Oxygen from Acts 9:1-9 (Flashes)

1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. 

   And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

 7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

(Acts 9:1-9)

Heavenly Father:

Saul left Jerusalem, warrants in hand,

cursing all Christians who scattered the land,

threatening, walking bent forward, intense,

his travel companions could barely keep up.

"Onward," he yelled with Zealot-like fury.

Those who were with him said, "Why the big hurry?"

But Saul was a man of rarified passion,

strong, short and stocky, and full of fierce madness.

He will let nothing stop him on his mission,

putting in chains every one called a Christian.

Saul is possessed with a fiery ambition,  

leaps from his eyes, burns in his gut. 

Then a bright light, like none ever seen,

eclipsed his fire, and brought to his knees,

hands over eyes, Saul drops the decrees,

High Priest authority means nothing here.

So Saul's companions, by lagging behind,

evade the explosion that made Saul's eyes blind.

Seeing him down on the ground like a beggar,

brings them a-running to render him aid.

"Saul," says a voice from above this odd scene,

"Saul," it repeats, "Why persecute Me?"

Those who bent over the Inquisitor,

heard the voice speaking but saw not a thing.

"Who are you, sir," the Benjamite gasps.

"I am Jesus whom You harass.

Get up and go into Damascus now.

I will send help and restore your vision."

Saul, with no help from his travelling friends,

clambors with effort to rise from his knees.

Blind and confused, he limps into town

warrants a-scatter, blown to the breeze.

Precious Lord Christ, I confess with no guile,

I have been walking a road quite a while

headlong and focused on having my way,

holding resentments and anger and fury,

Warranting rushing toward goals not worth having,

pushing past people who got in my way,

challenging others to keep up if able,

leaving behind the folks too dumb to play.

Then in a flash You made Yourself known, 

speaking through Scriptures or one of Your own,

You drove me down to my knees overwhelmed,

opening heart and my mind to Your vision.

Lord, make us ready when Your Gospel breaks

upon the sinner who confession makes,

then struggles to walk in Your will and Your way,

help us provide a steady assurance.

Smite us with kindness, eclipse doubt with hope,

send us to town on the arms of some dopes

chosen by You to reveal our dependence

on grace and mercy and Your Sovereign Love.

Amen.

Oxygen from Psalm 19 (Sun & Word)

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. 

      The skies display his craftsmanship. 

 2 Day after day they continue to speak; 

      night after night they make him known. 

 3 They speak without a sound or word; 

      their voice is never heard. 

 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, 

      and their words to all the world.

   God has made a tent in the heavens for the sun. 

 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. 

      It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 

 6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens 

      and follows its course to the other end. 

      Nothing can hide from its heat.

 7 The instructions of the LORD are perfect, 

      reviving the soul. 

   The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, 

      making wise the simple. 

 8 The commandments of the LORD are right, 

      bringing joy to the heart. 

   The ordinances of the LORD are clear, 

      giving insight for living. 

 9 Reverence for the LORD is pure, 

      lasting forever. 

   The laws of the LORD are true; 

      each one is fair. 

 10 They are more desirable than gold, 

      even the finest gold. 

   They are sweeter than honey, 

      even honey dripping from the comb. 

 11 They are a warning to your servant, 

      a great reward for those who obey them.

 12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? 

      Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 

 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! 

      Don’t let them control me. 

   Then I will be free of guilt 

      and innocent of great sin.

 14 May the words of my mouth 

      and the meditation of my heart 

   be pleasing to you, 

      O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

(Psalm 19)

Gracious God:

This song has two very definite parts: A and B.

A is the masterpiece of Bronze Age King David,  (v.1-6)

God is named El, the cosmos sings praise

in unending chorus, through nights and through days.

Shemosh, the Sun god of Canaanite worship,

here a boy bridegroom, arising with strength,

invigorate with joy, leaving his tent,

abandoning bride, races across heaven's expanse.

