The Battle of the Sexes

Adam should’ve rescued Eve
from Satan’s, “did God really say”
which wasn’t really a question,
it was an attack on Yahweh.

Adam stood next to Eve
but didn’t have her back,
not once did he protect her
from Satan’s wily attack.

So when she walked by sight
and disregarded God’s command,
she bit the forbidden fruit
and gave it to husband Adam.

Then noticed they were naked,
tried covering their shame (*1)
and hid from God,
played the blame game.

When God asked Adam what he’d done
he blamed God and Eve by saying
the woman You made
gave me the fruit so I ate. (*2)

The battle of the sexes started,
submission caused Eve to become quite curt
while birthing was filled with pain
and Adam was sentenced to working the dirt.

Paul prompted women to “respect” their husband’s (*3)
could these inherited relational problems be traced to the fall
cause Adam failed to protect Eve from the devil
though standing beside her and hearing it all;

and it would be hard to “love” your wife (*3)
who got you kicked out of paradise
and trading immortality for death, hard work
and years of relational struggles and self-sacrifice.

Behavior has consequences, some hard to face,
Adam and Eve’s brought mankind sin, death and doubt
and now billions of people born with the sin gene
though God in His mercy has provided a way out.

But none of this surprised Jehovah Jireh (*4)
there’s nothing that He doesn’t know, understand.
He is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent
whose attributes include holiness, justice, goodness,
and holds His creation in the palm of His hand.

Mason Swinney

(*1) Isaiah 47:4
(*2) Genesis 3:12
(*3) Ephesians 5:33
(*4) Often translated the Lord will provide

The Lord of History

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one in essence, three in persons
who have always existed, transcendent,
co-equal, co-eternal, omniscient. (*1)

God wanted creatures in His image,
made a perfect garden for them to inhabit,
made Adam from the dust, Eve from Adam’s rib,
each a mini-trinity, body, soul and spirit.

What a blessing to be made in God’s image
who is Spirit, (*2) His love He shares
and God is everywhere at once
while we’re just here or there.

Since God doesn’t need a body
to know Him you need invite Him in
and when God lives inside you
His loving goodness dwells within.

Though we’re made in God’s image
at times it’s hard to see
but when walking with Jesus
life’s meaning, purpose certainties.

Sin started tribulation,
Adam and Eve, the evil snake,
unbelievably thinking they’d be like Jesus,
their disobedience caused mankind’s quake.

God’s Son arrived a newborn Baby,
laid in a feeding trough,
the Lord of history, His Broken Bloodied Body
defeated satan on a Roman cross.

God loves us unconditionally and wants
us to love Him unconditionally too,
though your life can seem conditional
only God can make you new.

Our time on earth can be hellish
unless we’re in step with the King
for then Another’s in our fiery furnace
and the Other is Elohim. (*3)

Jesus returned to the Father
to intercede, make homes for His bride
and when our focus is on the Savior
the fears of this world drain away, subside.

Tribulation’s a heat seeking missile
thundering at us, we reap what we’ve sown
but the Lord of History has a purpose
and the final vengeance excludes His own;

for the Day of the Lord’s double-sided,
the end for those refusing to see;
but for those whose hearts are softened
it’s a gloriously stupendous eternity.

Mason Swinney

(*1) Athanasian Creed
(*2) John 4:24
(*3) Daniel 3:8-25



Mankind’s Unmitigated Gall

We’ve all thought one time or another
why does God let bad things happen, but we misunderstood
for the cause is Eve and Adam who sinned wanting to be like God
and it’s sin that causes bad stuff and only God can work it for good. (Romans 8:28)

Let’s consider some of the bad things Jesus experienced:
He created the heavens and the earth as well as all humanity
yet too many claim that humans and earth came about by evolution,
not wanting God to get “any” credit,
just all the blame, cause sin and gall are Satan’s inventions.

Jesus leaving paradise, His divinity taking a hit, (Philippians2:6-8)
then coming to earth, corrupted by the people He came to save
and being birthed in a barn, His first 9 months in a sinner’s womb,
and raised by two (2) sinful people but nonetheless submitted and behaved;

siblings who called the Son of God insane
and the majority of fellow Jews refusing to listen.
One of His 12 betrayed Him with a kiss,
the remaining 11 fled, deserted the One who was going to the cross for them.

