Unfinished Song

I feel like I'm falling with nowhere to land.

From peoples and nations I have been banned.

Lost with no compass, no vision, no map,

My constant condition: one sorry chap.

I'm a ship in the ocean tossed to and fro,

Lost out in space, I don't know where to go.

Wherever I end up, I don't belong

And I feel like an unfinished song.

Birds sing to others sweet melodies

But when I get near their songs quickly freeze.

I live in a vacuum – there's nothing else here –

My only companions: Confusion and Fear.

I'm a ship in the ocean tossed to and fro,

Lost out in space, I don't know where to go.

Wherever I end up, I don't belong

And I feel like an unfinished song.

My life is a mystery, I don't see the end;

I speak of great meaning but only pretend;

I just reach the finish to find that it's gone;

My only conclusion: an unfinished song.

I'm a ship in the ocean tossed to and fro,

Lost out in space, I don't know where to go.

Wherever I end up, I don't belong

And I feel like an unfinished song.

I'm a ship in the ocean tossed to and fro,

Lost out in space, I don't know where to go.

Wherever I end up, I don't belong

And I feel like an unfinished

© Daniel Lorimer

June 25, 2010



This is not how I feel, but rather how I feel that I would feel if I were not a Christian. I have seen too many people lost without Christ that have absolutely no meaning or purpose. And I would have been one of them, if not for God's gracious intervention in my life, bringing me to the point of repentance and faith in Him. And He transformed my life, giving me meaning, purpose, hope, joy, peace, and thanksgiving! This Thanksgiving I am truly grateful for God's grace in making me His son, for giving my life purpose and meaning, and saving me from being an Unfinished Song.

". . . you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:12-13, NKJV)

Will You? (Give Up)

There's a castle standing deep inside your soul.

You are still ruling: you're in complete control.

But God is calling; Give up the throne.

Let Him be King – Lord of everything!

Will you? Will you surrender?



Will you give up?

Will you give in?

Will you die to self?

Will you die to sin?

Will you step down?

Will you end the dual?

Will you give Him the crown?

Will you let Christ rule?

Will you?



You're the warrior fighting, struggling to survive.

Your head is spinning; you can't make it out alive.

And God is waiting for you to quit the fight.

Come live in Christ – yourself crucify!

Will you? Will you die?

Will you give up?

Will you give in?

Will you die to self?

Will you die to sin?

Will you step down?

Will you end the dual?

Will you give Him the crown?

Will you let Christ rule?

Will you?

You're sitting at a crossroads, which way will you go?

Part of you says yes, the other part screams no.

And God is weeping for your struggling soul.

End this fight today – give up anyway!

Will you? Will you now?

Will you give up?

Will you give in?

Will you die to self?

Will you die to sin?

Will you step down?

Will you end the dual?

Will you give Him the crown?

Will you let Christ rule?

Will you?

Strength, power, fame, control;

Work, job, money, soul;

Reputation, chance for fame;

Understanding, questions, brain;

Past, hurts, who you've been;

Need to fix, failures, sin;

Forgot, emotions, pain, weak;

Self, spirit, outlook, bleak

Thoughts, mind, what you'll be;

Plans, will, hopes, dreams;

Time, heart, love, strife

Things, lacks, all your life!

Will you give up?

Will you give in?

Will you die to self?

Will you die to sin?

Will you step down?

Will you end the dual?

Will you give Him the crown?

Will you let Christ rule?

Will you give up?

Will you give in?

Will you die to self?

Will you die to sin?

Will you step down?

Will you end the dual?

Will you give Him the crown?

Will you let Christ rule?



Will you?

Will you?

Will you surrender?

Will you?

Will you?

Will you die?

Will you?

Will you?

Will you now?

Will you?

Will you?

Will you?



© Daniel Lorimer

September 16, 2010

Cockroach

Poor little cockroach, friend I just met,
I'd like to keep you as a pet. . . .
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, friend I see,
Everybody thinks you're the enemy!
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, friend of mine,
I never meant to cross the line. . . .
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, friend I squished,
Aimed at the fly, but then I missed.
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, friend of the past,
I always hoped our friendship would last.
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, my best friend:
Never thought this would be the end.
But that's too bad; that's too bad.

Poor little cockroach, from long ago,
I want to tell you, want you to know:
That it's too bad; that's too bad.


© Daniel Lorimer
August 21, 2010

Burnt Chicken

Verse 1:
Early one fine afternoon I went into town,
Never would have guessed what was on the ground,
Sitting by the road all black with char.
I picked it up and put it in my car.

