All Along the Last Hour

"I just found some Way out of here," thought the Chosen, with the Rogue." ". . .so much disagreement with you, you in your control-freak mode." "You're bossy, you like to take charge; it sometimes bothers me. But you know you're not really the boss here; can't you see?" "No reason to get excited," the rogue, he kindly spoke. "We understand it, you and I, that sometimes I take a poke. You and I, we've been through this, so let's not pout. We got work to do; Surely we can work it out." All throughout their last work hour, nothing more was said. But then the Chosen walked away; an hour later and he's dead! A few days later, and there's a funeral in the chapel. . . with Chosen in a coffin, no longer in the battle. His soul's gone on to heavenly realm;

He followed his Captain at the helm. Who knew? King of Soul

People Chosen

In the foggy mists of human origins and antiquity, we are find our history by reading ancient paintings, heiroglyphs, inscriptions, and scrolls.

There is a tribe of people, Hebrews who, were appointed by our Creator to provide a scrolled account of our early origins in the Middle East. This appointment was made when Abraham and his father were called by our Creator to leave Haran, a place that is now located in Syria. Abraham was to be guided the YWHW to a place where most of Western history, as we know it, would begin. In these developments, what we call the History of the Western world began. Later, with a little help from our ancient friends, the Greeks, Romans, et al, we have a rich source of information called History. Today, I am ruminating on this scriptural history as a source of inspiration for modern leaders, especially liberators such as Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. In the biblical heritage, we find Moses, who lead his enslaved kinsman, the Hebrews, out of Egypt, back in the day. . .

In modern times, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, who lead his people out of racist discrimination and persecution. In the deep south, where I was raised, Dr. King and his compatriots led a civil rights liberation movement that changed the world. Dr. King, a Christian minister, was a pastor and a biblical scholar who had read and understood the biblical call for oppressed people to be lead out of their slavery and oppression. By the time MLK came along, the fertile fields of black habitation had been prepared for liberation, just as the fertile fields of Egypt had been prepared by our Creator for the release of the Hebrew people. Among other words, brother Martin said, taking his cue from Moses: "I've been to the mountaintop; I have seen the promised land! . . . I may not get there with you." Listen to my song about : Mountaintop Dr. King understood what was happening. He had gotten an ugly phone call from a racist, a threat. But the call of God on a man's life goes far deeper into his soul than a mere threat from a racist assassin.

On the night before his death in Memphis, Dr. King addressed some of his Christian brethren who were leaning on his leadership. The next day, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot dead in Memphis. Now he is in the eternal realm with Christ, with Moses and Abraham. So, all that to say. . . the Hebrews brought forth into this world a biblical heritage that goes far deeper into a man's heart and mind than the mere threats of racists, antisemites and/or magamaniacs. If the present occupant of the Oval thinks that the main purpose of the Jews is to count his money, he has been misled, due to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. To believe that the Jews' primary purpose is to count money and foment fame. . . is folly singing pollywollydoodle all the day. The divinely-ordained mission of the Jewish people was to provide an historic account of the Lord's long, longtime-coming liberation of enslaved humans from their sinful bondage and their former slavery. The unbinding was accomplished in two phases: Phase 1: the giving of the Law to Moses, so that we would know what behaviour is beneficial and what behaviour is not beneficial. Phase 2: After a long period in the divine Law school of hard knocks, the Son of God came to endure the ultimate sacrifice, so that we would understand that the true purpose of sacrifice - and of life itself - was to spend eternity with the Creator of the Universe, even surpassing death itself. But you gotta believe it. Glass half-Full

Convention vs. Contention

The contest of harmony and convention has been playing out far beyond the scripted staffs of musical history, and presenting consequences more grave than the mere listening pleasure of audiences.

Still to be found in the world today is the ongoing contest of order against chaos. Here's the ever present dual between right and wrong; there's the Establishment beating back dissidents,

with frequent sightings of the powers that be as they take advantage of the powerless who want to be. And we shan't neglect to mention the plight of them who think they should be running the show, being perpetually put down by them that are in charge of it.

