Marking our houses with the blood of the Lamb

 I was recently brought back to remembering the first Passover. Both Israelites and Egyptians experienced the first few plagues. They were in the midst of a move of God who was about to bring a new freedom, but all experienced the initial turmoil. The first three plagues affected both Egypt and Isael.  Then the Lord makes a distinction between them with the latter plagues. When the Lord told Moses to have them prepare the Passover lambs and mark their doors, they were also to share the Passover meal with their neighbors, and those who were without the lambs. They stayed in their homes not to step out or look at the devastation of the angel of death. And in that time, when death had passed over, they were given treasures and abundance to help them on their journey through the wilderness. As I listen to Wanda Algier, and many others who are speaking of the times to come, the trials of this age, I cannot, but think that we the church are similar to the Israelites in Egypt. As we await our deliver, there will be afflictions and trials, some we will be saved from and ultimately as we mark our doors with the blood of the lamb will be saved. And when we come out, we will come out as one people, the church as one, even as Israel went out as one. They were a slave nation without real identity, but they came out of Egypt as one tribe.
As they traveled and moved, they followed so dependently and close to the presence of the Lord. The Lord their God was their cloud by day, and the fire by night, with which they moved and depended on.AS we move into more chaotic times in this age, I know that we will have our own tribulations. We will also go through many plagues but as believers we also will at some point be differentiated from the world.  When the Israelites were told to prepare a Passover lamb and mark their doorposts, they were also instructed to invite those around them who did not have their own lamb. To provide covering for others. We to as the church are to invite and cover those without the lamb's blood. Whether spiritually or in the flesh we can share the covering blood of Jesus.  

Dreaming for and with God

 

Dreaming for and with God

 

KWA Assignment

2/6/24

Dream Big with God. What would you want to do if you could do anything you imagined.

Wow! What a question, today this hit the mark. My heart jolted and then almost crashed with the weight of this. In the KWA meeting a testimony was given about a woman who declared her desire to be a published author. She threw a dream out, and with the Lord and her obedience, has achieved the publishing of several items. Some were what I now know as low content books which opened the possibilities up for me even more. The intimidating task of writing a novel or children’s book always shut my heart down. Story telling is not my gifting but exhortation and calling people to Jesus through words and images now that I love to do. To dream, to trust once again, to put desire out on display, that is a risk I often shy away from. This feels daunting yet the invitation is clear, speak up and move forward or let things turn stagnant and die. I would love to have a book or books of my poetry out in circulation and the ability to share and speak those words to others. So here it is as best as I can try to articulate… To be able to move others hearts into healing and closer to the Lord through my words read and spoken.

Let God be your editor.

 Let God be your editor.

1/7/2024

John 17:17 ESV “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

Ephesians 4:23 ESV “And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,”

Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.

 

The spirit of God is calling us. He is calling us to a place of surrender and renewal. But how do we surrender? What does that even look like? We often pray “create in me a clean heart and let our spirits be renewed”. This surrendering sometimes looks like yielding our wills and wants as well as our struggles. It is also a letting go of our interpretations of what this walk should be. It is allowing the sovereign God to edit our thought patterns and perceptions. Religion says do this and that to be worthy. The world messages us to achieve more and more. The Lord says “come to me my tired ones, enter my rest. Allow me to help not only edit your thoughts but to revise how you live day to day.” He knows the finished story and all the lines in between. Ours is to sit, seek him and listen so closely to his instruction, and then be obedient. Editing does not mean stopping the flow of our thoughts and feelings, rather placing them out on display to be read and proofread. This then leads to discerning with the Holy spirit what is superfluous and what is essential to the story of our lives. The editing process can be painful as some of the old passages are cut away and as we wait for direction for the new to come. Ours is to wait on our Editor trusting He knows the next steps needed along in the process.

 This week will you open the book of your heart to Jesus our editor?

Where do you need to let the Editor come in and cut away the extra so the true picture can be written?

Risk and sacrifice

 

Risk and sacrifice

Dale Cupo

1/18/24

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

 

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Exodus 20:24 ^An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

“The word for sacrifice in the Old Testament was Korbanot.  The word korban means “something which draws close.” Their purpose was to bring people closer to God.”

So many thoughts swirling as I ponder an online discussion on this regarding an Exodus passage in the bible. Much was discussed but one point was that in some ways a sacrifice is something precious given up for the highest thing. Abraham willing to give up his son to God. And when the Israelites left Egypt, the old leavening needed to be left behind so that the new could come. Bearing children in our crazy world today is taking a risk and making a sacrifice so that the population can continue instead of standing on the selfish view of not bringing children into this world because we fear what might happen to them. If we don’t risk/sacrifice the new cannot take hold and eventually death comes to the people.