Chorus:
Burnt chicken: It's what's for supper tonight!
Burnt chicken: Yeah, it's a wondrous sight!
Burnt chicken:
Burnt chicken: That's when you know it's cooked right!

Verse 2:
Came up on the campus and what did I see?
People running out of the buildings!
Cooks had gotten just a little carried away.
Guess what we'll be eating this very day!

Verse 3:
A girl in the dorm tried to microwave.
But to her frustration it misbehaved.
Sadly that poor fowl was all she had to eat.
She was not so happy but it really is a treat!

Verse 4:
Went out in the woods for a mens' dorm party.
One of the guys fixed a specialty.
Hours on the grill charring in its own grease.
After they combusted we had a feast!

Verse 5:
Many, many years have passed since then.
I still like to keep a poultry pen.
Cook 'em up, fry 'em up, just a little scorched,
Sit back and eat 'em up on my front porch.



© Daniel Lorimer
August 15, 2010

8/9/10

This day in history, I was alive.

8/9/10 is a significant day in history. It is a significant day for me, for you, for everyone. Why? Because this is a very unique date that will never happen again as long as we are alive (unless something very strange were to happen). It starts with 8 and increases linearly. Very unique. 8/9/10 - mark it down. Remember it.

Well, you can go ahead and forget it since you probably won't remember it anyway. Besides that, it's almost over. It's one of those once in a lifetime experiences that you might have missed. Maybe you did miss it. I almost did.

But every day is an 8/9/10 in its own way. Each a unique gift from God with unique opportunities, challenges, and experiences. You'll never get to revisit them. It will never come back again. Very unique. Every day - mark it down. Remember it.

West 64

I'm ready to take a trip on West 64.
'Cause this life ain't worth living no more.
Without you by my side,
I'm ready to take this ride.
So I'll just take your car and go
East, on West 64.

If you ever miss me, I don't want to know.
You've had your chance, but were too slow.
This is the end.
I won't be back again.
I'm in your car going
East, on West 64.

232 cars have come and gone.
But I'm still right here going strong.
No one can stop me,
Just you wait and see.
I'm in your car going
East, on West 64.

Next time you go driving on West 64.
Maybe you'll stop to love just once more.
I'm one of those crosses -
One of those losses -
I took your car and went
East, on West 64.



© Daniel Lorimer
July 3, 2010

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood
Did what she knew she should,
Lived by good principle.

But kids scorned and mocked her
Be-cause of her color,
Made her life miserable.

She went home to mom and dad,
But that's what made life so sad.

They both were working,
Their real job shirking.
They never were there for their child.

They worked all day
Just to repay
All of the debt they'd acquired.

A house and a boat and three cars:
Had to live life like the stars.

That's not what she needed
When she was mistreated.
She needed a mom and a dad.

But they were not home.
She lived on her own;
Left by herself she was sad.

The days dragged on like years.
She lived her life in tears.

She went back to school;
The kids there were cruel.
They laughed and they mocked her again.

Her grades started failing;
Her face started paling.
Her parents were still busy then.

They'd bring her gifts but then go.
Their girl they never did know.

She went through the forest
To grandmother Norris;
She knew that her grandma would care.

She stopped for a rest,
Still quite depressed;
She broke down and cried again there.

Oh, what had her life become?
She'd reached the very bottom.

A wolf came in view,
Said that he knew
All of her struggle and strife.

He said that he'd help her
To make it all better,
Then reached out and gave her a knife.

Her grandmother found her that day,
But by then it was too late!

Her body was lifeless,
Though she had been priceless,
But love she never did know.

Her parents, still busy,
Now made time to be
What they should have been long ago.

If only before today –
It might not have ended this way.



© Daniel Lorimer
May 19, 2010


(Backstage: This is a part of a series of songs that play off of familiar childhood stories, rewritten toward a broader audience with a twist (or rewrite) in the storyline to convey a new message.)

Ever Been Lied to?

I've been reading a book entitled "American Education" by Joel Spring. I recently was struck by comments he made about the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. He asks the question, “Why were Japanese Americans interned in concentration camps but not the descendants of other U.S. enemies, such as German and Italian Americans?”(1) He then goes on to explain that it was because of racial prejudice.

Ah, yes. The Japanese internments during WWII. I've heard about that. I'm sure most people read about it in school. In fact, this is the truth that we've been taught in schools for years. Tens of thousands of Japanese were sent to detention camps, many of very poor quality, resulting in many Japanese Americans dying in those camps during the war.(2) This is the story we've been told, and apparently, we're sticking to it.