Then read Part B -- written much later by priests, (v.7-14)

Exile survivors who pore over scrolls,

worshipping not in outdoor celebration,

but inside the temple in chaste meditation.

God is named Yahweh, His Word is the key

to upright instruction and life as should be.

The golden prize is not Shemosh's bright orb

but the sweet honeyed Word, carefully absorbed. (v.10)

Taken together, part A and part B,

show us the breadth of God's righteous decrees;

his providence shows in the sun and the stars,

but his Holy Word written is clearer by far.

Mortals we have not a single excuse

Paul the Apostle teaches us plainly,

What may be known about God is made clear

Creation should move us to faith and to fear. (Romans 1:19)

But people ignore the skies and the Sun,

and off in a mad dash like Shemosh they run.

So God gave them up to a spiritual blindness

but never revoked his mercy and kindness.

So God spelled it out in his message to Moses,

his call to the prophets, his music for David;

God gave us His Word in four manifestations

that we might be ready for his visitations.

God speaks out instructions reviving the soul,

telling us how we might be made whole.

God pronounces decrees, His promises made

to make wise the simple as we make our way.  (v.7)

God issues commandments, the heart of the law,

letting us know what pleases Him most.

God gives clear ordinances, traditions that guide

our values and memories that keep faith alive.  (v.8)

But the intent behind every inspired Word,

the reason God breathed it out upon men,

is unmasking the sin that heart-hidden lies  (Romans 7:5)

beneath all the pretense and preening and pride. (v.12)

Lord, I would know the joy of Your Bridegroom

who ran through life's circuit suffused with love,

and gives human expression to the song of the spheres

and cancels sins debt and removes all our fears.

May every word that issues from my mouth

and the thoughts that cascade my mind

align with all Your revealed glory

in Your Creation and holy story.

Amen.

Oxygen from Psalm 18:46-50 (Rock Praise)

 46 The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock!   

      May the God of my salvation be exalted! 

 47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; 

      he subdues the nations under me 

    48 and rescues me from my enemies. 

   You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; 

      you save me from violent opponents. 

 49 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; 

      I will sing praises to your name. 

 50 You give great victories to your king; 

      you show unfailing love to your anointed, 

      to David and all his descendants forever.

(Psalm 18:46-50)

Living Lord:

You are the reason that anyone finds

meaning and purpose and strength for our lives.

You are the reason we know any joy,

Your life, not ours, is the great cause celebre.

Everything else is mere shadow and shade,

Lacking all substance, mere shadowy trade;

bantering, blustering, take this for that,

Measuring progress by who outdoes whom.

Time is mere fallacy and bitter illusion,

power is relative to the delusion.

Only what's done for the Lord God will stand

and not topple over when all the world shakes.

Enemies frustrate and cause me to dwell

In my own muck only this side of hell;

Wondering, fearful and planning revenge,

Fantasic fantasies defining existence.

Faith comes to displace such unadorned malice,

lifts high the cross and then passes the chalice,

making of enemies a new communion,

making a Kingdom presentable to God.

God is alive and His people endure.

God is the Rock to which all souls may moor,

Though all the world pass away in an instant,

His Word is Anchor, His Promise secure.

Psalm 18 ends with the clearest distinction;

Israel's kings have all gone to extinction,

all but one Servant, whose victory stands,

God's own Anointed, the Lord raised from death.

Christ has become the chief cornerstone;

Christ is the source of God's unfailing love.

Only in Christ will all violence cease,

making subservient all other loves.

Praise to the Lord, Praise to His Christ,

Praise to the One who became sacrifice,

fulfilling the Law, while we lost in our sins,

powerless, hopeless and all vagabond,

Heard the Good News, the Spirit's appeal,

Father God calling for us to get real;

Drop the pretending, the suffering, shame,

Drop at the cross our quest for acceptance.

Lord, keep us faithful when evil assails us;

May we be certain your Spirit ne'er fails us.

Lord, keep us thankful that you are our Rock,

You are the steadfastness of this frail world.