God in the flesh but crucified for blasphemy and sedition;
His only earthly possessions raffled off by the brutal Romans;
crucified between two (2) deserving criminals,
buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin.

But our most unimaginable rebellion
is His creatures not believing in Him,
the God who made them, placed ’em in their Mother’s wombs (Psalm 139:13-15)
but don’t take the time to interact, even listen;

and those that end up hopeless
who’ve been chasing gods like logic, prominence
will find it’s really been themselves that they’ve been chasing (pride)
while those in paradise had an eternal focus;

and when you’re life goal’s being happy
you’ll find out the hard way
that separation from God is life in the darkness
and the “me” you’ve been trying to please
is now the “he” that’s been betrayed.

So Eve and Adam are the culprits for our shame and blame
plus hiding from God after the fall
as well as being foolish for their decision then making loin clothes out of prickly leaves
and humans blaming God for anything takes a couple tons of unmitigated gall.

Mason Swinney

Little Jett’s First Birthday

God made all of Jett’s most delicate parts,
knit him together in his Mother’s womb
so we give thanks for little Jett
who was wonderfully, awesomely made by Elohim.

His name says it all
and shows who he will be,
a force for loving kindness
and following Jesus faithfully.

He goes from playing to starving
n’the time it took Clark to change to Superman,
he knows what he wants
and contentedly grins when he’s had enough.

He loves his big sister,
watches everywhere she goes,
a sign he’s relational,
a heart of gold whose future grows.

His lungs well developed
for a boy who doesn’t talk,
spring loaded to smiling
but not ready to walk.

His cuteness infectious,
you can’t help but smile,
his short legs like ham-hocks
can crawl a country mile.

His sweet little smirk
while wolfing down Cheerios
which is how we entertain him
until his bottles warmed up.

The days of holding him
only happen if you’re carrying him around,
he likes looking out windows, crawling up stairs,
haven’t yet let him try going down.

God chases after each of us
and showers us with love and grace;
God made us in His image
which is clearly seen on Jett’s sweet face.

Mason Swinney

RETELLING THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS STORY

God’s ways are higher than our ways, (Isaiah 55:8-9)
the Christmas Story shows us that
for without the Christmas Story
ghastly evil lasts and lasts.

Young Mary the chosen mother,
highly favored by the Lord, (Luke 1:27-33)
called blessed by generations,
but her soul would be pierced by a sword. (Luke 2:25-35)

Mary knew Messiah would be birthed by a virgin
but that seeming contradiction hard to grasp,
how could she become pregnant while remaining a virgin
so Gabriel told her the Spiritual facts,

every conception occurs amazingly secret
but baby Jesus’s began with the Father’s plan,
God the Spirit hovered over Mary like when creation was spoke into existence Genesis 1:2)
and the God-perfect seed miraculously implanted in her womb. (Luke 1:35)

Joseph was Mary’s husband, their marriage in the betrothal stage (Matthew 19:1-9)#
so divorce required to end it
but not consummated until the final stage, which now makes perfect sense,
she married, a virgin, chosen Mother for the Lamb of God.

God knitted Him together
and placed Him in Mary’s womb, (Psalm 139:13)
as prophesied in Isaiah 700 years before, (Isaiah 7:14)
for Jesus had t’be born and buried before He could walk out of the tomb.

Jesus left His Throne in heaven
and arrived a helpless Babe in Bethlehem,
though many Jews expected Messiah to be like King David,
thought a “Suffering Servant” not part of God’s plan. (Isaiah 53)

They traveled 80 miles for Augustus’s census
with Mary’s due date not far off
but no room for them in the inn
so Baby Jesus was birthed in a barn and cradled in a feeding trough. (Luke 2:1-7)

Sin entered the world through Adam (Romans 5:8-15)
so a man must pay sins cost
but the man had be God-Perfect to be an acceptable sacrifice
and only Jesus could redeem us through His Passion and death on the cross.

The Shepherds were guarding the sheep
when an Angel of the Lord appeared
and God’s Glory shone all around ’em
and they were filled with great fear (Luke 2:8-14)

but the Angel said don’t be afraid
for he brought them good news of great joy
for born in the City of David
was the Savior Christ the Lord, (ibid)

then a multitude of heavenly host were praising,
singing Glory to God in the highest, (ibid)
where God alone abides,
even angel’s aren’t permitted where Pure Glory resides.

