Rescued from the Rapture

6/15/24

Strokes on canvas come to life.

Entangled particles of love explore.

Earth orbits a dying sun—

mere reflection and mortal strife.

A villa with a view not easily ignored.

 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

Soil of Vine rich with trust.

Proverb and parable collide—

good deeds like talents buried

turn to rust.

Listen to chimes of old,

a call to Middle-Eastern metaphors of grace:

fruit of branches pruned fills the cup

the Gardner-Groom lifts up

to bless and toast and taste

the sweetness of the day,

a much-anticipated day

when He can see His eclectic bride eternal

face-to-face.

 

For now, the genealogy of suffering

is in every kiss.

While the already-not-yet kingdom of God

is continually crafted,

sanded down and stained

into His pre-ordained workmanship.

For we are Heaven’s masterpiece,

framed in doctrines of sweat and bliss.

Incarnated poems

(“created in Christ Jesus to do good things”)

clip Icarus’s apocalyptic wings

as feathers of pride melt

like sun-struck wax

when we abide inspired

with tongues of fire

from Holy Spirit lips.

 

To be clear, this is not an anti-rapture poem but a poem about an obsession with the rapture, to the point that we fail to “come to life” here-and-now, merely giving lip-service to Paul’s Spirit-inspired declaration “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).  

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12/16/24

THE SHROUD OF TURIN is the most investigated archaeological relic in history. If it’s real, it’s no trivial matter: the resurrection of Jesus Christ is supercharged with physical evidence. It’s no longer just a propositional truth claim found in scripture but measurable proof that can no longer be ignored. The linen shroud’s existence captures the light,…

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12/9/24

Thoughts cannot be reduced to chemical reactions in the brain. To say otherwise is to greatly undermine the multifaceted nature of cognition and consciousness. Let’s take terms like “thoughts,” “consciousness,” and “mind” for example. To a substance dualist like me, who believes the mind is a metaphysical substance just as real as the material brain,…

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