Old Dog V
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The Blessed Hope
Bob Neumann, February 2003
To WHOMEVER….. I really had no intention to write about this. As it played out over the last few days with more people sending my footprints back to me through the WPA and personal email, I had to re-evaluate. THE BLESSED HOPE…. now
I realized I had never used that phrasing as far as I can remember in writing or speaking, unless I was quoting 2 Titus…Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; But that one verse alone does not give us Paul’s message.
Titus 2
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Titus is instructions to a young minister and his flock. 15 verses on behavior and attitude. Paul who in Romans 11 tells us it is by “grace” and not works, in 9 it is “faith” and not works…. is pulling a JAMES right here…. anyone remember…
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
In the KJV “BLESSED HOPE” only appears once. In the NIV… there is… Titus 2…. and according to my pc bible thingy it kicked out an interesting verse… actually a whole psalm around that verse…
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them– the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.
SOMETIMES GOD is JUST “““TOOOO COOL.””” Here I am dealing with the idea of “WORKS” and their utter lack within the amerikan church… and ABBA reminds me HE has a LONG LIST of “WORKS” that HE IS INTO… and religion ain’t. PLEASE… PLEASE…. compare PSALM 146 with Isaiah 61:1 and LUKE 4:18…
What we call “the church” in amerika, is not “one body” with JESUS as “HEAD”…. in charge of everything. It just ain’t there. Has never been. But will be…. someday…
Revelation 14
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Okay… I guess this is where THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT wants me to start. At this point I have shared this with only my Brother Trey in Miami, and Sister Edith in Raleigh… in NYC at ground zero at this moment… keep her in your prayers.
It’s been two weeks now that I have sat on this… so it has time to process and people have had the time and opportunity to discuss all kinds of things. It must have been Friday night/Saturday morning when I had a “little visitation”…
It started out with me “looking out” from a high point at a valley winding below me, and the reality I had been here before. It was the VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH I walked through some time ago. Which meant that MY CAPTAIN was behind me… and HE WAS sitting on that same rock. HE motioned to me and I came over and sat down and we looked out at the VALLEY. At the far end of that VALLEY lay “GOSHEN”. A place I have seen many times, but have never been in. It is the “place of safety” while EGYPT gets plowed by GOD. Let me quote a bit of LOGOS before I share THE RHEMA…
And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward
16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea
17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen
18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen
Funny how GOD gets “HIS HONOR”… and HE NEVER CHANGES…..
31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee
We sat on the rock and stared out at THE VALLEY… and HE SAID…
“IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE PATH TO GOSHEN. I TOLD YOU TO PAINT YOUR FACE AND BE READY”.
I replied: “It’s been a long wait LORD.” And expected HIM to say something more. HE did not, I woke up and pondered. And kept pondering because I could not go back to sleep so I went on line, first time in a while. There was a “word” posted about walking with JESUS in the light of day. Actually there were several about walking with HIM. But I felt something missing…in me. So I turned on the TV and there was an old movie playing…. I watched the english actor Jack Hawkins look down at Charlton Hesston and say something like… “your only purpose is to row this ship… row well and live”…. later he said…. “in order to save you, YOUR GOD gave ROME the victory”….
The movie of course is BEN HUR…. and I kept crying as I thought of those words…. and realized how things happen about me because MY GOD has my best interest always in mind. Over the years many times I watched as others benefited for me and my family to be blessed. So I watched through the chariot race to the end… where JUDAH sees the face of someone who kept him alive when going to the galley as a slave….. the face is of a man being crucified who says…. “FATHER FORGIVE THEM…..”.
Judah says at that time the “sword of anger and hatred” “FELL FROM HIS HAND”.
Now I pondered this as I recalled the first time I/we walked that valley 3 1/2 years ago….
And the next movie on another channel an hour later was “A WALK IN THE SUN”…. “I will sing you the song of a fine platoon….” that takes a “little walk in the sun”…. in Italy… 1944… the movie begins and ends with this song…. it ends with “it’s the same walk a man will make to be free”.
