i dreamed

February 20, 2015 by Rick Stassi you

Van Gogh

i dreamed about vast grandeur,
an eternal unfolding sky.
endless, enveloping, seeming
where old things go to die.

i dreamed of far bright lights
upon a darkened sullen gray
following, following, now ever closer
i choose to run away.

I dreamed of green, lighted fields
the ones inviting so
severing, severing my earthly ties
now begging me to go.

I dreamed of pale, wrinkled hands
writhing, wringing, singing sorrow.
endeavouring a desperate promise
of all things better tomorrow.

I dreamed of a brilliant light
beautifully adorned, ’twas He
revering all goodness eternal
His hand outstretched for me.

In One Hand Eternity

December 31, 2012 by Rick Stassi you

The Hand of God

7 The works of His hands are verity and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

Psalm 111 (NKJV)

Our hope thus lies herein.

We are from the dust in flesh but in our soul, God’s breath.[a] In His Spirit our soul comes alive as a perfect image. We are Adam first and perfect. We are Mankind, a pleasing sight to God. There is a path which has a beginning for the baby knit in our mother’s womb by the very same Father of Adam. We come into a world a blessing but into sin without choice because Adam did not listen. The deception of the enemy placed man in a moral bind. But, O how the beauty of grace interrupts a spiraling history.

Man tries so very hard to find truth. He is very convincing but in reality, the strength of man’s intelligence is in the shadow of deception that pervades all the world. Yes, God breathed life into man’s soul for he is God’s creation; but, he does not return to be God’s child until he uses the very same free will that breached the friendship between God and Man from the beginning. Our choice is to choose He born of Grace, personified Love, God as Flesh: From heaven there is One who shall grow in the womb of the mother for all history. He comes to earth and is Flesh and God [b]. He is Jesus, the second Adam. God gave Jesus a Bride and it is we who now follow Him.

With this choice to follow, a work of no small magnitude has begun. Remember we made a choice to return and it was not a small choice. We chose to become a child of God and our steps were made straight, our sight lit with eternal Light, our determination sure.

From the dust there comes a man,
Into his soul God breathes.
It is the first Adam who walks away,
A choice with certainty deceives.
This a beginning of a broken heart,
A teardrop upon Mankind,
But God knows man and all time,
shall not remain apart.
Jesus is the second Adam,
Perfect Word with Man.
He holds in one hand eternity,
The other mine as sure as God planned.

Jesus came and I followed. Now the full realization of who God is begins settling into a troubled soul. My soul is troubled because God’s broken heart resonates through the generations. The two reconcile through Jesus. He stands with one hand in heaven and the other holding mine. I am a friend of God.

Now I see that God is my stability and He is my strength. I draw my being from He who is sure. What I utter now has basis in truth. I am the work of His hands, we believers all are, and I have placed my life in truth, justice, and sureness of direction.

So, as God does, we can be sure He does in truth and justice. It is unwavering faith grounded on the very basis of all creation. What God creates and says, are meaningful and sure. He is our safety, our voice.

O the example of praise David shows us in his psalm. He was anointed for greatness and we the same. Yes we are anointed for greatness too because all God creates is in truth and justice. Each of us on a unique journey – forging forward, crossing paths, seeking truth, ending: then some meeting again.

Steeped in these terms come forth our integrity. By His hands we exude integrity. What is made in truth surely emanates truth. What we read and hear penned in Divine breath, surely emanates from our heart to the ears of others. We are integrated with the Master of all creation and radiate His glory.

Rick Stassi

December 31, 2012

Be not deceived, the Lord is Wisdom.

December 22, 2011 by Rick Stassi you

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours.
23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

We are learners and hearers of God will and word. We are wary of deception.

We are in great danger of deceiving ourselves when we have too high an opinion of human wisdom and arts; plain and pure Christianity will be likely to be despised by those who can suit their doctrines to the corrupt taste of their hearers, and set them off with fine language, or support them with a show of deep and strong reasoning. Matthew Henry

For we should never believe that our wisdom is foremost and forthright without first seeking God and receiving His confirmation through His word. There are those who pose reason and logic of the world. Be wary of the one who claims rationality, for he is foolish lest his wisdom come from God. The world molds reason to fit a worldview that is convenient to the tastes of tolerance, coexistence, and self-awareness through self-wisdom. All is deception. Know God is the source of all wisdom.

Becoming a fool would mean to be humble and see what we speak-hear what comes out of our mouth. We should prepare our hearts so we will emit not idle talk but the image and speech crafted by God. Be ready to learn from God. The extraction of Scripture Paul uses to the Corinthians is from Job 5 and Psalm 94. Rejuvenate and read these chapters. All is for our positive fortification in God’s wisdom.

Man has always disbelieved that it is possible for there to be a Creator that is capable of making the Universe, holding it in His hand, and still loving us. It is against worldly wisdom. But, we know that when we have the infiltration of the Spirit, we are immersed in a new wisdom that stands above conventional wisdom. Man’s thought is fruitless without God. There will be consensus of common moral ground, but soon we will see that the commonality becomes relative. Each man will have a slightly different worldview. In God it is Absolute. We who are set apart, sanctified, grasp hands and look upward to see God and love Him in one accord, we look to each other and love one another in one accord, and we look inward to see the abiding Spirit who loves us and provides power in us daily in God’s way.

Therefore, be not deceived by eloquence and articulate speech. Man will be forceful and try to dominate with his knowledge. We plant a quiet seed of Hope and Love and walk away. Love will confound as will our perseverance in Him.

We are Christ’s. We are God’s. We were purchased by His blood. Be quiet, pray, read the Bible. Wisdom rushes into your soul like the Living water flowing separating us in the wilderness from the Promised eternity in heaven.

Rick Stassi

December 22, 2011