Faith | Gloryteller

Hopeful Message for the First Week of Advent

30 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

First Sunday

“Advent” is here!
It is today!

All Creation is pregnant with anticipation!

This is the time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth—the most unprecedented, and unequaled; the most earth-shaking event in human history!
(Well, depending on how you perceive it, it’s definitely one of the top two! Or perhaps the two can be considered one event!)

The word “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus” which means coming, or arrival, of a person or thing.

In this special and absolutely unique case,
Who and what is coming is rich in mystery;
profound in its implications!
Excitement builds in Heaven and earth!

I find it interesting that the words “Advent” and “adventure” are so closely related, which is fitting since we are waiting and preparing for the arrival of a series of awe-inducing, exciting events :

All that surrounds Jesus’ Nativity celebration,
A son is to be given,
700 year-old prophecy to be fulfilled,
The imminent arrival of Emmanuel, “God With Us”,
The Kingdom of God being established on Earth,
Reconciliation with the Father,
Renewal of all things,
Rescue of the perishing,
Redemption of souls,
Atonement,
Forgiveness,
Abundant life,
Signs and wonders,
Miraculous acts,
Great Joy will be made available to all people,
Messiah! Savior! Christ! He’s coming, already, not yet, and soon!
The image of The Father will walk on earth,
The advent of Love!
And more, and more, and more!
And, in the fullness of time, Jesus’ long-awaited final return!

When someone important to us is coming to visit, we know we must wait. Patiently or not. Before their arrival, we must prepare as best we can. Thus, we are waiting, and prayerfully preparing, not just for events, but for the arrival of the Personage without whom there would be no experience of exciting spiritual adventure, no exploration of mysteries unknown, no real and true experience of love and life whatsoever.

But for the birth of the little Lord Jesus, I could not live.
As He is born, so am I.
So are we all!

I wait and look forward to honoring His birth; to observing the amazing circumstances that surround it.
It has “happened” again and again in countless hearts and minds.
It is happening now in mine,
and will again, endlessly, with passage of time.

I ceremoniously light the first candle in the Advent wreath,
the candle of hope,
also, the first flame in my heart.

The expectant waiting and preparation of my heart applies not only to the day of Christbirth,
but to Resurrection Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Jesus’ final return as well.
Advent is an important concept.
It is exciting, yet peaceful at the same time.
I want to make it part of me;
I want to live it.

The first week of Advent is said to be focused on the hope of the Savior’s arrival, as supported by the Scriptures’ prophetic promises. There are several pertinent verses, but I chose this one :

“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 33:14-15).