If the words are not exactly right, the meaning was in deed there. So ended my day… and that night I was back on that rock looking out towards GOSHEN…
This time HE HAD A LOT TO SAY…
“WELL OLD FRIEND, IT IS TIME TO TAKE A WALK WITH ME. BUT WE NEVER WALK TOGETHER DURING THE DAY IT SEEMS”.
“No LORD”, I replied, “But someday…” ….and I could not say more because I remembered the city in that VALLEY. That city where the enemy rules.
“EVERYTHING, DOG, HAS A TIME AND SEASON. EVEN YOUR FRIENDS THE DRAGONS.”
I had to laugh, me and the dragons have met eye to eye several times and I know someday HE WILL SLIP MY LEASH…
“EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY,” HE LAUGHED, “AND YOU WILL GET A CHANCE AT THEM. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT IS BOTHERING YOU. THERE COMES A TIME WHERE I AND MY BRIDE WILL WALK TOGETHER IN THE BRIGHTEST OF DAY AND IN THE COOL OF THE AFTERNOON. THE PROBLEM DOG IS THEY STILL BELIEVE TOO MANY LIES.”
“THOSE WHO NEVER DIRTY THEIR GARMENTS. THOSE THAT NEVER DEFILE THEMSELVES. THEY WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER….”
“Then where do I fit in LORD”, I cut in… somewhat rudely… but HE SMILED AND GRABBED MY NECK AND PULLED ME CLOSE…
“YOU OLD DOG HAVE AN OLD PIECE OF CARPET CLOSE TO ABBA’S FEET. I WOULD HAVE IT NO OTHER WAY.”
“THOSE WHO WALK WITH ME AND BEFORE ME THROUGH THE VALLEY WILL NEVER LEAVE MY SIDE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE. SO MANY TALK ABOUT WALKING WITH ME DURING THE WARMTH OF THE DAY AND THE COOL OF THE EVENING NEVER WALKED WITH ME THROUGH THE NIGHT. NEVER STOOD WITH ME THROUGH THE STORM.”
“IT IS WRITTEN, OLD DOG, THAT I WOULD BE WITH THEM THROUGH THE FIRE AND THE FLOOD. THAT I WOULD BE THEIR REAR GUARD. WHICH MEANS THEY ARE FACING SOMETHING MORE THAN THE WORLD AND THE FLESH.”
“And all we do is to stand?”, I asked?
“THAT IS ALL ANY WERE TOLD TO DO. TO SIMPLY STAND AND HOLD WHAT I HAVE GIVEN. FEW HAVE DONE SO.”
And I nodded my head remembering….
“BUT”, HE WHISPERED, “FOR THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE ME AND SERVE ONLY ME, THEY ARE MY GABOREEM…. THE DREADWARRIORS YOU HAVE WALKED SO MANY TIMES WITH. A FINE PLATOON OLD DOG, A GOOD COMPANY OF MEN WHO HAVE DIED AND NOW LIVE THROUGH ME.”
I looked toward HIS FACE AND SAW THAT SMILE…. SOMETHING WAS COMING…. I HAD TO WAIT…
“MARY AND MARTHA HAD A BETTER GRASP ON THAT THAN MOST OF YOUR THEOLOGIANS, DOG”
“YOU, MY OLD DOG, ARE GOING TO GET WEARIED AT ALL THE LEFT HANDED CONFIRMATIONS COMING FROM ALL DIRECTIONS. YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOSEN UP AND ENJOY WHAT HAPPEN AS IT HAPPENS.”
“YOU KNOW YOU WILL GET THROUGH THE VALLEY… AND WILL STAND REAR GUARD WITH ME. WHAT HAPPENS THEN YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU NEED IT.”
At that point HE STOOD up and stretched….
“I HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME DOG….” and laughed.
So it ended…
Except for the confirmations…. Someone just sent out “THE LONG WAIT”…. or something to that effect…. maybe it was Sister Susan… yup…. it was… I never read it… scared to… because I had not written this.
Instead I reread my own “words” sent back and forth…. even M Frances…..Mary E. She sent THE STORY OF THREE CITIES…. before someone else mentioned it. HARPEZO…. etc..etc… all these images have meaning to them… and the follow specific patterns that are sequential….
And all point to THE DAY OF THE LORD…
Selah
Old Dog