And here we learn that we have words that must be said; yet we have words that should never be spoken; but someone will pronounce these words sooner or later. Yes, we do encounter in this life lines in the sand that daren't be crossed, and prohibitions that dare to be violated; we find rules that must be broken, and sometimes we encounter the terrible contests of convention vs. contention. King of Soul, chapters 18, 19. . . King of Soul

Times Have Changed

He's a wounded man, with a prophetic mind At the top of his game, his legacy behind There's a woman on his mind Diamonds and rust left far behind. He's looking up in cloudy skies; He's done well, yet he still tries Waitin on that last slow train

Standing in shadows, his head in the clouds Any minute now, heaven knockin' loud. People are mistaken and times have changed, A man on his own with his mind rearranged. We're in world of no good, so we're estranged. We're on the wrong track but we did what we could; In a lifetime here, he did what he would. He was thinkin' of Johnny and Woody Takin' no shortcuts, sometimes wearin' a hoodie. Only a man here has anything to prove. Now waters' under the bridge; get in a groove. Lotta other stuff too; what's it to you? Didn't kowtow to the honchos, just passin' through. People are mistaken and times have changed, A man on his own with his mind rearranged. He's trekked eighty years on a crooked road. The Bible is right: the world blows its load. Trying to get as far from self I can, yet still walkin' now', still born again. This world just sinks deeper in debt Another year older and how far will it get? The world's gettin' too hot to handle dark in clusterfud mud with no candle. You'll die from a born-again life torn away from the grief and the strife. We know fallin' in love's a young man's game; It's too late to find a woman you can tame. Put dreams in a barrow; wheel 'em to the end of the road. People are mistaken, that's why world is a'shakin'. We all hurt easy; the men don't show it. We all been hurt more that we know it. The next sixty days could bring judgements infernal. But we can lay low; we have salvation eternal. All the clutter of this casino gonna burn in inferno. You're chosen, br'er Bob in the bride of Christ You ain't goin' down in no worldly heist. The beast and the harlot will get tossed in the lake. You won't make that mistake! You're a born again man won't make world's mistake again. And I told him dat! King of Soul

As Memories Go Bye

Back in the day, Paul and Art sang a song. . . Old friends, sit on their park bench like bookends. Bookends? What's that? I seem to remember it's a couple of blocks made of wood or ceramic that hold books on a shelf. Books? What are they? Books are those old paperish volumes that people used to read before the internet. An old songish memory from the bookends song blows now across my memory. . . "a newspaper blown through the grass, falls on the round toes. . . of the old shoes, of the old friends." Friends? what are those? They are. . . Mike, and Barbara and Patti. . . Stephen, who used to get me in trouble, back in the day. . . when I was accused of writing the "F" word on the school boys' restroom wall. . . that "f" word now being the profanity of choice, instead of "damn", among 21st-century speakers of the English language. English? What's that? Oh, that's the language that was born when the Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea to Britain. . . "Britain? What's that? That's the island where Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales. . . where Shakespeare shook the world with his profound dramas and his frivolous comedies. Comedies? What are they? They are moments of joy and laughter in between the dramas of life on this earth. Earth? What's that? Earth is that round ball that we live on. . . the one that our astronauts pictured in a pic that they shot back in space. It's the round ball in space where you've spent this episode of eternity. Eternity? What's that? That's the Time frame that I'm bound for after my body ceases its pulsating life.

Life? What's that? That's what the Lord created for us back in the day. . . It's the beating of your heart, my heart. . that will cease, but will be renewed by the YWHW who created everything, and who sent his son to die on a cross and be resurrected so that we would know we can live forever, if you and I will only have Faith in Him, Jesus.

Faith? What's that? That's the gift you will discover if you read the greatest story ever told, and simply believe it.

I mean. . . is there a better story that can be told? King of Soul

The Royal Demise

In historic time, we find long lines of royal persons who ruled over tribes, dynasties, empires, kingdoms. We find pharohs, emperors, kings, queens, tsars, all manner of royal titles attached the names of royal leaders. Monarchies were pretty much the rule in ancient times, historic time, right up to modern times when things began to change in an accelerated turning of history's wheels. While watching YouTube recently, I came across a picture of a host of European royals who were related in some way - either directly or by marriage - to Queen Victoria of Great Britain, whose reign ended with her life in 1901.