O, Jesus,
We await your sweet arrival!

~~~~~~

Words and Music for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
by Charles Wesley:

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Mark E. Hunt devised a second, or middle, verse.
I like it and included it here:

Come to earth to taste our sadness,

He whose glories knew no end;

By His life He brings us gladness,

Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.

Leaving riches without number,

Born within a cattle stall;

This the everlasting wonder,

Christ was born the Lord of all.

2. Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to Thy* glorious throne.

(*emphases, mine)

Because of the arrival of the begotten Son of God,
our hope as children of God is an eternal hope.
Peter tells us that the child of God has
“an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter: 1-4 )

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It’s Personal

01 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

A personal note from an old man to Father God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit, off the top of my heart:

The Bible, the Holy Scriptures, The Word of God, the Good Book, the Book of Books. It is known by various names. Between the covers you’ll find testiments–two main ones with lots of smaller ones inside. You’ll find Good News–the Gospels–and lots of ‘lesser’ good news. You’ll find sacred stories that will bring you into close contact with hope, comfort, healing, faith, and much more, but most of all, love. Within the stories, you may find yourself, but you will certainly find God Himself in all His unfathomable, glorious, complexity and also in His basic, unchanging, perfect, humanity.

My Highest Lord, I thank You for sending me Your personal Love Letter.

You begin by telling me how You love me because You created me, and how You created me because You love me and have a plan and purpose for me. You say how You spoke me into existence like the very stars. Ancient of Days, You gave me a name, a time, and a place to be.

You tell me that You were and are always with me, preserving me even when I was not qualified to be in Your presence. Yet you pointed to the Hope that was coming–the day You would rescue me. I see myself in the flawed characters –the heroes and the villains. The prophets and angels speak Your words directly to me. In many ways, Adam is me, Israel is me, David too. You insert my name upon the wayward son, his father, and his older brother as well.

You walk me without fear through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’. You remind me of Your provision and protection. Looking back, I see the times when I would have been lost without Your hand unnoticed upon my back.

You speak miracles into existence and let me see them, and let me know You through them. You make me lie down among words like grace, mercy, forgiveness, hope, faith, longsuffering, salvation, justification, sanctification, holiness, righteousness, and the most profound–love. You bid me study them, understand them, devour them.

You make promises to me. Unlike the world’s pledges, I know that Yours will be kept. That faith in You comes as a gift from the Spirit of Your Word’s words. It’s all there among Your precepts, doctrines, statutes, decrees, and principles. You wrote them down for me. They are like my food, my water, my sustenance, yet You promise even better to come . . .

And it comes as promised. The Good News of the arrival of my personal Saviour, my Rescuer. My Redeemer. You in my fleshly likeness, Oh God, and I in yours! The realm of the miraculous prevails and Your Kingdom is revealed. You reveal Yourself to me through Jesus, Your Christ! Hallelujah!

^“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Truth. There is only One Truth. You made me a scientist who seeks the truth. I’ve found things that are true, but the most important truth I’ve found is that You are True — You are Truth– and all truth stems from Your ‘truths’–they are the only truths.

You wrote me poetry telling my poetic heart more of Who You Are, and to Whom I belong:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” All that, Oh Lord embodied in an innocent, vulnerable, miraculous Child. Emmanuel –‘God with me’.

You went on, Gracious God, to describe the day of my rescue in gruelling, difficult detail. My heart kneels in sorrow. I will never be the same . . . yet, once again, You do what would seem impossible. You conquer death! You make a new covenant with me–an infinitely better one! You’ve given everything for me that I might live to believe You, believe in You, and trust You as my One and only Savior God. I do. I love you too.

There’s more in Your pages. You send me an indwelling Helper. Hallelujah! You introduce me to people who’ve had encounters with You as I have. You affirm me. You build me, You lift me, You raise me. You inform and educate me with these words. You requested I write when I thought I could not. “Nothing is impossible with God, You said.” In your Word, You exposed me to writers worthy to emulate, not to mention Yourself, the Highest Author, who writes a different story for each one of His children.

And in the end, You assure me that I’ve chosen well. You have complete control. I’m old, my fate is sealed. I’m sealed in You, and You are the Victor!
You tell me “These words are faithful and true”–everything between these covers. You say to me, ” . . . I Am the Beginning and the Ending”. I’m still on my knees as, with joy, I read and reread His closing . . .

All my love, dear child, dear servant and friend,
Yours truly, You know Who (I Am)

You shouldn’t have read this, It’s Personal! You know I jest! Love you, dear reader,
Seriously, Your Gloryteller

