Author: Derek and Amy Chapman

la poema

trusting, i come and say yes before

i know the brush of friendship.

trusting i say yes, it will come

He has spoken. Trusting

i say to this shadow, it will

not be long, or maybey

it will, and you will have to wait til

heaven; trusting, i know already

i belong. i am part of this

particular circle already

securely seated within it.

when i woke up at night alone,

the sky was not as certain

as i’d hoped during the day

then, the words came like starlight

“I will people your life.”

trusting, i know this is true

Abraham walked for years.

today i told him

to wait and it would come

and if it didn’t, still

not to grope around

for love from stangers

not to accept the old poisons,

to let hope take its place

at that inner table

he may or may not wait today.

but already, he is less alone there

in what already is starting to look

like a banquet hall

to be

Texas summer sky–grandeur, the vastness of the Father. Ashy blue sage brush illumined by stark moonlight. Things here are out in the open not hidden and misty like where I grew up in North Carolina. There, river scents, tobbacco leaves, mounain laurel and honeysuckle. So many parts of God, so many nuances and expressions. His contours endless. Each of us, a collection of these nuances, a composition, a poem, a night somewhere taken in, beheld by someone. The saints and angels behold us if noone else, and friends. Outside of marriage, friends seems to be one of the clearest expressions of how God is–accepting us as we are, loving us through seasons and geography.

I’m rereading Brennan Manning, feeling his struggle to see himself as a royal friend of Jesus. Seeing his struggle to overcome self hatred and seeing himself as nothing more than ragamuffin. Thinking of Rich Mullens and how keen a eye he had, how authentic amid so much religion. We remember ones who managed to be themselves, and let God love them as they were. Things are beautiful when they are being themselves.

St Patrick tumbling between the church and the druids, managing to follow The Spirit and feel God’s pain and love for both. Realizing it was all grace from the beginning. That we can’t even tie our shoes without the cross. And then back to the night–the distances, the silences between states, coasts, countries. Thinking again of how it will all look when it surrenders and is once again itself, cored in Christ. How people, places and things ache to be.

green

really musing on this teaching of God’s ability to bring about accelerated growth–making a wine vintage suddenly. On one hand it pushes against His usual wisdom parts, but on the other–with the compression of things which is currently going on, it just makes sense that many would be quickly brought to greater maturity!

In three days I will build My Temple.

It was a spiritual time He was speaking of. Spirit time is unique from regular time. God can IMPART whole annointings in an hour, which can utterly alter one’s course.

When you look at this moment of things, it is clear that there would need to be radical and deep growth in order for people to hold and comprehend the spiritual realities of our time in history. So few are even poking into their spirit lives, while it is time to be spirit strong by now.

I am praying for a release of green! Really verdant green into His People.

three days or in an instant

So, just after the miracle of acceleration of water into mature wine, Jesus goes to the temple. When asked for a sign there, he told the teachers, tear down this temple and I will rebuild it in three days (whose temple we ARE). Again, this promise of accelerated growth.

Jesus is able to bring people to full maturity instantly. Often it takes time, so that we can learn of God and His Ways as we grow; but He can also do it in a moment, or three days– making our spirits suddenly older.

Our day, is one of accelerated growth. We see this even in the natural world around us, increase, jumps ahead..Jesus is preparing us. He is the one who causes us to stand (Romans 14:4)–the same one who called and wooed us is able to mature us in an instant!

the wine miracle available

Jesus turned water into wine instantly. This accelerated maturation process is being made available to many now, as He starts to prepare us as Wine for His Master, The Father. Many who’ve been stuck at one season of development will be accelerated to a subtle blend of the best grapes. Jesus made very good vintage instantly. He is able to bring things to subtle levels of balance as a good wine has, just at His Word!

Accelerated growth has been spoken by many of the prophets recently, and is available for those who want to receive this wine miracle into their lives.

musings on America

so on a less funky note, just thinkin about how each of the nations are linked. Been getting a lot on Japan and China and thinking of their stories. This sense of how each nation fits into a larger narrative and expresses unique aspects of God.

America likes to help people by nature. You know, on the surface–especially through the cynicism on my own generation– it may not look like that, but I am speaking of the spiritual identity of America–what it is as seen through the Eyes of The Spirit. Well…it likes to defend things, partly for the adventure of it.

In many ways, it lacks the wisdom to parent, but it has guts and goes for it! And loves to bring life. Looking over this declaration of independence again today…that word LIFE keeps sticking–established to bring Life places..partly the inherent life in things–not to parent other nations, but to call forth their own life in them….to defend the weak and fatherless (again from the natural, sounds so idealistic, but look at US movies—all about Justice, and going in on adventurous missions to help the weak)

Not to say that this nation or any other nation has lives up to its calling, or lived out its destiny–obviously not. But then we immediately look at god’s Mercy. I mean God never wanted Germany to be shamed after the last war..that is not God’s Way. He was not wanting to say, see you are evil for being strong, and should really not come back to the table–no that is not God’s Voice. God’s Mercy means He does not choose to humiliate us, even when we make large mistakes–think of our own lives. Now America has recently made some mistakes. But America has a story to fulfill, and God takes into account her whole story, when He deals out judgment. God loves America, as he does all the nations, but He parents uniquely with each. Some nations need more overt shaking; others like the one I am writing from, gentle swaying (Czech republic was oppressed repeatedly, and is much as a recovering abuse victim–a very meek and special people to The Lord). Anyways, my points are that God’s mercy is bigger than our own, and that God loves the nations and is bringing each to its deeper destinies.