But, have you ever stopped to question what you've been told? Just how much of it is true?

I asked this question when I read Spring's statements because not too many weeks prior, I read a news article that the Texas Board of Education passed an amendment to their curriculum to include information about the internment of German and Italian Americans during WWII as well as Japanese internment.(3) This curriculum change would indicate that the major reason for internment was war-time activity, not so much racial prejudice as Spring claims.

On the opposite side, the Texas Board ruling has drawn flak claiming that they are twisting history to fit their own views.(4) So I asked the question, who's twisting history?

Huge numbers of Japanese Americans were relocated during World War II. This relocation effort started after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Through the extent of the war, about 110 thousand Japanese were relocated.(5)

Also during the war were intern camps that housed German and Italian Americans. Though the numbers were not as high for these other nationalities, their numbers were still significant. About fifteen thousand German and Italians were interned during the course of the war.(6) Not all of those held in intern camps had been in the United States. Some were from Latin America. However, these intern camps were not dedicated to only Japanese, they were shared by descendants of the enemy Axis powers.(7) We even have stories of Germans and Italians who were interned during the war.(8) It is obvious that the treatment of the Japanese in America during World War II was not limited to the Japanese. One article also points out the difference between the Japanese that were relocated and those who were actually placed in intern camps (which were different). According to that estimate, the number of Japanese who were actually interned was much closer to the number of Germans, even though many more Japanese were relocated.(9)

Even so, it may do us good to take a look at the numbers for the Japanese and some of the reasons that they were relocated or interned.

Numbers can lie, and we don't want to fall into that trap. Wes Injerd has done extensive study regarding the Japanese Americans during World War II. He gives details regarding the figures of Japanese who were relocated. Many Japanese Americans were not relocated at all. Of the 110 thousand relocated, seventy-two thousand were U.S. citizens and over half of the citizens were minors. The significance here is that many children who were U.S. citizens had parents who were first-generation immigrants (and thus would be more likely to be connected with Japan). Also, around thirteen thousand of the Japanese Americans joined the military, thousands of others were not at the relocation camps very much either because of seasonal leave for work, and other gone to colleges and universities.(10)

Several other things may be interesting to note in discerning the racial discrimination against the Japanese. If the discrimination were again Asians or Orientals in general, why were Japanese the only Asian nationality treated as they were during the war? Other nationalities, like Chinese (China was an ally) served alongside other Americans in the military and other functions and were not forced to relocate or placed in intern camps.

Injerd points out that many of the Japanese relocated willingly or volunteered to relocate, that there were no escape attempts from the relocation camps (he also confirms the distinction between the relocation camps that were very lenient and housed most Japanese, and the internment camps that were more like prison camps for people who had been arrested for various reasons), that the living conditions, though poor, were similar to or better than what many of them had before.(11)

Also, as I've already pointed out, and as Injern emphasizes in his work, Japanese relocation came as a result (or immediate effect) of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had invaded U.S. soil and there was a lot of legitimate fear that they would try to invade the west coast. And why fear Japanese Americans? For one, there were several Japanese organizations and clubs in the west coast area that were very anti-U.S (and would thus pose a security threat).(12) The truth is, there were loyalists among all of the Axis nationalities in the Unites States. The sad part of any war is that many who are innocent will suffer with the guilty.

Was there racism? Yes. Racism is always a problem. There were Americans of many nationalities (even Japanese) that were prejudiced against the Japanese. But was racism the cause of the massive Japanese relocation during World War II? After my research, I don't think so. Excuse me, Mr. Spring, but I think you need to do a little more research before making statements that are false. When I study, I would like to be studying the truth.

So what do you think? Do you believe the stories of extreme racism that prompted the relocation of so many Japanese Americans during the war? Or might it have been mostly an attempt to protect ourselves against all of our enemy nations?

Who's lying to who? Who are the ones trying to contort history?





References

(1) Spring, Joel. (2008). American Education (13th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

(2) Kareem, Nandra. (2010, March 18). Texas Board of Education's Controversial New Curriculum. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://racerelations.about.com/b/2010/03/18/texas-board-of-educations-controversial-new-curriculum.htm

(3) New York Times. (2010, March 12). Texas Conservatives Win Curriculum Change. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

(4) Kareem, 2010; New York Times, 2010.