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God Gives Lavishly! Give Back To Him A Richly Amplified Offering!

31 Dec 2024 2 Comments

At Christmastime when I was a boy, my dad understood the relative poverty of his children, so he would give us each a small amount of money to be spent on gifts for the other family members. That was after Mom had bought all the presents for each of us, spending, most likely, “too much” money already. What was a small amount to him was a small fortune to us, as we received no “allowances”, so we each felt rich as we happily shopped with Mom and picked out trinkets and treasures for our siblings and parents.
Wrapping the gifts was fun, but the best part was the excited anticipation we had for Christmas morning when the family would partake in what we children had built in our minds to be the Olympics of giving and receiving. It was as good as it gets, and after all the unwrapping, and showing, and laughing, and modeling, and playing, and cheering, and thanking, we all felt richer and more blessed than we were before. But it was Dad and Mom, I think, who felt the most blessed, for having given to us so that we could bless each other with gifts. The investment of money they gave us came back to them, multiplied, in seeing generosity, unselfishness, and brotherly love instilled into us and put into action.
And so it is with God. He began giving early. In fact, long before mankind was even here to receive it, He gave us light! He gave us water and land – a nice place to live. In the water and on the land, He provided good things for us to eat – a perfect garden containing everything we would need. And if that were not enough, He gave us His love. He gave us His Spirit-presence. All He asked was that we love Him from our hearts, and display a small and reasonable amount of obedience, even that being a gift for our own good. But mankind had a hard time with that, so later, He gave us a baby – His physical presence – our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. In that tiny presence was contained an unfathomable amount of love and light!

We celebrate His birth extravagantly on a day we name Christmas.
because
He is our everything!
He provides all we need!
He left His abundance and took on our poverty
in order to bless us with abundant life!
He gives lavishly out of His abundance,
into our poverty, that we may graciously bless others.

Whether the gift of writing, of singing, of making music, of delivering a message, of healing, of encouraging, of hospitality, of giving time or treasures, of working or helping, of giving testimony, of sowing evangelistic seeds, of doing a kindness, of giving a hug, or a simple smile, you do have one gift – or more – that you can share with others who might be, in a sense, destitute until they receive your unique offering.

Remember:
God gives to us out of His riches,
The gifts we receive are to bless others,
When we thus bless others, we gift back to Him
A richly amplified Love Offering,
Which is one of the greatest Christmas gifts
The Father could unwrap.

All these good things were, and are, from God.
Shouldn’t we make sure our gratitude gets back to Him
through the proper channels?

Blessings for a joyous season of giving and receiving
now and all through the new year,
your Gloryteller.

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Rich Beyond All Splendor, But All For Love’s Sake You Assumed Poverty: When Absolute Beauty Became Beautifully Plain . . .

26 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

This is the absolutely beautiful poem
That amazing Kristyn Getty recites
As a prelude to the beautiful song,
Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour
you’ll find below:

Into the Darkest Hour
By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle

“It was a time like this,
war & tumult of war,
a horror in the air.
Hungry yawned the abyss –
and yet there came the star,
and the child most wonderfully there.

It was a time like this
of fear & lust for power,
license & greed and blight –
and yet the Prince of bliss
came into the darkest hour
in quiet & silent light.

And in a time like this
how celebrate his birth
when all things fall apart?
Ah! Wonderful it is:
with no room on the earth,
the stable is our heart.”

~ ~ ~

“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor.

Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.”

— FRANK HOUGHTON (1894-1972) © 1934 OMF INTERNATIONAL.

{Now, Frank Houghton was a “chief” Anglican missionary
in China when, in December 86 years ago, dark tragedy occurred.
As another missionary couple in China, John and Betty Stam,
were probably in the middle of celebrating Advent
and the upcoming Christmas, they were brutally murdered
by the communist Red Army. In reaction, Frank did not hide
or leave the country. Instead, he bravely made his way
into the mountains to strengthen and encourage
the missionary churches there. While traveling, the words
of 2 Corinthians 8:9 comforted and inspired him,
and thus he penned this wonderful Christmas hymn.}

~ ~ ~

Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty
for a brilliant rendering of this song
which is highly appropriate to the Advent season,
or any season of a Christian’s life.

Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme
(Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)

A joyous Advent season to you and yours,
Your Gloryteller

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In the Dark of Night

07 Dec 2024 3 Comments

“I don’t know how to begin.”
“Begin with a prayer.”
“I don’t know where this is going. It’s been so long.”
“You’ll find your way. My hand will be on your back.”

A prayer. The most basic and uncomplicated childhood prayer:
Now I lay me down to sleep, (stand near?)
I ask you, Lord, my soul to keep, (stay here?)