Coming to know the nations as people in His family is so very helpful to keep out from under racism, and stereotyping of all kinds. Looking at what part of God each nation reflects really helps us see ourselves with greater clarity.

This month we have been in four nations, each with its own story. It is just so worth it to get to know each, and that part of God which each reflects!! Happy birthday America, may He continue to bless you!!

happy birthday young lady America!!

i gotta sing, oph how God loves the nations!!!! Oh how He trains and raises them up in His Love and Patience to reflect Him…got to love them…got to see them as parts of Him…got to jump in the continuum!!! trace it through Jesus baby…go…

..get down, get back up—got to love each nation like a person on a journey…and here is America jump-dancing into the banquet party, and you gotta like that commission on her to defend the weak, protect the weak…GOD GOT HIS EYES ON YOU GIRL!!—not done with that lovely girl, though she falter, you gotta know His Mercy…she just got a strut, willing to rush in….how can you hate Japan..how can you hate america, how can you hate korea, how can you hate china..when you start to see HIM IN each nation as a person—oh her JUSTICE—she wants to be the first one in to defend…that adventurous leader as Pieter Bos names America… got to celebrate, got to hate all that projected self hatred onto her…she got destiny baby…she got destiny, Psal 82:1-3…come on God gettin up in her assemblies—all that might isn’t meaningless its to fulfill her destiny—-don’t understand all this hatred and fear of other…how you gonna aim all that hatred at a nation…oh you hurtin God…..america it’s your birthday, and God got mercy on you…knows you aren’t always wise, but you going in and doing it…knows you lack wisdom, but that you wanta lead that adventure…your youthful life giving energy gives life wherever you go…there is now no condemnation baby…get funky today, renew, dance, let your hair down, clean off and pray

kingliness

Each of us at different seasons are allowed to reflect different aspects of God. There are husband aspects and wife aspects (Him in His Church), son aspects, bridal aspects–ie Christ as husband, Christ as Son, Christ as Groom. Another aspect is His Royalty. God as King or Queen. God, in His Regality. We are not choosen based on how well we are performing. It is about God wanting to reveal that part of Himself, first to us personally, and then our onto the earth. The Church reflects many of these aspects at once, and different ones are in different aspects seasonally.

David understood that his role as King was nothing more than an opportunity to reflect the Kingliness of Christ. This is why his songs often just stream right into the words of Christ! David was allowed to know Christ as King.

Each of us has an opportunity to reflect some aspect of God. Figuring out which part is being reflected in this particular season helps us understand why certain verses are quickened, or words stick within our hearts.

The whole story is about God not us. But He has chosen to reveal Himself through man, and ultimately through His Son in man. Jesus as King is coming, and to know Him as King as well as Warrior, Priest, Healer, nation’s Ruler, Lion is our eternal pleasure!!! As we enter the different aspects of His Life, we begin to reflect back into the larger story which is about God making Himself known.

…there is an overall progressive revelation of Christ through history–an order to which aspects He is emphasizing during certain seasons. As David preceeded Solomon, so Christ’s Warrior Ruler Unifier will proceed Him as King. The Rays of The King are breaking over the eternal hills, as the warrior unifier is already in our midst!!

fashionin

…went to an amazing fashion show at an old seaside hanger. young designers.

We were, once again, made aware of what that frame COULD hold. It has the transcedant element of dance and live music, mixed with the teaching visual element of clothing design..there were moments of opening, or transcendance partings in the show, that reminded me that all art was meant to open people into third heaven, and towards Christ. Unfortunately, lots of it opens the gates into second heaven ( a truly lower ceiling) and lots of messy entanglements…still, to see it as it will be and already is becoming is the thing…wish we had images from the show, certain parts held like a dream. One section on historic costume, had this young hassidic boy wandering in and out among the models in a tea stained patina colored suit like a shiney little olive tree in a wild orchard…

you my bread…

MANNA—us as… for one another—to know Jesus inside of one another. Not less broken than,,just as broken, (though He will finish what He started)

only, we have Him in us, living through us…and we

bear witness together, knowing Him in one another—and me seeing Jesus in Me… bearing witness to Him working through Me. Never about me—especially prophecy! That is His Spirit talking about Him in Me in You—Jesus

As He comes in more fully, people will see their soul life and accept the necessary death.. He in us, Jesus in us—together, together we express Him.

You are then my manna today—phone call to friend

you are the way I touch jesus today

I will touch Jesus in You

i will let Jesus touch Himself in You

I will prophesy from deep to deep

none of this requires me to be perfect or even in good shape!

It is Him—all about Him, all in Him

and we are…

Manna