I come to herald hope in deepest depths.

From the book Abba’s Way.

I come to herald hope in deepest depths.
To fill with vision depths of emptiness —
To transform the effects prideful loss,
And anger coiled in insolent repose;
To turn the howls of placelessness and pain,
Into a song of freedom once again.

To break the bars of prisons bearing signs
Named poverty and greed and driven need,
Or charity debased as remedy.
I come to bring an end to all conflict;
For conflict is the challenge at the core.
I come to free all spirits to create,
In blissful freedom from against and for.

Divided depths retain a fearsome form:
Once legions, now young armies, schooled to die,
Around which coalesce most armaments,
Condoned with pride by most authorities.
The depths I seek are deep within each being;
Their canyons course through all communities.
I say that life and death need fight no more.
Protagonists? Antagonists? No more!

Abba is wholeness, justice, peace and love;
Abba is present within every depth—
As light and life and creativity.
It only takes having the eyes to see.

I sing the song of Abba everywhere,
And summon all to live in Abba’s care.
Not as the enemies, but friends, of life,
I call on all to befriend Abba well.

And let no depth remain a source of fear.
For Abba ends every division there
There are too many elements of all,
For any single self to know it all;
To win the depths is to accept oneself,
Within the spectrum which is Abba’s realm.

Transformed depths are the very fruit I bring,
And Abba’s realm the very song I sing.

— from “Abba’s Way”

Suffering and Overcoming

Jesus is God’s answer to the problems of suffering, for in him sin and death are overcome.

This witness is found throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Only as we understand the roots of overcoming in Jesus Christ can we face our own destiny and global destiny with a proper perspective, secure in our knowledge of God’s grace and the calling of the believing community.

Read on:

EXODUS 3:7

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters; I know their sorrows.

JOHN 17:1

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.

REVELATION 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

1. From the foundation the relationship has been there. The Lord sees our affliction and responds.

2. But even with evidence of God’s rule, people do not understand and God acts to ensure that we are aware of Abba within us, described and mediated by Jesus.

3. It is through the gift of Abba within described by and embodied in Jesus that we finally overcome. This is the ultimate expression of God’s rule. This is God’s way of telling each of us that there is a reality within that is capable of bringing us to the very fullness of life. Personally, socially, globally.

4. When we accept the good news Jesus brings — that Abba is truly at hand and that we need merely believe this good news and accept it — we are then able to recognize and accept Abba and the grace and spirit within ourselves. God’s rule in us. This alone gives rise to obedience, community and evangelical outreach.

5. Through eyes of faith we can see the reality so wonderfully stated in Revelation 21:4: No more death, no more pain, the former things are passed away.

We stop

trying to rule

in any and all areas,

knowing we overcome

because:

Abba rules!

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In tune with Abba on a crowded street
We look for him in every passing face
And yes light shines in everyone we meet
The light of Abba this amazing grace

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Awareness Of Sin Is The Beginning Of Wisdom

PSALMS 144:14

That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

LUKE 18:13

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:2

For if I make you sorry, who then makes me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me?

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The Psalmist is uttering a prayer about normal life: that the heavy equipment work, that crime be reduced and that the streets be free of strife.

The publican is standing alone before God and crying for mercy because he knows that any easy answer to the Psalmist’s prayer is an illusion.

Paul is apologizing and saying he needs lateral forgiveness.

We are talking about ultimate overcoming, but this impacts our daily lives. We cannot expect to change everything but there are little changes that will grow as we obey and live our lives by listening to Jesus and relying upon the friendly Abba-light within.

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Sin is a hard word but it is simply three letters that mean

separation

from the reality

that Jesus embodies

and passes

directly to all

who are willing

to look within

and find Abba within.

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Exaltation needs no lofty height
It wells up from a place that’s deep within
When Abba gives the gracious gift of sight
In any situation we are in

From Abba’s Way

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