Protect me in the dark of night, (I fear!)
And wake me with your morning light. (oh, hear!)

That’s the prayer I prayed every night until I fell off the edge of the world, figuratively speaking. I added those parentheticals today, like written emoticons. But God answered those prayers far into my future without my awareness. Awareness came long after their utterance.

BUT GOD is a mighty little phrase, is it not? Unaware of my future “falling away”, I had told him I would go to sleep spiritually. How did I know? How did I know to ask Him to keep my soul safe and protect me during the coming dark times? I didn’t. They were just prayers, often said by rote, or habit, without thinking of their meaning. Yet, what I asked, He did. He provided the knowledge and the meaning for me. Perhaps I held just a grain, a seed, of meaning in my heart that He saw. I hope that is the way it was.

He did stand by me. He did stay near when I was oblivious and should have been in terrified fear for my soul. Looking back, He was there, I know that now. He was with me, keeping my soul, through many dark nights and days that I didn’t even perceive as being dark. He heard! He protected not only my soul but my body. Through the course of “living”, I could have and should have died many times. His hand was on my back, just as it is as I write this. Even this, I could not do without Him standing close.

This is the best part: He did awaken me with His Light, and to His Light, and I shall hold that Light, who is Jesus, in highest regard forever. That’s more of my testimony and I’m telling it – yes, Glorytelling it – ere long I’m able.
Happy Advent, people!

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Our Mighty Personal God

22 Feb 2024 2 Comments

If I said to you. “God is a personal God,” what would you think? How would you picture God as being your “personal” God?
The common explanation is that God can be thought of, regarded, and responded to, as a personage (although, in this case, the highest Personage there is) with whom one can interact like a fellow human rather than an impersonal abstraction. This explanation certainly seems feasible since the second person in the holy Trinity, Jesus, was (and is) fully human (and fully God).
Exploring further, I was thinking about how we humans interact with one another. We talk together and discuss things. We do things together. We celebrate, grieve, rejoice, encourage, give gifts, serve, work, and simply be together. There is presence – we are present with one another, just as God is present with us as we do all the above things. He is not only present, but He desires to interact and participate with individuals as they navigate through life.

personal-of, relating to, or based on, the existence or presence of a person.
Why would the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present Creator of everything want a close relationship with an ordinary human? Because He is our creator, and He loves us intensely. (I don’t fully understand why, but He has made that fact quite clear) Before time began He drew our blueprint. He worked out all our details with loving intention and fine-tuned our design. He is the Cause, we are the effect!

Genesis 1:27 – God created mankind in His own image – male and female.
Psalm 139: 13-14 -For you created my inmost being*; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Jeremiah 1:5 – Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 41:10 -So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
Acts 17:27 – . . . that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is not far from each one of us.
Matthew 1:23 – Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel which means “God with us”.
Hebrews 13:5 – . . . and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

personal–belonging to, or affecting a particular person.
We belong to the Father (not as possessions, per se, but as family members, and as His people)

Psalm 100:3 – Know that the Lord is God! It is He who made us, and we are His . . .
Ephesians 1:5 – In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as heirs through Jesus Christ . . .
Ephesians 1: 11 – In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things . . .
Matthew 18:14 – In the same way your Father in heaven does not want to lose any of these little ones.
1 John 4:19 – We love Him because He first loved us.
John 4:15 – If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (Jesus)

personal-concerning one’s private life or relationships, rather than public life. (We also have a less personal, but no less important, public life with Him)
There is a private and confidential aspect. He desires an intimate (close) interaction, association, and affiliation that need not be confided to anyone else.
You know what God has saved you from – the life He took you out of – the things you have been forgiven – the things He has intentionally forgotten and removed as far as the East is from the West.
You may choose to tell others about those things, but it’s not at all mandatory. There are things that can remain between you and God, not that they are secrets, as such, but things you confess to Him when repentance occurs.

personal– done face-to-face in person with no others involved. (This is similar to the above ideas)
I’m not an expert on personal relationships, but I’ve observed that the good and meaningful ones have some things in common, like effective communication, trust, showing appreciation, expressing gratitude, showing empathy and compassion, forgiving, and most of all, employing love, which binds all those things together.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice always, pray continually (be in constant communication), give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