For the golden age of royal kings and queens, the beginning of the end came with the 20th-century. Royal authority was largely blasted into either impotence or irrelevance by World War I and the events that followed. The toppling of those chess pieces began when a shot was fired in 1914. . . a shot in Sarajevo, Bosnia, a city that was being ruled by the Austrian monarchy. But the Austrian empire diminished when a Serbian nationalist took the life of Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, who had been heir to the the throne of Austria. 

After that, all hell broke loose. . . World War I, when the royals of Austria and Germany began attacking France and Belgium. Russian Tsar Nicholas took sides with the Allies, France, Britain et al. The European nations began attacking each other for royal reasons that would be revealed as largely irrelevant after the cannons had ceased firing and a peace was declared on November 11, 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm (a German title for king) lapsed into irrelevance after the Armistice; adolf hitler and his gang of nazi thugs later tried to pull their so-called Third Reich out of the German ashes, but that ended, as it should have, in a cloud of German defeat. Long story short. . . Royals faded into the background. Their royal duties were eclipsed as Parliament and Prime Ministers, more and more, took the reigns of governance. The best example of this diminution is the British monarchy, who could read the modern writing on the wall. The Windsors have had the royal wisdom and sensitivity to fade into the background, thus allowing Parliament to govern, and the Prime Minister to function as Britain's primary spokesman.

In 1937, KIng George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey. When George VI died, he was succeeded by Queen Elizabeth, then King Charles. Recently, I saw news indications that King Charles is granting more authority, something called investiture (which I do not understand because I am a yank) to his son, his (presumed) heir, William, Prince of Wales. God save the King! and furthermore, may the Lord of Hosts guide the nations of Britain, Europe, our United States of America, and any other nations who are willing to do as we Americans do: In God We Trust! Smoke

MAGA Revised

Make America Good Again!

The Creator of the Universe who set earth in orbit around the sun, who set the moon in orbit around the earth. . . The Creator who changes deep darkness into morning, who darkens day into night. . . who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth. The Lord is His name. It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, so that destruction comes upon their fortress. The power-mongers and wealth-cultivators hate those who reprove their depraved authority, corrupt governance which they absconded from the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan. They hate those who reprove the proud man in the media, and they abhor him who speaks with integrity. Therefore because you impose heavy demands on the poor by withdrawing their benefits and appropriating resources to the privileged mavens who are already fat and happy, you are due for the judgement of the Lord! You who distress the righteous the righteous and accept bribes, and turn aside the poor in the dispersion, repent! Sad but true. . .at such a time as this, the prudent person keeps silent. Br'er rabbit he lay low, while br'er fox was trying to steal the vines. Seek good and not evil, that everyone might live. Hate graft and degeneracy of public grace. Hate evil; love what is good. Establish Justice in the governance of the people! Let Justice roll down like a waterfall, and righteousness as a mighty stream!

Blessed are the poor in spirit; Blessed are the gentle people, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are those who are pure in their intentions, for they shall see God. Blessed are peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God. Every person who is angry with his fellow-citizens is guilty of offense; whoever calls others "good for nothing" is guilty of offense. And whoever calls somebody else a fool can go to hell. Those people who are blessed by the Lord of the Universe are those who give food to hungry people, give drink to thirsty people, and who invite strangers and aliens into their domains. Blessed are those people who make provision for those who cannot afford clothes, who care for and visit sick people , who provide housing for poor people.

To the extent that any person does not provide help, shelter, food, and care for fellow-citizens who are in need. . . to the extent that that insensitive, self-serving citizen does show mercy and generosity to the poor and the disabled. . . that self-serving person will be turned away in the final judgement of the Lord of Universe. And lastly, as Amos had told Andy, back in the day: "And I told him that!" But he was not listening cuz he had his maga'ears on, muffled earsthat tuned out the mercy and grace of the Lord who was crucified and then lived to tell about it. And if you believe that, I've got some real estate in heaven that we can share. Wake up and smell the roses, y'all. Mercy and grace is where it's at, not power and wealth. Glass half-Full