(5) Truman Library. (n.d.). The War Relocation Authority and The Incarceration of Japanese-Americans During World War II. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/japanese_internment/1943.htm

(6) Everything2.com. (2001, September 7). German Internment Camps in World War II. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://everything2.com/title/German+Internment+Camps+in+World+War+II

(7) Brosveen, Emily. (n.d.). WORLD WAR II INTERNMENT CAMPS. Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/quwby.html

(8) Davies, David. (n.d.). Germans Interned in Texas during WWII. Texas Public Radio. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.tpr.org/news/2009/01/news0901141.html; Kerr, K. (2009, September 20). Italian-Americans Imprisoned: The Internment of Italian-Americans during World War II. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://modern-us-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/betrayed_by_america

(9) Everything2.com.

(10) Injerd, Wes. (n.d.). The Preservation of a People: A Look at the Evacuation and Relocation of the People of Japanese Ancestry in the United States during World War II. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://home.comcast.net/~eo9066/Intro.html

(11) Injerd, Wes. (n.d.).

(12) Injerd, Wes. (n.d.).

Birthday Song

In the days leading up to my birthday, I was thinking about John Paul Stevens and his recent news that he is retiring from the supreme court. That may not matter as much to others, but you see, Justice Stevens and I have something in common. We share the same date of birth.

That got me thinking about others born on my birthday:
There were many, and had different paths and different routes, some were kings, composers, politicians, actors, sport stars....
571 - Muhammad, (traditional date) Prophet and founder of Islam
1494 - Johannes Agricola, German Protestant reformer
1718 - David Brainerd
1889 - Adolf Hitler
1920 - John Paul Stevens, as I mentioned, retiring from Supreme Court - 2nd oldest Supreme Court Justice
1972 - Carmen Electra
1936 - Pat Roberts

But I wasn't just thinking about people born on my birthday, for many also died on the day that I was born:
1314 - Pope Clement V, Bertrand Got, pope (1305-14) move papacy to Avignon, dies
1759 - George Friedrich Handel, buried in Westminster Abbey (died 6 days before)
1769 - Pontiac, indian chief of the Ottawa, murdered
1812 - George Clinton, 4th U.S. Vice President, dies at 73 1st Vice President to die in office
1906 - Australian wombat; oldest known marsupial, dies in London Zoo at 26
1947 - Christian X, king of Denmark (1912-47), dies at 76
1999 - Cassie Bernall, Rachel Joy Scott, many others, Columbine High School massacre
2010 - Today, it is estimated that over 100 thousand children will be denied the opportunity of having a birthday. 3,700 of those in the United States alone.

But not only have their been births and deaths - there have been many notable events on my birthday as well:
295 - 8th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet
1770 - Captain Cook arrives in New South Wales
1775 - British begin siege of Boston (Revolutionary War)
1792 - France declares war on Austria, the beginning of French Revolutionary Wars.
1777 - New York adopts new constitution as an independent state
1799 - Napoleon issues a decree calling for establishing Jerusalem for Jews
1853 - Harriet Tubman starts Underground Railroad
1861 - Colonel Robert E. Lee resigns from Union army
1879 - 1st mobile home (horse drawn) used in a journey from London and Cyprus
1902 - Marie and Pierre Curie isolate radioactive element radium
1904 - Louisiana Purchase Exposition opens in St. Louis (1904 World's Fair)
1910 - Halley's Comet passes 29th recorded perihelion at 87.9 million km
1916 - German-British sea battle off Belgian coast
1918 - Manfred von Richthofen, The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th + 80th victims marking his final victories before his death the following day.
1920 - Tornadoes kill 219 in Alabama and Mississippi
1920 - 7th modern Olympic games opens in Antwerp Belgium
1936 - Jews repel an Arab attack in Petach Tikvah Palestine
1941 - 100 German bombers attack Athens
1944 - NFL legalizes coaching from bench
1945 - Soviet troops enter Berlin
1947 - Frederik IX becomes king of Denmark
1961 - Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed troops against Cuba.
1963 - All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda
1967 - U.S. planes bomb Haiphong for 1st time during Vietnam War
1970 - Bruno Kreisky becomes 1st socialist chancellor of Austria
1971 - U.S. Supreme Court upholds use of busing to achieve racial desegregation
1972 - Apollo 16 landed on the moon commanded by John Young.
1976 - George Harrison sings lumberjack song with Monty Python
1978 - Korean Airlines flight 902 shot down by Soviets in Russian airspace
1983 - President Reagan signs a $165B bail out for Social Security
1986 - U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1986 - Michael Jordan sets all-time record for points in NBA playoff game with 63 against Boston Celtics
1988 - Baltimore Orioles set worst record to start a season 0-14 (will go 0-21)
1992 - Madonna signs $60-million deal with Time Warner
1993 - Uranus passes Neptune (once every 171 years)
1994 - Serbian army bombs hospital in Goradze Bosnia, 47 killed
1996 - Chicago Bulls win record 72 games in a season
1999 - Columbine High School massacre
2007 - Johnson Space Center Shooting


Sources:
http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_20
http://www.brainyhistory.com/daysbirth/birth_april_20.html


All of these wonderings led to the Birthday Song:

Birthday Song

Everybody's singing that “Happy Birthday” song.
One day in the year that nothing can go wrong.
Everybody knows you so you need not sing along.
It's the time of year when you feel like you be-long.