John 4:4 – Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
James 4:12 – There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Matthew 25:23 – “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

God is indeed our personal God, in His personal presence with us; in that, we personally belong to Him; in our personal private life with Him; in our face-to-face personal interactions with Him, and in other profound ways I haven’t thought of at the moment. Personally, I hope you think about it and find some other ways for yourself.

My personal best regards, dear reader. May you enjoy an increasingly wonderful personal relationship with our Mighty Personal God.

*All Scriptural italicizations and emphases are mine.

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Happy New Year!

02 Jan 2024 4 Comments

Jesus says in Revelation, “Behold, I’m making all things new.” ALL THINGS! This morning and every morning I feel new. I awake from a different world – one of dreams, or simply of unconscious nothingness. Taking up consciousness is a transition to something I consider “better”. I feel new and renewed and thankful to be so.
I’m among many people I know who at one time during their lives were made new. We were reborn into new life as believers in Jesus Christ. Transformed. Given new purpose and new hope. Treated to the Joy of Knowing the Lord. Knowing He is always present and I am no longer alone – ever. Knowing He will never leave nor forget about me. Knowing His immense love for me will always be.
The writer of Ecclesiastes said there is nothing new under the sun and all in the world is meaningless. It’s true! Without God, everything is indeed without meaning! I know because I can compare both states of existence. The before and after.
Many people ask if Jesus is “real”. Did He, does He, really exist? It’s mostly rhetorical, for they doubt He did; they are certain in their heads that He doesn’t, or if He ever did He was no more than a teacher of morality and ethics. They mockingly reduce Him to a historical figure or a fairy-tale image, not knowing what they do to themselves slandering our very Lord and Savior, miraculous healer under the Father, Emmanuel – God on earth with us, Who sacrificed Himself on purpose to pay for our sins and give us the chance to be right with God. The One resurrected to life and raised into Heaven to intercede for us and is doing so for me even as I write this.
More and more people are really wanting to know. Does He exist? Is He real? Not mockingly but with a glimmer of hope. Perhaps something about Christmas sparks curiosity. Perhaps they see something in us. Perhaps something about our lives prompts them to say “I want what they have!” To their sincere questions, I respond:
Is Jesus real? Yes! He meets all the requirements of existence. He is reality itself! In all ways Jesus is the only thing that was, is, and ever will be “real”- “real” being Truth – true reality. He spoke truth, He cannot lie, when He said “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (Way-The Means by which a thing can happen; Truth-the One and Only Reality; Life-the Essence of Being, the Epitome of Existence, the complete transcendence over death) Then He says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I believe Him! What would it take for you to believe Him if you don’t already? You can’t know Him until you experience Him, and you can do that if you simply surrender, seek him through Bible reading or through talking with believers, attend a church where you can learn of Him through Bible study and worship, and especially talk to Him in prayer. He’s waiting. He’s listening. His greatest joy would be to hear from you. What a joyful thing it is when belief and faith take root and you begin to experience His presence in your life. I’m praying for your happy new year, but most of all I’m praying right this moment for your happy new life!

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Christmas Eve 2020 – The Hunger

24 Dec 2023 2 Comments

Like when I wrote this three years ago,
another Christmas Eve has arrived in which we can partake.
So rejoice in it! Partake of it!
Rejoice in and partake of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

The last few hours of The Advent of Christ are before us.
We can wait no longer and we don’t need to.
Our hunger for hope, peace, joy, and love, is hard to bear;
We prepare the meal we will eat tonight after church.
We know we will be hungry for that food too,
but I want my hunger for Jesus to be foremost!

We can stay awake watching long into the night,
or go to sleep and let Him be born in peace.
Either is fine, for in the morning we will have the certainty
of Jesus’ birth!

The birth that shook the earth!

About 2021 years ago, everything was in place
to bring the astounding event into reality for humanity.
God’s gracious, merciful plan was about to
take a new turn and reach a new level.

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
And the Word became human.
And the Word was named Jesus,
He was born in a stable,
wrapped in cloth, and placed in a manger to sleep . . .

Placed in a manger . . .
Have you ever thought about that?
A manger is a type of feed trough for animals.
Here on the farm we call that a “feeder”.

It occurs to me that Jesus, lying in that feeder,
among all the other deep meaning and symbolism,
seems to have made Himself a symbol
for our spiritual nourishment!
Both a symbol and a reality all at once!
Is it any wonder that He told Peter, “Feed my sheep”?
Is it any wonder that He called Himself
“The Bread of Life”, or spoke over some bread, saying
“This is my body“?
He wants us to partake of Himself!
To drink deeply of Him in a spiritual manner!
“The Bread of Life”, and “The Water of Life”!