Amen 

Oxygen from Psalm 18:28-45 (Running on Bamahti Hill)

 28 You kept my lamp alight for me.   

      The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. 

 29 In your strength I run a raiding party, 

      with my God I leap a wall.  (lit.)

 30  God’s way is perfect. 

      The word of the LORD is proven true. 

      He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 

 31  For who is God except the LORD? 

      Who but our God is a solid rock? 

 32  God battle-dresses me with strength, 

      and he makes my way perfect. 

 33  He makes me as surefooted as a deer, 

      enabling me to stand on mountain heights (lit., Bamahti). 

 34 He trains my hands for battle; 

      he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. 

 35 You have given me your shield of victory. 

      Your right hand supports me; 

      your gentleness has made me great. (lit.)

 36 You made a wide path for my feet 

      to keep them from slipping.

 37 I chased my enemies and caught them; 

      I did not stop until they were conquered. 

 38 I run through those who cannot rise; 

      they writhe beneath my feet. 

 39 You have armed me with strength for the battle; 

      you cause enemies to bow before me. 

 40 You placed my foot on their necks. 

      I have destroyed all who hated me. 

 41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. 

      They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer. 

 42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. 

      I shovel them like street muck. 

 43 You gave me victory over my accusers. 

      You appointed me ruler over nations; 

      people I don’t even know now serve me. 

 44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; 

      foreign nations cringe before me. 

 45 They all lose their courage 

      and come trembling from their strongholds.

(Psalm 18:28-45)

Everlasting Father:

Psalm 18 praises You for deliverance,

providing refuge in the desert,  (vs.1-6)

rescue from a volcanic eruption, (vs.7-15)

and this miraculous victory in battle,

against all odds; David credits God.

The violence of this text may cause cringing,

but the warrior knows the horrors of war.

David credits You, Lord,  with victory at Bamahti,

(a word that appears only here

in all ancient literature).

At Bamahti was David trapped

in a gorge or wadi, canyon,

Philistines had hemmed him in,

and there appeared to be no escape.

But you, O Lord, kept his candle lit,  (v.28)

You showed your servant a way of escape,

and scampering over rocky footpaths (v.33)

David and his raiding party, (v.29)

like sure-footed mountain goats,

climbed the canyon walls,

bronze bows slung on their backs, (v.34)

found the safety of the path

that led around and behind  (v.36)

the Philistines encampment,

and breaking out of the darkness

You put the enemy to flight, (v.37)

routed them that night,

and those whom Joshua's men refused to kill, (Joshua 9)

in disobedience to the Lord,

David puts to death with the sword.

David renamed Bamahti Baal Parazim, (2 Sam. 5)

for there God proved his word was true,

You were for David "Lord of Breakthroughs."

What was true then militarily

is also true now spiritually;

whatever enemy we may face

Your Word puts it in its place,

that we may avoid defeat

and walk on heights with surer feet.

You give to us time and time and again

reason to trust you, Deliverer, Friend,

You never fail, even when we think You do,

You always bless, you always break through.

Break through my pride, chase it back

to where it cannot raise it's head,

and give me strong humility instead.

Break through my lusting appetites,

slay them all and make me right,

send Your Spirit in mighty surges

to defeat all filthy urges.

Break through habits I cannot handle,

when it's darkest, light the candle,

by which I may follow you

to purity of mind and motive.

Breakthrough my apathy, hard as stone,

melt my heart, make it your own.

Breakthrough anger that masks frustration,

hold my tongue in sequestration.

May every thing I do or say

bring glory to the Holy Name

of Him who died for me,

Jesus, Lord of Breakthroughs.

He broke through sin, He broke through death,

He broke through the curse, brought life instead.

He broke through the wrath of God,

He broke through the gates of hell,

He broke through when others ran,

He broke through and held my hand,

taking me with him through the breach,

to give me life and health and peace.