Chorus:
Happy Birth-day, It's a great day.
Happy Birth-day, In a new way.
Happy Birth-day!

But not everybody's birthday is a time that they rejoice.
They feel they've been shortchanged in their life's grand invoice.
They look back at all the years wasted by their choice.
And we hear the lingering sorrow wafting in their voice.

But God can make a birthday something greater than the past.
A day of new beginnings; horizons that are vast.
As we pummel through the years moving very fast.
God can turn your day of birth into a life that will last!

So don't look back on your birth day and wish that you had died.
Don't accept a life that takes you on a constant downhill slide.
Look to Christ who will redeem from without and from inside.
Make your Birthday a reminder of your God in whom you abide.

© Daniel Lorimer
April 20, 2010

Ever Wondered What I'm Thinking?

Jesus Christ is Risen

Verse 1:
Jesus Christ is risen!
He's no longer dead.
Now is the third day,
and just like He said:

Chorus:
He arose with power over the grave!
He arose with power mighty to save!
He goes on before us.
We follow joyous
We now have hope to live again.

Verse 2:
If Christ had not risen,
What a lot of men,
Hopeless and forgotten,
They would have been.

Verse 3:
If Christ has not risen,
Then faith is worthlessness.
We remain in sin
And life is emptiness.

Verse 4:
Jesus Christ is risen!
He's risen from the dead!
He is the first fruits,
Our exalted Head.

Verse 5:
Christ now lives in Glory,
For He now lives again.
He offers us redemption
And a home in Heaven with Him.

© Daniel Lorimer
Easter, April 4, 2010

What kind of people are we?

I ran across something I posted almost 4 years ago now. As I read it, I was convicted again. I am lacking. I need more of God; I need to be more God-focused, God-centered. I need revival.

If someone looked at you, would they see a reflection of God? Or would they see a reflection of the most popular movies, etc? What's your spiritual temperature?

----------------------------------------------------------------

I was sitting at the lunch table the other day listening to the conversation between some of the others at the table. They were discussing all kinds of different movies, telling whether they liked them, their favorite parts, quoting different lines, etc. As I listened, all of a sudden it hit me - They wouldn't be able to discuss the Bible like that. Think about it. How often to people get together discussing the Bible, telling their favorite books, chapters, verses, and quoting different sections, etc.? We don't - it's weird - at least it wouldn't be "fun." Why? Should we not love the Word of God more than we love the word of actors/actresses? Should we not enjoy spending time hearing God's eternal Words more than we enjoy hearing the fleeting words of movie producers? If we say that we love God supremely, should that not be reflected in how we spend our TIME? I heard in a sermon recently that on average Christians in the United States spend something like 70 percent of their free time on entertainment - 70 percent! Think about it. What would you say matters more to you, God or entertainment? How much time do you spend on entertainment? How much time do you spend with God?

I sat at the table, convicted. Why is it this way? Why do we think it odd to go around quoting Scripture verses, yet quote from movies all the time? Why is it awkward to discuss the Bible with our friends yet it is expected that we discuss the latest/popular movies? Why? Why? Why?

It just doesn't make sense! It shouldn't be this way! God, touch Your people in a way that we have never experienced You. Reform our minds to be a reflection of Your Son, not a reflection of the world's entertainment! Transform our lives to mirror You, not this fallen world! Do a work in us that is so deep and so drastic that we cannot be like the world! Do not allow us to conformed to the world, but transform us into the image of Your Son! Make Your people to be like You. May when people look at us see You. May we be a mirror and a channel of You to this lost and dying world! May we be nothing, and You be everything! Touch Your people, oh God! Bring revival today!