He, lying in that feeder, was already telling us,
“I AM your nourishment, your sustenance,
your very life’s provision;
Come to Me and be filled”!

~ ~ ~

Happy Christmas Eve!
Your Gloryteller

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Rich Beyond All Splendor, But All For Love’s Sake You Assumed Poverty: When Beauty Became Plain . . .

19 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

This is the absolutely beautiful poem
That amazing Kristyn Getty recites
As a prelude to the beautiful song,
Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour
you’ll find below:

Into the Darkest Hour
By the amazing Madeleine L’Engle

“It was a time like this,
war & tumult of war,
a horror in the air.
Hungry yawned the abyss –
and yet there came the star,
and the child most wonderfully there.

It was a time like this
of fear & lust for power,
license & greed and blight –
and yet the Prince of bliss
came into the darkest hour
in quiet & silent light.

And in a time like this
how celebrate his birth
when all things fall apart?
Ah! Wonderful it is:
with no room on the earth,
the stable is our heart.”

~ ~ ~

Thanks again, to Keith and Kristyn Getty
for a brilliant rendering of this song
which is highly appropriate to the Advent season,
or any season of a Christian’s life.

Violin played beautifully by Deborah Klemme
(Music copyright 2015 Paul Campbell (BMI) (Admin. by Arlon Songs Ltd.)

A joyous Advent season to you and yours,
Your Gloryteller

Image by Gloryteller

A Leap-Day Leap of Faith 2-29-16 and 2-29-20

19 Oct 2020 1 Comment

I came across this post from Leap Days gone by.
I felt a tug on my virtual sleeve, and heard a whisper – “Someone should see this – post it again.”
So here it is, although it’s almost 8 months late.
God is chasing you!

~ ~ ~ ~
“Nothing before, nothing behind;
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The Rock beneath.”

–John Greenleaf Whittier

~ ~ ~ ~

Les, a man – an agnostic man – was conversing on the telephone with a friend. The friend was trying to explain faith to the unbelieving Les, but was having little success. The fifteen-year-old daughter of the friend overheard the conversation and impulsively interjected a comment from across the room.

“What’s that Laura said?” asked Les, “I couldn’t quite make it out.”

“Oh, she is quite the student of poetry – and she has quite a deep understanding of her own faith. She just said, ‘Why don’t you just tell him what John Greenleaf Whittier said about faith? – Nothing before, nothing behind; The steps of faith fall on the seeming void, and find The Rock beneath.’ “

“I’ll write that down. Sounds a little deep for me. Thank her for the thought, though.”

“Wait, Les, she also wants me to relay another message. She perceives that God is chasing you. Oh, that kid! You had better listen, she is a very insightful girl!”

After the call ended, Les got curious and ‘Googled’ the poem. “Yup, here it is, she got it word for word!”
“Nothing before, and Nothing behind.”
“The seeming void . . .”
“Kind of sounds like me.”
“The Rock – finds The Rock.”
Sounds like she wants me to believe The Rock is God . . .”
More curious, he saw a ‘related link’ and clicked it.

Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance that
what we hope for will come about,
and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.”

“Hmmm,” he thought. He went back to the poem. Looked at it harder.
Went deeper – and it was deep!
He went back to the verse even though he had avoided anything to do with the Bible for a long, long time.
He sensed warm breath on the back of his neck.
“Chasing? Yes, I think she used the word chasing . . .”

He found this below the verse:
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

“11:1-3 Faith always has been the mark of God’s servants, from the beginning of the world. Where the principle is planted by the regenerating Spirit of God, it will cause the truth to be received, concerning justification by the sufferings and merits of Christ. And the same things that are the object of our hope, are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all he has promised to us in Christ. This persuasion gives the soul to enjoy those things now; it gives them a subsistence or reality in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them. Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye. It is a full approval of all God has revealed, as holy, just, and good. This view of faith is explained by many examples of persons in former times, who obtained a good report, or an honourable character in the word of God. Faith was the principle of their holy obedience, remarkable services, and patient sufferings. The Bible gives the most true and exact account of the origin of all things, and we are to believe it, and not to wrest with the Scripture account of the creation, because it does not suit with the differing fancies of men. All that we see of the works of creation, were brought into being by the command of God.”

Esteeming himself a scholar, a learned man, a lover of art and poetry, he looked and studied and delved into the words and concepts which had previously escaped him – no, which he had ignored and run from for years.
“How do I catch hold of this stuff? It all seems so impossible. Yet what all this implies is that I need to step outside my blind self more, and into the part of me that can see.”

“Les, let Me . . .”

“I think I need to slow down and let God catch me a little.
But how did Laura know I liked poetry?
How did she know to quote me that one poem out of millions of them?
How did she know that it would touch me – begin to change me?
How did she know to say ‘God is chasing you‘
so that I might become aware and wonder of such pursuit?”

“It’s her faith. Laura knows my love. She is mine.