Oh, Holy Jesus, you make us run Bamahti,

You do not give us quick escape,

there is a risk that we must take,

as we confront the enemies of our souls,

the risk of trusting you alone,

to do what seems impossible.

Putting on your Spirit's armor  (Eph. 6:10-20)

we proceed in full battledress

upon the place of Your success,

to announce the great Good News:

You are the God of Breakthroughs.

Amen.

Oxygen from psalm 18:25-27 (Wrestling)

 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;   
      to those with integrity you show integrity. 
 26 To those you've chosen you show yourself choice, 
      but to the wicked you show yourself a wrestler. (lit.)
 27 You rescue the humble, 
      but you humiliate the proud. 


(Psalm 18:25-27)

Faithful and Merciful God:

Someone wise once described the progression
of the human toward God's possession,
three stages of enlightening averred:
God, the Void,
God, the Enemy,
God, the Deliverer.

I thank you, Lord, I live in a land
where few have never heard of God.
As we sing and stir to patriotic song
we learn enough to get along;
that you bless and you provide
and we hope we're on your side.
This, the role of government:
to foster freedoms, heaven-sent,
protecting every right inalienable
that no Void could guarantee.

Yet, in spite of all this deference,
many deny Your truth and providence.
To these you are the Enemy.
Faithing only in what they see,
the cynics want You walled up in ghettos
where you can't touch their peccadilloes.
Science is their new religion,
abortion rights their sacrament,
the environment their transcendence.

With some you are the Wrestler,
like Jacob at Jabbock Creek,  (Gen. 32:22-28)
started life a cheating scoundrel,
but you chose him, gave him belief,
and not Esau who was such a better man,
sold his birthright and Your plan
for a pot of porridge,  (Gen.27)

So many for whom we pray
are good people who try their best
to do what they think is right
and we know that you will bless
by the rules of providence
that govern the whole creation
regardless of their justification. (Mt. 5:45)
But trusting God is not fable,
nor ancient myth for the disabled,
God has revealed himself, changed history,
not from Mt. Olympus or Valhalla,
but from Calvary and its nearby tomb.

I suppose the cynic sees in these words
the power of psychological projection,
but I see the power of faith
opened wide by doors of grace,
to know the true and living God,
not a man-made religious mirage,
in whom we may rest secure
and find the power to endure,
as have ten thousand generations
who have put their trust in Him
and found him faithful to the end. (Psalm 90:1-2)

So, Lord, may these for whom we pray
find in you exactly what they need.
We pray that you would confound
the enemies of the Gospel in this and every land,
and protect Your chosen saints
from persecution and despair.
For those whose health is so precarious,
we intercede knowing you care for us,
for Clarence and for his son,
for Ralph and Marcy and Shey,
sustain and show yourself
as their Healer and Great Physician.
For those who struggle against the tide,
for Drew and Melinda, for Diana,
for Jerry and Elizabeth,
be their tag-team partner, tapping in
when their resources are growing thin;
show your presence and your love,
save the poor, humble the proud.

We bless You in all time and places
and turn to you with shining faces
made radiant by your grace out-poured,
loving Savior, Holy Lord.
We dedicate ourselves to prayer
for your people everywhere.
To those who have never heard
bless those who bring your saving Word.
And to your enemies securely nestled
confound all evil and with them wrestle.
Guard your people; secure your claim,
we ask this all in Jesus name.

Amen.

Oxygen from Psalm 18:16-24 (Rescued)

 16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;   

      he drew me out of deep waters. 

 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, 

      from those who hated me and were too strong for me. 

 18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, 

      but the LORD supported me. 

 19 He led me to a wide-open space; 

      he rescued me because he delights in me. 

 20 The LORD weans me according to my righteousness; 

      he restored me according to the cleanness of my hands. (lit.)

 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; 

      I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 

 22 All his judgements are before me; 

      His statues I turn not from me. (lit.) 

 23 I am complete with God;  (lit.) 

      I keep myself from iniquity. 