A little self-evaluation:
Do you spend more time with God than you do on entertainment?
Can you quote more Scripture verses than you can lines from movies?
Would it be easier for you to name 20 movies or 20 books of the Bible?
Pick a movie series. Can you name ten episodes? In order?
Can you name the Ten Commandments? In Order?
You have 1 hour free. Would you rather watch a movie or read the Bible?
Would it be easier for you to name 20 actors/actresses or 20 Bible characters?
(if you have other questions that would fit in this list you can leave them with your comments)

Beauty and Beasts

She always thought she was Beauty.
She saw love in the roughest men.
She thought that with a kiss she could tame them.
But that's never been the end!

Chorus:
Beast after beast she has tried to take down.
But she hasn't got very far!
To her surprise they weren't bound by a spell,
And beast after beast they still are!

She finds a beast and tries to make him
Into the man of her dreams.
He plays along, then devours.
She never learns, it seems.
(Chorus)

I saw her with a new beast this morning.
She had her head on his arm.
But she doesn't see he is rotten.
She is blinded by his charm.
(Chorus)

And now she sits there broken,
From beast after beast who tore her heart.
Oh, what would it be like had she not opened
That door to the beasts from the start!
(Chorus)

If only she knew the meaning
That beasts most often stay as they are.
No girl alive now can change them
And they'll always be beasts by far.

Last Chorus:
So beast after beast she will try to take down.
But she'll never get very far.
To her surprise they aren't bound by a spell,
And beast after beast they still are!

And to her demise they aren't bound by a spell,
So beast after beast they still are!


© Daniel Lorimer
February 14, 2010

Victory From Defeat

Hey! It's me again, Kenaz. For those who didn't read my last blog, I'll reintroduce myself. My name's Kenaz. I'm an Israelite, one of God's chosen people. I'm not ever mentioned in the Bible, so if the name sounds familiar, it wasn't me, it was somebody else. I was born and raised during the 40 years that we had to wander in the wilderness because of our disobedience. I was there for the miracles of God when we crossed the Jordan river on dry land, and watched as the walls of Jericho just crashed to the ground.

As I shared in the last story, I was a part of the losing attack on Ai, as God judged Israel for my brother Achan's sin when he took the forbidden things from Jericho. I shared the lessons that I learned from that incident. That our sin doesn't just affect us, but has a devastating effect on others. That God takes sin seriously, whether it's something big, or something small. That we cannot tolerate sin in our lives.

But that wasn't the end of the story. I want to share the rest of it with you this evening. After we stoned Achan and all that he had, after we destroyed the sin from our midst, God's presence and favor was restored to us. In fact, God spoke to Joshua and said, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”

We weren't allowed to keep anything from Jericho – Achan did and it cost him his life, and caused our failure the first time we attacked Ai. But now God was saying that we could keep everything from Ai. This time, it was ok.

Well, Joshua didn't waste any time. He assembled all the people together, and this time we weren't messing around. Instead of selecting 3,000 men to attack, he chose out 30,000 to attack. Ten times the number from last time. Once again, I had the privilege of being one of the commanders in the army; I was going to get a second chance at Ai – the battle I had previously lost, was going to be won, because God was with us this time!

Then Joshua laid out the battle plans. He chose 5,000 men to go hide in ambush on the west side of Ai. They were going to wait there until Joshua's command. Then the rest of us, 25,000, with Joshua as our leader would attack from the north side of the city. The enemy troops would come out to fight us, like they did the last time we attacked. When they came out of the city, our army was going to turn and run, just like we did the last time – but this time, it wasn't going to be because we were afraid, it was a part of the battle plan. When the people of Ai saw us running, they would think they had defeated us again, and chase us, just like last time. But this time, the troops in ambush would spring from hiding and storm the city while the gates were open. When they had captured it, they were to set part of it on fire as a sort of smoke signal. That would be the sign for us to turn back, and destroy the enemy army.

What a plan! We were actually going to use our prior defeat as the means for victory. But get this, this is the best part: That wasn't Joshua's plan. That was God's plan! God's the one that said to set up the ambush. God was going to take our defeat, our failure, our loss – the result of our sin – and He was going to take that scar, and make it the very stepping stone to victory! What an amazing God that redeems situations! The very wounds that we had as a result of sin, God was going to use for His glory!

That night, we moved out. The 5,000 were able to place themselves unnoticed on the west side of the city. Our army of 25,000 moved into the valley on the north side, ready for the battle. This time, our faith was restored; we believed again; we trusted God again; and we were ready to see God work yet another miracle in our midst. Early in the morning, as the sun was just beginning to show, the watchmen on the walls of Ai spotted us. The troops from Ai rushed out to meet us in battle. This was it! Joshua gave the command, “retreat!” And our whole army turned and ran. It reminded me of the last time I was here – oh, but it was so different. I wasn't afraid, there was no chaos; I could feel the presence of God in our midst. This time, it was different. We were laughing and praising God as we fled before the enemy. It worked to; they took the bait; they thought they had us just like last time. They pulled together all the troops they had, they even got the soldiers from Bethel, a city just a few miles away, to join in the attack. They thought for sure they would route us again. But they had another thing coming.