She wants you to know me as well,
as do I.
I AM here, I AM!”

Les called his friend. “Hi! I was wondering if Laura is at home. She is? Are you guys busy? Yes, I was wondering if I could come over and talk to you both about the message she had for me. I have a few questions.
Lunch? Sounds great, be there in an hour.”
Laura was joyous, and not surprised in the least.

Les took a step of faith; well, a leap of faith, really,
He slowed down for the catch,
He jumped into the void and landed on solid footing,
and within two months, I,
I mean he,
belonged to HIM as well,
and has never had a single regret.

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Image by Gloryteller

One Last Mountain

25 Mar 2017 8 Comments

painting by John McNaughton

I only recent conquered one
Not so distant past
But each peak now seems harder than
Was climbing up the last

I’m walking so much older now
Much slower than before
It’s time to lay some burdens down
And shoulder them no more

Perhaps I’m almost finished
My climber says I’m not
My will is not diminished
My body not quite shot

But one can hardly ever tell
When one’s nice trail will end
What waits beyond horizon’s hill
Or ’round next river bend

And there will be that one higher
More fright’ning to attempt
Looming there one last hard climb
Where no one is exempt

Daunting doubts I reckon
Uncertain and unknown
Cold airless shadows beckon
To scale it all alone

You fool you will not be alone
The trail well-marked and lit
The crags will have beginner’s holds
You surely will not slip

Up toward my final peak
The one on which I’ll stay
I’ll wait until He finally speaks
Then lifts my soul away

Thus will it be that in the end
I’ll rest there where He Is
In the beauty of the Endless Land
With Him and all of His
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Image by Gloryteller

A Leap-Day Leap of Faith 2-29-16

29 Feb 2016 4 Comments

~ ~ ~ ~
“Nothing before, nothing behind;
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The Rock beneath.”

–John Greenleaf Whittier

~ ~ ~ ~

Les, a man – an agnostic man – was conversing on the telephone with a friend. The friend was trying to explain faith to the unbeliever but was having little success. The fifteen-year-old daughter of the friend overheard the conversation and impulsively interjected a comment from across the room.

“What’s that Laura said?” asked Les, “I couldn’t quite make it out.”

“Oh, she is quite the student of poetry – and she has quite a deep understanding of her own faith. She just said this: ‘Why don’t you just tell him what John Greenleaf Whittier said about faith? – Nothing before, nothing behind; The steps of faith fall on the seeming void, and find The Rock beneath.’ “

“I’ll write that down. Sounds a little deep for me. Thank her for the thought, though.”

“Wait, Les, she also wants me to relay another message. She thinks God is chasing you. Oh, that kid! You had better listen, she is a very insightful girl!”

After the call ended, Les got curious and ‘Googled’ the poem. “Yup, here it is, she got it word for word!”
“Nothing before, and Nothing behind.”
“The seeming void . . .”
“Kind of sounds like me.”
“The Rock – finds The Rock.”
Sounds like she wants me to believe The Rock is God . . .”
Curious, he saw a ‘related link’ and clicked it.

Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about
and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.”

He found this under the verse:
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

“11:1-3 Faith always has been the mark of God’s servants, from the beginning of the world. Where the principle is planted by the regenerating Spirit of God, it will cause the truth to be received, concerning justification by the sufferings and merits of Christ. And the same things that are the object of our hope, are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all he has promised to us in Christ. This persuasion gives the soul to enjoy those things now; it gives them a subsistence or reality in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them. Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye. It is a full approval of all God has revealed, as holy, just, and good. This view of faith is explained by many examples of persons in former times, who obtained a good report, or an honourable character in the word of God. Faith was the principle of their holy obedience, remarkable services, and patient sufferings. The Bible gives the most true and exact account of the origin of all things, and we are to believe it, and not to wrest the Scripture account of the creation, because it does not suit with the differing fancies of men. All that we see of the works of creation, were brought into being by the command of God.”

Esteeming himself a scholar, a learned man, a lover of art and poetry, he looked and studied and delved into the words and concepts which had escaped him – no, which he had ignored and run from for years.
“How do I catch hold of this stuff? It all seems so impossible. Yet what all this implies is that I need to step outside my blind self more, and into the part of me that can see.”

“Les, let Me . . .”

“I think I need to slow down and let God catch me a little.
But how did Laura know I liked poetry?
How did she know to quote me that one poem out of millions of them?
How did she know that it would touch me – change me?
How did she know to say ‘God is chasing me’ so that I became aware of such pursuit?”

“It’s her faith. Laura knows my love. She is mine.
She wants you to know me as well,
as do I.”

Les called his friend. “Hi! I was wondering if Laura is at home. She is? Are you guys busy? I was wondering if I could come over and talk to you both about the message she had for me. Lunch? Sounds great, be there in an hour.”