 24 The LORD turns me back according to my righteousness, (lit.)

      He sees the cleanness of my hands.

(Psalm 18:16-24)

Righteous God:

Here is an example of interpretations

masquarading as translations.

Why would scholars make your Word

say the exact opposite of what David wrote?

This is not David's self-congratulation

for his piety and innocence.

How could he claim to be

"a man after God's own heart"   (1 Sam. 13:14)

and contend his ways are perfect,

that You delight in such pride?

But that's not what he wrote or felt

or prayed to You when he knelt.

Sometimes we just have to write

in our Bible versions to get it right.

Believers -- get your pencil, pen;

verses 21-24 you should ammend.  (see literal translation above)

Evil cannot be random,

for it raises it's ugly head

at the moment most opportune

to inflict the greatest chaos,

to open up the deepest wound.  (v.18)

Why this summer of all seasons

in all our married lives together,

the one in which doctors deliver

both our potential death sentences,

why this summer and not another

does our priest come not to pray

but to threaten and to bully,

leaving us bereft of pastoral comfort?

Is that coincidence?  Is that random?

But thank you, Lord, you reached down

and gave us comfort from religion,

gave us disciples who would not let us drown.

And we, like David, knew God is stronger

than any evil purpose or plan,

to reach down and rescue His elect,

to be the Savior of sinful Man.

He reaches down his powerful hand

to draw his people from deep water,

like baby Moses, set afloat,

is rescued by Pharoah's daughter.

From deep waters, swirling chaos,

like baby Israel, trapped at the Sea,

Moses lifts the rod of God

and confounds the enemy.

Blown by wind from Yahweh's nostril,

Our great Deliverer there was found.

when the water stood like walls,

they walked  across on dry ground,

exposing bedrock smoothed by Providence.

Thank you, Lord, that you do delight

in saving stranded folks like us,

rescued not for our own sake,

but saving for the sake of Christ.

When we are in the tighest spots,

You set us in wide-open spaces,   (v.19)

opened so many new possibilities

where love and joy light our faces.

But when we start to congratulate

ourselves or credit luck or fate,

God weans us, lets us taste,

the gall of our self-righteousness.

When I think my hands are clean

of any evil or selfish pride,

my loving Father by His Spirit

inflicts my conscience mind

and restores me by repentance.   (v.20)

Then to His Holy Word God drives me  (v.21-22)

to give objective witness,

to confirm His character,

and declare His will is gracious. 

Truly by the Law's tough standard

I deserve to die for sins,    (Ezekiel 18:20, Rom.6:23)

but Christ has nailed them to His cross

and I am made complete in Him.    (v.23)

When I'm feeling I can do it

on my own without You, Lord,

You are faithful to show me quickly

Satan waits with his whole horde

to test my strength when I rely,

on my grit and not the Savior:

I'm back into that rocky tight spot,

crying out for Jesus' favor.  (v.24)

When people drown they lift their hands,

reaching up for what may save,

a universal sign of trouble,

not a greeting or a wave.

Help us recognize the drowning

and rush to give them aid,

so that they very signs of struggle

become the signs of Godly praise.

In our age of psychobabble

guilt and shame are set aside

but the Holy Spirit comes

and in our conscience does reside.

So help me listen to Your still small voice

that warns and by Your Scripture guides,

that I may always praise my Savior

and in his Word and life abide.

Amen

Oxygen from Psalm 18:7-15 (The Halocene)

 7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.   

      The foundations of the mountains shook; 

      a blast of heat to him. 

 8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; 

      fierce flames leaped from his mouth. 

      Glowing coals blazed forth from him. 

 9 He stretched out the heavens and came down; 

      murkiness was beneath his feet. 

 10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, 

      soaring on the wings of the wind. 

 11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 

      veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. 

 12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him 

      and rained down hail and burning coals. 

 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; 

      the voice of the Most High resounded 

      amid the hail and burning coals. 

 14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; 

      his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. 