Just then, I glanced over to see Joshua, and he pulled out his spear and pointed toward Ai. For just a moment, the question passed through my mind, “is it going work?” “what if the ambush fails?” But I wasn't about to be conquered by fear again – we had the living God on our side – we were living in spiritual victory – and I knew He would give us the victory in battle.

I couldn't see them, but at that same time, our ambush swept at the city from behind. My buddy, who in the ambush, told me that Ai was just sitting wide open. They had left the gates open and there wasn't a man in that whole city who could swing a sword. Our guys blitzed the city and set it on fire as fast as they could. In no time at all we could see the smoke billowing up from the city. We weren't the only ones to see it either. When the army from Ai looked back at their home, they realized it wasn't their home anymore, and they had fallen into a trap. We saw the change in their army, man, they just fell apart – fear swept their ranks; it was utter chaos. The very same thing that had stuck our army the last time we attacked, was now striking them. And I knew, this was the work of God.

Oh, man, we turned back and charged at them as fast as we could. The boys were hollering and whooping the loudest war shouts they could muster. Our boys in the ambush came out of the city and attacked their army from the back side. We had them trapped – they couldn't run, and God had struck them with fear so they couldn't even fight. Israel's two armies converged and we just smashed them, we obliterated the whole army – there was nobody left.

We swept up to the city and mowed it down like it was nothing. We killed everyone, just like God had commanded. But, like I said earlier, God had said that from Ai we could keep the spoil.

As I was going through one of the houses looking for people, I happened to glance down at the floor, and you know what I saw? A beautiful Babylonian garment! It looked almost just like the one Achan stole from Jericho. I would have never dreamed of seeing another one anywhere. As I searched the rest of the house, I spotted some gold and silver as well. The very things that caused Achan to sin. That got me thinking about my brother again. I wonder, as he was going through Jericho, if part of the temptation was a lie of the devil that if he didn't take these things now, he would never get another opportunity. You see, some things are sinful, other things, though not sinful in themselves, can be sinful if we go about them in a wrong way. Gold, silver, clothes – the things that Achan took from Jericho – they weren't sinful. The sin was that they were dedicated to God, and he was stealing! Oh, but, this was his only chance! It was now or never! Not even true – it was a lie of the devil. Just think, if he would have resisted temptation, Israel wouldn't have lost the first battle, 36 of our soldiers would not have died, Achan would be alive and everything he owned, and in the plunder of Ai, he could have gotten the gold, the silver, and even the Babylonian garment – and it wouldn't have been sin. Here they all were, right before my very eyes, and in this battle, God had said that we could keep the spoil. Oh, that we would trust God to provide for our needs and even our desires, instead of seeking them out in our own way! Let us not fall prey to the lies of the enemy!

Well, we took the livestock and spoil out of Ai, and then we burned it to the ground. The king of Ai we hanged, and then threw his body in the city gates. We raised a burial mound of rocks for him, just like the huge pile of rocks that we raised over my brother Achan's body in the Valley of Achor. The first pile as a commemoration of our defeat, our sin, our failure. The second pile as a commemoration of our victory through God.

But you know my favorite part of the whole story? It wasn't the fact that we won – though that strengthened my faith in God. It wasn't finding the Babylonian garment, gold, and silver in the house – though that reminded me that God always knows best. It wasn't even watching God paralyze a whole army. My favorite part was that God used Israel's defeat, my failure, our lost battle – which was caused by sin – He used that as the key to our victory!

Now, do I think that was God's original perfect will? I don't think so. It wasn't God's will that we would sin. Besides, He had a million ways He could have used to defeat Ai the first time. He didn't need us to sin in order to accomplish His will. That's nonsense. But once we did sin; once we failed; the second time, God chose to use our defeat to bring victory. You know what that tells me about God? God is in the business of redeeming situations! God is the Redeemer! He doesn't want to waste anything you have gone through, or anything that you will ever go through!

Now, don't misunderstand me. He did not use our sin. The sin was wrong. He condemned our sin, and we had to repent and turn from our sin and destroy it in our lives! It was not the sin that He used. But it was the result of the sin that He used to bring victory. It was the scar that sin had left on our lives, that permanent stain, that He redeemed for His glory! Praise the Lord!