Les took the steps of faith; well, a leap of faith, really,
and within two months I,
I mean he,
was HIS as well, and has never had a single regret.

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Image by Gloryteller

The Psalm That Is Music To My Soul

02 Nov 2014 4 Comments

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Hallelujah!!!
Have I found my defining verses?
My life statement?
My heart’s fondest song?
There are so many to choose from, but I think this one was chosen for me.
May I quote it for you?
OK, I will.

Psalm 57:7-11 :

“My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul !
Awake, harp and lyre !
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of You among the people.
For great is Your love reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be over all the earth.”

Ohhh,
I pause,
breathless in absolute wonder of it . . .

Do you have a Bible verse, or set of verses that define your life,
or are your heart’s fondest song?
Please share them with all of us.
We will be blessed to hear them!
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Image by Gloryteller

Why?

05 May 2014 5 Comments

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When disaster strikes,
when tragic loss of lives occurs,
why do we second guess ourselves
after the fact?
Why do we have to look back?
Why do we say,
“What if I had only said _______,
or done _______ ?”
Why do we search for answers when there are none,
or the answers are beyond us in their complexity?
What do we gain when the past won’t change?
Will it help if there is something or someone to blame?
How can we cope when we have no control?
Where can we run, when futility finds us?
When will we abandon wasteful rhetoric?
Why do we keep asking “Why”,
crying, WHYYYYY?

Why?

It is futile to ask the wind, the sky, the universe.
Hopeless.
Useless.
Pointless.
Of no value.
To no avail.
And vain.
A waste of faith.
A waste of time,
especially if one knows The One
Who knows the answers,
the One who kindly, lovingly, comforts us
when the only word that will come is “why”.
The One who will, on our day, answer us without being asked,
for He already knows why
we continuously,
helplessly,
ask . . .
Why?
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Image by Gloryteller

Faith Waxes Poetic

21 Feb 2014 1 Comment

~ ~ ~

Two poetic quotations which help clarify the mystery of faith :

“Nothing before, nothing behind;
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The Rock beneath.”

John Greenleaf Whittier

~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~

AND :

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.“
Hebrews 11:1

Matthew Henry explains:

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary:

11:1-3 Faith always has been the mark of God’s servants, from the beginning of the world. Where the principle is planted by the regenerating Spirit of God, it will cause the truth to be received, concerning justification by the sufferings and merits of Christ. And the same things that are the object of our hope, are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all he has promised to us in Christ. This persuasion gives the soul to enjoy those things now; it gives them a subsistence or reality in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them. Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye. It is a full approval of all God has revealed, as holy, just, and good. This view of faith is explained by many examples of persons in former times, who obtained a good report, or an honourable character in the word of God. Faith was the principle of their holy obedience, remarkable services, and patient sufferings.

On a personal note;
When my faith saw these two “poems”,
it immediately deepened itself.
It’s hard to explain.
It’s miraculous; a wonder,
and the explanation is in the poetry itself.
Have a faith-deepened day!
Gloryteller

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Image by Gloryteller

I Shared My Everything

30 May 2013 4 Comments

^~^

^~ ~ ~^

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.

Image by Gloryteller

One Last Mountain

04 Apr 2013 2 Comments

by Gloryteller in Allegory, Belief in God, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Evangelism, Faith, God's Gifts, God's Grace, God's Provision, Good News, Holy Spirit, Hope, Life, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Salvation Tags: Climbing, Death and resurrection, doubt, Faith, Life, Metaphor, Mountain, Mountaineering, old age, One Last Mountain, Testimony, the final frontier, uncertainty

One Last Mountain

painting by John McNaughton

Re-posted for R. L., a dedicated reader who liked the way this format “walks” across the page.
It’s actually a quirky glitch in the WordPress transposition of the way I really wanted it displayed. 🙂

I only recent conquered one
Not so distant past
But each peak now seems harder than
Was climbing up the last

Perhaps I’m almost finished
My climber says I’m not
My will is not diminished
My body not quite shot

But one can hardly ever tell
When one’s nice trail will end
What waits beyond horizon’s hill
Or ’round next river bend

And there will be that one higher
More fright’ning to attempt
Looming there one last hard climb
Where no one is exempt

Daunting doubts I reckon
Uncertain and unknown
Cold airless shadows beckon
To scale it all alone

You fool you will not be alone
The trail well-marked and lit
The crags will have beginner’s holds
You surely will not slip

Up toward my final peak
The one on which I’ll stay
I’ll wait until He finally speaks
Then lifts my soul away

Thus will it be that in the end
I’ll rest there where He Is
In the beauty of the Endless Land
With Him and all of His

One Last Mountain

25 Mar 2013 1 Comment