The Wonderful Counselor* did the unimaginable,
God’s people could have Peace with Him
for He’d rip in two the veil of separation (Matthew 27:51)
after paying the price for our sin.

After the angels returned to heaven
the Shepherds did what all should do,
they went to find the Savior
who’s bringing hope to Gentiles and Jews, (Luke 2:15-18)

for this Baby came to save us
for He’s the Prince of Peace*,
and the government’s on His shoulders*,
not the yoke of oppressing thieves.

So they found the Babe in a manger
just as the angel said,
God-Man in one small Baby,
and His Kingdom would never end*.

Baby Jesus came to restore creation,
He the Good Shepherd and Paschal Lamb
and All Glory To God Forever,
for death and satan defeated by the Son of Man,

but before there can be an Easter
there must be a Bethlehem
and THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS STORY
is the one The Father planned.

Mason Swinney

(#) There are 3 stages in a biblical Jewish marriage. The first is engagement wherein each set of parents agree to the terms of the marriage and a contract is prepared and signed.

The second stage is betrothal where a ceremony is held and mutual promises made.

The third and final stage starts once the groom has prepared and/or secured their home. Then the groom goes for his bride like the marriage seen in The Parable Of The 10 Virgins found in Matthew 25:1-12. Here the 5 wise virgins wait for the groom and when he arrives they lead him to the marriage celebration and the bride and groom become one as the marriage is consummated.

(*) Isaiah 9:6-7

Perfection

Have you ever pondered perfect?
What’s it take for one to be?
Not a blemish, misstep, weak spot,
omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent,
and a heart centered on Yahweh.

Can imperfect even fathom perfect?
Can you find the right words,
cause perfect’s not in our vocabulary
and sin has corrupted our world.

Could we even bear one perfect,
wouldn’t imperfections blur the way?
Would we even recognize it,
Perfect Jesus’s family thought He insane. (1)

If something’s perfect out there
then the rest have missed the mark
and our imperfections show our weakness’s
and our self-loathing’s turned quite dark;

soon depression, guilt consumes us
and it’s us we now abhor
and our options getting scarcer,
so it’s time, we can’t ignore.

Moses, a sinner, far from perfect
but his face shone like the sun
from a glimpse of God’s pure glory
leaving his follower’s confused and stunned. (2)

The Jewish people had long awaited Messiah
but refused to believe Him once arrived,
He didn’t meet their expectations,
said His power from Beelzebub. (3)

The Jew’s yelling at His phony trial “His blood is on us and our children.” (4)
and Pilate knowing that Jesus was innocent, nonetheless,
turned Him over to be crucified
and tried washing off his guilt, (5) but water alone could never redeem him.

We inherited our fallen nature when Adam took that awful bite
cause Adam chose Eve over God.
Jesus the last Adam came from Heaven, He’s the Father’s only Son,
and the only way to glory. (6)

Before the fall, man’s mini-trinity was spirit, soul, body
but after the fall their spirits died just as God had warned (7)
and their bodies became their main focus (8)
so we’re now body, soul and spirit and our body’s cause our harm.

Only God could quicken our spirits
before God the Spirit could move inside
but for any of this to happen
a perfect man need be on our side,

since sin came into the world through Adam
a perfect man need pay sins price
but to be perfect He must be God
and only Jesus was fully man, completely God from paradise.

So perfection’s now our possibility
and faith in Jesus the only way
and when we’re wrapped in Jesus’s righteousness
us covered by His sinlessness is all the Father sees

for He’s our Prophet, Priest and King,
the Lamb of God who obeyed God’s law perfectly,
sacrificed for all our sins on that awful tree
so His Chosen Bride could be with the Perfect Son for eternity.

Mason Swinney

(1) Mark 3:21
(2) Exodus 34:29-35
(3) John 3:16
(4) Matthew 27:25
(5) Matthew 27:24
(6) 1st Corinthians 15:45-58
(7) Genesis 2:16,17-They’re spirits died immediately and later their physical bodies died.
(8) Genesis 3:7,10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-7

Kaleidoscope Sky

Gazing down the boiling cauldron
what thought comes to mind?
Our visions out of focus
or too angry to opine?