 15 Then at your command, O LORD, 

      at the blast of your breath, 

   the bottom of the sea was seen, 

      and the foundations of the earth laid bare.

(Psalm 18:7-15 DKB translation from literal Hebrew)

Mighty God:

From Masada David saw a volcano blast the sky;

yes, volcanoes shook Israel in the Halocene.

But one eruption in particular inspired Psalm 18.

The birds were first to sense the pressure,

shrieking calamity, taking flight,

winging southwest to Aqaba.

Then stacked amphora chattered their alarm,

barely noticed, tinkling, rattling,

now falling over, tumbled, broken

something seismic growing stronger,

spilling wine and sleeping men from beds;

water dancing in the sisterns,

now the mountain lurches, a wall cracks,

vibrations, like a woman's birth pangs,

increase the tempo of sheer terror,

men are yelling, shouting orders,

but barely heard above the chaos

of mountains quaking, breaking ...  (v.7)

... and then silence...

for just a moment.

All look around, up, then down,

and then ... The Sound.

They had no words to describe

the ferocity of the VAAAROOOOMMMM,

the loudest they ever heard,

rippling the sky in a shock wave,

rumbling, thumbling,

coming from some distance, still,

the force to throw men backward,

bracing falls with arms outstretched,

and to the northeast horizon,

a flash and smoke and fountains of fire,  (v.8)

a bomb in Gilead.

David's men point to the eastern sun,

enveloped in cloud, peeking out  (v.9)

now and then from the glooming.

East winds hit the firery column,

rising, bending, streaking smoke , 

like a smudge above the mountains,

as if a mighty seraph pulls a chariot, (v.10)

and leaves a trail of ash and fire.

Then burning coals plop-plop like rain,

catch alight the grassy rooftops,

blaze a storehouse filled with grain.

Then the thick cloud of choking dust (v.11)

drives all to shelter in the cliff face,

more shakings and new tremors,

sounding like the voice of God, (v.12)

moments before a wave of smoke and heat

sweeps across the valley floor and up,

burning, searing, gaseous billow;

men with scarves over faces,

peer from deep shadowed caves (v.13)

and see the Dead Sea crater bottom, (v.15)

as deep as Masada height.

Such signs Moses saw on Sinai,

lightening, cloud, and fiery wind.

So David sees a prophetic vision

in this cataclysmic morning,

a theophany, a revelation, 

of deliverance for God's people,

those who trust God alone to save; (v.4-6)

when God's people are safely gathered,  (Heb 9:28)

comes this blast of destruction

and Messiah's epiphany.

Jesus used imagery from this Psalm

to describe his second advent,  

when He returns with power and glory,

to rescue his beloved bride

and take possession of the Earth.

Shaking moutains, fire from heaven,

skyward signs herald the end of epoch,

destruction of the Halocene.

Such forces as can destroy the world

lie deep within its molten core,

orbit in the asteroid belt,

rocks colliding, bumped from orbit,

on an earth-bound trajectory;  (Rev.18:21)

each event fits the Lord's scenario

that accompanies his return --

exploding dust and ash

turn the moon to blood, blot out the sun,  (Mark 13:24-27).

pyroclastic Armageddon.

So the Scriptures the end portray,

when the last man has been betrayed,

and the world helpless cowers

in the fire of meteor showers,

Jesus then will appear

and by His Word the sky will clear (2 Peter 3:10)

and the sea will disappear  (Rev. 21:1)

to make room for new Jerusalem,

coming as a bride adorned

for her husband, for her Lord. (Rev 21:2)

Save us from all fearfulness.

Save us from all faithlessness.

Let courage be our watchword always,

for we trust your timing and grace.

Help us not to love this world

except as creation bears You witness,

and at that hour of Earth's demise,

when Your wrath shall be unloosed,

we will then know the whole Truth,

we shall with upturned eyes

behold Him who was our sacrifice,

Jesus Prophet, Priest, and King

our righteousness, our everything.

Amen.