Sacrifice in my modern western thinking constitutes laying down everyday luxuries for a little while to the Lord. Adding in the connotation of risk though moves it into a whole other context. Risk leans into the word dangerous. To move towards danger as a means to Korban/draw closer to God? Abraham risked his entire promise of generations to come from his line when he obeyed the Lord to prepare Issac as the sacrifice. Risk was Mary saying yes to God. This risk taking biblically appears costly to those that are willing to sacrifice and yet their obedience brought in hope for the future. They gambled their personal futures for the generations that will come.

What would it look like if we sacrificed to the point of moving towards the dangerous and risky things. The obvious is that we know Jesus came to sacrifice himself for us and we are to take up our crosses and follow him. But how do we truly reconcile the call for ourselves as believers to sacrifice all? How do we push into the dangerous risk of sacrificing to make way beyond our own lives?

 

How Poetry entered my life

 

How Poetry entered my life

12/26/23

 

When I was an angsty preteen and teen I had a cheesy little girl journal.  My entries were irregular and random at best and when I look back there were all the typical drama for my age but also in between those were real attempts to process life on a page. I had written poems about my sister Davra who was born with Cerebral Palsy, nonverbal and wheelchair bound. I also wrote of when she died when she was 19 and I 15.

Many decades later I picked up my pen for a 365-day writing challenge but now my entries would be public on a blog. This little challenge opened new territory for my heart. It began a journey to reawaken creativity. MY posts and ruminations gave place for the hurts and heartaches to come into light. I began to write in prose and rhyme. There were times it was about what revelation the Holy spirit had shown me or sometimes calls for justice were the topic of my heart.  

The following poems were from my heart but occasionally from my head.

Some reflect my personal journey with the Lord working out identity and purpose. Moving head knowledge into heart knowledge. Writing became a spot where my wounded parts could be explored with the healing truth of God overlaid upon scars of broken identity.

 Some embody the pain and turmoil of relational struggles. It was a way to sift through the anger and wade through those muddy waters.

Other poems were moments of discovery downloaded from Holy Spirit from the word of God. The Aha formulated after the words flowed out of my hand onto the paper. Then came the process of mulling over those revelations, revisiting the words again and again until they became part of me.

Some verses were born from the pressures born from living in our world. The chaos, sickness, sadness, and polarization from the political climate swirling. I needed a space to make sense of the brokenness around me. What was truth and what was distortion. The power of writing releasing the ability to sort through all the yuck!

So many questions would rise up propelling me to seek the Lord again and again and then an ordering of thoughts pouring into prose eliciting inner peace amongst external chaos.

And then came some psalms of complaint, lament and championing for the underdog.

 

I invite you to come and wander through a sojourner’s wonderings. May they draw you closer to the true lover of your soul and may they bring you permission to go and write. To become your own Psalmist.

Blessings

Dale Cupo

Come Back

  ruminations from 6/5/23

You say come, "come to me like a little chick to a mother eagle. I will cover you."

You say "come to me my weary and thirsty ones. Come back to your loving Fathers' arms."

Oh Lord the ache these empty arms feel with longing to hold and commune with my beloveds. My heart cries comeback from your wondering journeys. Your bruises and woundings need tending. Oh, the privilege to be able to be the one to contend for you and comfort you. Comeback cries my mamma's heart. OH, Abba what does your heart cry to your sojourning lost ones? How do you bear the pain, the aches, the longings?

O Holy Night devotional

 O Holy Night

KWA assignment write a devotional about / using a Christmas Carole

Originally based on a French-language poem by poet Placide Cappeau, written in 1843, with the first line "Minuit, Chrétien, c'est l'heure solennelle" that composer Adolphe Adam set to music in 1847.

“I will exalt you, my God the King.

I will praise your name for ever and ever.”

Psalm 145:1

Dear church, 

As you ponder the Christmas miracle, this Holy night, remember

that though punctuated in a specific time, His Holy birth, “when your Savior

was born” is not a stagnant historical event. As we hear the lyrics declare

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining,” it tells of his saints laying up

prayers and hope for the messiah’s future coming. Oh, beloved ones, even now

this one divine night brought forth an act so holy that all of eternity shifted

and changed. As you sing and celebrate the coming of the “king in lowly manger”

remember that it is not just Christmas tidings that came forth but that Jesus

“Truly taught us to love one another; His law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains

shall he break, for the slave is our brother and in his name all oppression

shall cease.” This Holy night of our dear savior's birth beckons us to proclaim,

“his glory and majesty evermore.”  The call for us to fall on our knees is

a call to worship in spirit. To praise him with our whole heart and minds. It

is not about a nostalgic feeling about a past event but an eternal truth.

 This Christmas as we sing of This “Holy night,” pause and allow the Lord to minister

to your weary soul. May the celebration of His birth reawaken in you a

thankfulness and refreshed hope for we as followers can declare that every

Night is holy unto the Lord because of the cross and resurrection. 

 In the coming weeks think about how you can answer the call to love one another and bring joy to our frazzled world not just at Christmas but throughout your life on earth.