Behavior once thought proper
now evil, out of line
and those things once forbidden
now looked upon as fine.

Little boys can’t compete with others
so join the other side
and claim that they’re now women,
God’s mistaken, they’ll decide. 

Doctors keep us coming back, medicating, appears the main focus
and Big Pharma’s top dog but consumed with their bottom lines
though take a few shortcuts to achieve it,
28 companies in 13 years paid $33,000,000,000. in fines. (*1)

When Law’s don’t have righteous foundations
we become their judge and jury,
absolute’s replaced by maybe’s
and social norms now are surely’s.

So life’s whirlpool continues swirling
and the unknown drives our fear
cause the bottoms inching closer
and you sense the end is near.

It’s a cancer quickly spreading
that’s almost always terminal,
when the church stops disciplining
salt and light becomes optional.

We each long to be outstanding
but so many stay the same,
try improving their behavior,
but it’s their core belief’s that need to change.

We departmentalize our time and values
since no absolutes to square them with
and too busy to stop and ponder
though the question’s brood within.

Sin entered the world through humans
so a human must pay sins price
but this human must be perfect
to be the perfect sacrifice.

So the very God who made us
and knew we’d fall from sin
came to earth to save us
and wraps His called in His righteousness;

and before He returned to heaven
He gave His bride a task to do,
make disciples out of nations (*2)
and He’ll return when we are through. (*3)

Satan’s bound so the church should flourish
and he’ll be released before the second coming of Messiah
and when the kaleidoscope sky appears, every eye in awe or fear
as the Judging Lion returns as prophecied by Zechariah. (14: 4-21)

This return rings in the ultimate Jubilee Celebration
as unbelieving Jew’s rush to the Lion of Judah, Jehovah-Jireh
and from His great white throne He’ll judge the deeds of the living and the dead
and the names not in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. (*4)

The New Jerusalem with all its mansion’s descending (*5)
and God tabernacling among us, the tree of life forever blooms,
and He’s making all things new, streets of gold like purest glass,
the foundation stones of the city are precious stones representing Jesus’s Apostles
and the 12 gates of the jasper-stoned city each made from a single pearl symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel, (*6)

with God’s glory’s brighter than the heavens,
the only light required is the Light of the World (*7) and the Brightness of God’s Glory (*8)
which is Jesus the King of kings and Quintessential Son of sons who made and saved creation, planned by the Father, and administered by God the Spirit,
the three co-equal, co-eternal persons of the One and Only Holy God Jehovah. (*9)

Mason Swinney

(*1) November 18, 2020 by Brian Buntz of Pharmaceutical Processing World
(*2) Matthew 28:18-20
(*3) Matthew 24:14; Revelation 14:14-16
(*4) Revelation 20
(*5) John 14:2-3
(*6) Revelation 21-22
(*7) John 8:12
(*8) Revelation 22:12-21
(*9) Athanasion Creed

Oxymoron’s, Paradox’s, Anomaly’s

One God, three Persons, Matthew 28:19;

“you must be born again”, John 3:7;

“those who humble themselves
will be exalted”, Matthew 23:12;

“My power is made perfect in weakness”, 2 Corinthians 12:9;

The mystery that can now be known, Colossians 1:26.

“Blessed are those who hunger”, Matthew 5:6,
“No one who comes to me will ever be hungry.”, John 6:35.

“Everything is futile.”, Ecclesiastes 1:2,
“Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

The Bible’s a book of seeming riddles
but how could we think like El Shaddai
so God the Spirit was sent to teach us,
to grasp the truth’s of Adonai.

Statements like God is sovereign but man’s responsible
or to be a leader you must first be a servant;
and the first will be the last and the last will be first
are really true though seemingly make no sense.

Sometimes the truth is hard to fathom
like an onion you peal and peal
or parables needing Jesus’s explanation
before the truths revealed.

You must humble yourself to be exalted, James 4:10,
for when you try to exalt yourself
like evil satan
all you gets a fiery swim.

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”, Matthew 16:25,
Jesus the Christ is the perfect example, came to earth to die
but seated now with the Father on High.

