shoulder

Fight the good fight of faith... 1 Timothy 6:12

Agony is intensely not the usual we would welcome with open arms. Such is an altercation much we make a habit to stay out of and away from as it means the exact opposite of peace. On what grounds should I tussle and wrangle over? I only want to habit to stay out of struggle. Yet the admonition given here in a letter to pastor Timothy is just that; to agonize. Our English word for fight here is derived from the term: agony and so that is exactly what Paul counsels Timothy and us to do here. The passage now unravels as you read it this way: Agonize the good fight of faith. Un-pretty as it may change your heart’s eyes, is the true embodiment of the faithful, for which this stands. Long suffering, prolonged pain, and mental struggle are the efforts needed to win. Fighting the good fight of faith issues these violent traits because our conflict is not of this world; it is over the spiritual domain. Unearthingly, this may not be the battle you adorn, yet be it to Christ who has taken on the very robe of agony in His winning of us - how can it not be then if we engage our lives uniform to His, that we should not also be clothed with the same passion.
Look not on to what you can see in your own glory, but on that which is unseen in power and on that who is only potent (verse 15), making you champion at His appearance. Fleshly acuteness directs us not to agonize while the supernatural pleads to enlist. It’s a choice of response. To hide on the sidelines and agree with the dirt, or to gear up and battle and agree with the heavens.

Mighty, mighty roars the drum from whence the tomb was shaken. Mightier the throb of heart of a Savior now awaken. Quick the hush it seldom seems for a warrior out regime. None the less, I’ll lay hold of the One who already carried my beam.

Yes. Amen.

Over The Shoulder

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard... (Psalm 62:11)

Language is the institute God is to breath everything into life. For in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Human dialect and vernacular often times distort and debase the very essence of their structure. Thankfully God’s structure stands alone because when He speaks, words just don’t get spoken; speech begins to orbit and manifold proportions are had. The psalmist gives attention to the Lord’s voice and so intently hears that the manifestation of one becomes two and so forth and so on. Such speech springs into living value at the inclusion of God-source. Our speech guides us into communication; His into penetration. The touching of His words on our lives fines tunes our ear drums so distinctly that we begin to receive all of what He has in store for us. The power in the singular rendered in the plural proves the grandeur in His voice. So that when you listen and really listen- truly, truly, shapes your reception and the message grows inside of you. Gain, maturation, expansion, and increase are the hearts of the ones after His. In lieu of every tongue you can translate is simply the one thing God has spoken. May your ears ever be so blessed that you pang to hear.

To the praise of His glorious grace. Amen

Over The Shoulder

If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is Mine and everything in it. Psalm 50:12

Self-sufficiency needs nothing. Dependant man knows not this need, for it is a not need and the only influence no one can give is to God. This is the only homology He does not want us to be! Addressing our needs could not be any clearer. We need help gathering our food, collecting our emotions, and sustaining our very vigor. At a lost even, we need saving and so rescue becomes the prime endeavor towards any bene-faction we could ever give. The sacrifice in meat and bird, field or flower is countless to the One who holds them all. The wanted sacrifice is the rescue; His rescue of you, when you call in your days of trouble, for “I will rescue you and you will give Me glory” (verse 15). Making the call ushers in thanks then. The power and accord addressed in being rescued causes the rescue-ee to give thanks. Now thanks is a whole other sacrifice that gets the attention of the rescuer because that thanks burns revelation.

Verse 23 – But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors Me. If you keep to My path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.

All of heaven and earth audiences the revelation of the salvation of God; for the Mighty One Himself summons their attention (verse 4). Those once made sacrifices become insufficient, yet through the All sufficient One, speak in glorious magnitude towards reliance of hope and freedom, which is what having the need for Christ is. He is the once-for-all sacrifice that now makes us right with the Owner of all the mountains and all the earth, tearing apart self worth and the sacrificial system of old, to impart the new stance of not ever having to be hungry again and that you tell to the whole world. Yes and Amen!

Over The Shoulder

...But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? Mark 4:38

There’s a multitude of us, like the disciples, that are ever ready to believe, to receive, and to commit to the works of the Lord; as long as we see Him moving, awake, and active in our lives right? Be it that we would “find Him asleep” though and all of a sudden our lives seemingly take on the perishing state of mind.
Is not the One who created the wind and the seas still as powerful “asleep” as He is “awake”? Must we have to see Him engaging in our every dire hour in order to believe in His power? As Jesus literally muzzled the storm that night, so might these questions muzzle one’s heart.
For even when days come where we tire, where we want to give up, and nothing seems to go right, God of angel armies, resting or working is still the same. All seemed like a perishing time that night with the exhausted Master laying sound asleep on a pillow. Yet He was still there; still with them, and the disciples feared they surely would drown.
This Gospel lesson touchingly displays both Christ’s deity and humanity on the Sea of Galilee then, yet still shows us His dominion and sovereignty even now. Even when life’s tensions and turmoil overwhelms and we fear that Jesus up and went to sleep on us down here; He is present so be of good cheer; trust He is near.
No, we have nothing to fear, little flock. For the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom; have no fear, little flock. Amen.