Sins usually the path of our choosing
but transformed to narrow along the way
like Jesus leaving the 99 sheep
to find the one that wandered away.

Jesus the completely perfect Son of Man
came for the unrighteous, not the righteous;
and we aren’t sinners because we sin
but sin because we’re sinners.

Martin Luther put in perspective “blessed are the poor in spirit”, Matthew 5:3,
“God created out of nothing.
Therefore until a man is nothing,
God can make nothing out of him.” (Martin Luther 1438 to 1546)

But becoming nothing seems counterintuitive,
aren’t we suppose to make disciples, Matthew 28:18-20,
forgetting we’re only the nurses,
for only the Great Physician can replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Mason Swinney

Life’ Treasures

Where are your treasures hidden,
keeping safe for that special day
but those are so infrequent
it’d be better to not delay?

Like a locket warming your heart
given by someone you hold so dear
though the lockets not that important
but reminds who your heart wants near.

Occasionally you’ll want to wear it
but the timing not quite right
you’re sure you’ll eventually wear it
just not now, not tonight.

You don’t bother to consider
will the right time ever be,
could you even define it
but for now you’ll wait and see.

But who decides what’s a treasure?
Isn’t it graded on a curve
by the people who’re impacted,
and voice what the treasure deserves.

Children and grandchildren our greatest treasures
with their hand drawn, colored art
taped all over the fridge
that has become an art gallery of sorts.

But aren’t we forgetting someone,
who died for you and me,
isn’t He the greatest treasure
the world will ever see.

And if He’s not our greatest treasure
can we treasure anything
cause He’s the focus of every blessing
and Creator of everything.

Spending your life regretting mistakes
doesn’t do a thing to make them good
and all treasures aren’t real treasures,
some are idols made of wood

and idols only take, give nothing,
like their sculptor, the Wicked One
who came to steal, kill and destroy (*1)
while God paid for mankind’s sins through His only Son.

The power in our treasures
comes when we give them away
for we’re either conduits for God’s treasures (*2)
or our treasures become idols we obey.

If God’s greatest gift to mankind
is the honor of loving, praising Him
then the treasures that He gives us
are meant for sharing, they’re from Elohim.

Mason Swinney

(*1) John 10:10
(*2) Matthew 6:19-21

Gospel of John Chapter 10

Chapter 9 ended exploring how religious people
treated the blind man and his family
and we saw how Jesus healed him
so we know who’s Divinity.

How do you know the Good Shepherd?
By the way He enters the fold
and see His loving care for His sheep
plus He’s the Shepherd who’s loving and bold.

Sheep need to be led, fed, protected
and hirelings (*1) are mostly concerned about getting paid
but the sheep know the Good Shepherd’s voice
and He calls them each by name.

We each choose the shepherd we follow
and the choices are but two (2),
the Messiah, whose the Good Shepherd
or satan who came to steal, kill, destroy me and you. (*2)

But if you follow the prince of darkness
lies is all you’ll hear so will believe (*3)
cause truth is a foreign language
and love and peace you’ll never see.

The “other sheep” are Gentiles
which was hard for most Jews to believe
for they failed to grasp their special calling,
being a conduit from God to humanity.

Jesus knows the Father and the Father Him
and thanks to the Father’s plan
and the Good Shepherd’s incarnation, resurrection
unshackles sinner’s so they can know the great I AM.

So the Shepherd and sheep have a relationship,
He laid down His life for them
and He’s the only gateway to the Father
for the wall of separations a has been. (*4)

Some thought He was demonic, insane,
but others said, then how could He heal the blind,
they wanted to know if He was Messiah
and He answered He’d told them many time’s. (*5)

My Father has given them to Me
and My Father and Me are one
so they picked up rocks to stone Him
thinking He’d blasphemed.

God gives us the faith to believe Him (*6)
the rest settle for senseless thought
but if Jesus wasn’t the Messiah
then why’d Satan come to naught?

For the fall could’ve destroyed creation
but God had an answer for that,
He’d send His Son to save it
and satan and legion forever dashed.

Mason Swinney

(*1) False shepherds of Israel
(*2) John 10:10
(*3) John 8:44
(*4) Ephesians 2:13-14
(*5) Jesus had told them who He was 16 times up to this point in the Gospel of John
(*6) Ephesians 2:8-9