God redeems situations!

I wonder as you're reading this, if that is where you stand. You have some hurt, some pain, some scar. Something that is the lingering result of prior sin in your life. You have repented and denounced the sin business. But that failure, that defeat, that was caused by sin, still haunts your life. Why don't you stop and pray right now and consecrate that pain, that hurt, that scar, whatever it is in your life, and give it to God, the Redeemer of Situations, who can take your defeats and turn them into victories!

Don't Come Whining to Me!

Hey! I'm Kenaz. I'm an Israelite, one of God's chosen people. No, you've never heard of me before. If the name sounds familiar, it wasn't me, it was a different Kenaz. I'm not mentioned in the Bible. I was there, I was a part, but I guess I was one of the people not important to get my written down. But I was there! I was there during the 40 years that we had to wander in the wilderness because of our disobedience – No, I wasn't there the whole time – I was born in the wilderness during that time, that's where I was raised. Not the best life, but I saw God work miracle after miracle in our behalf. It was amazing. I was there when it was finally time to go into the promised land, and I watched the miracle as the Jordan river parted and we walked through on dry land. I was there for the battle of Jericho, as we marched around the city 7 days, wondering the whole time, “what are we doing?” And yet, on the seventh day as the priests blew the trumpets and we shouted the mightiest victory shout we could must muster, I watched another amazing miracle as the walls of the city crashed to ground, and God gave us the victory. What an amazing time to be alive! But it didn't stop there. No, this is just the background to the story I want to share with you today – my story.

Joshua was a great leader, and he didn't waste any time. He sent a small group out to scout a nearby city. I was a part of that group. Man, Ai was nothing compared to Jericho. We all agreed that after the great work of God that we just experienced in bringing down Jericho, Ai would be no sweat. We came back and told Joshua, “Don't bother sending everybody to attack Ai, just send a few thousand soldiers. There's no point in making everyone tired for this one, Ai is going to be a piece of cake.” So Joshua sent about 3 thousand troops to attack Ai. I was one of the commanders in the army, and I volunteered for this mission. I wasn't the only one, but here I was a part of leading this attack on Ai, positive that we would see another amazing work of God as we destroyed that city.

But it didn't happen! When we attacked, things turned bad. Panic just struck our men. We didn't know what was going on. It was just chaos. We couldn't keep anybody control. It was terrible. What was worse, I was scared to death. I had seen God work, I had faith that He would fight for us, I was sure that He was going to give us victory, but it didn't matter what I told myself, I couldn't keep myself together, we couldn't keep the men together, and we just turned and ran – like cowards. They chased us all the way to Shebarim – we lost 36 guys from that attack, and we didn't kill a single one of the enemy. It was awful, just awful. That wasn't just it, either. I had let my men down. I had failed! I was one of the ones that said we only needed a few thousand to win, I was one of the ones leading the charge; and instead of fighting, I had turned and ran. I had failed. It was awful.

How could God do this? How could He let us down? I was so sure; I had faith; and God let us down! When we got back, the fear that had gripped us spread like the plague – everybody was panic-stricken and … there was nothing left. Joshua took it hard, too. He tore his clothes, and just fell on his face before the ark of the Lord. He and the elders where there all day, fasting and mourning. Finally, Joshua spoke and prayed to God, I'm sure what so many people were thinking: “Oh God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land with hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

Now, looking back, it would almost be easy to get onto Joshua and say things like “he should have had more faith”, “he should have trusted God more”. I mean, come on. We weren't supposed to stay on the other side of the Jordan – this was the promised land! How could we have been content, when God had promised so much more! And I mean, come on. We had just seen a huge miracle at Jericho! Where was Joshua's faith in God? But I can't say that, I can't go there. I can't attack him for his lack of faith. You see, I was there. I know what it feels like. We had just suffered a huge defeat; our emotions were destroyed; we were scared to death. It wouldn't have mattered what intellectual treatise you might have given about the mighty of works of God and how we should just have faith, it wouldn't have done any good at that time. Now, I'm not saying that we were right – no, we should have trusted God more. But I can't attack Joshua for his lack of faith; because I understand, and I couldn't do any better. You see, we were defeated, we had lost. Faith was shattered; hope was gone. We were devastated. We needed to hear from God!

We did hear from God! It wasn't really what we wanted to hear, but I guess it's what we needed. God spoke to Joshua and said, “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come man by man. Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.'”

Wow! Not what we were expecting! Sin, sin caused this! It all made sense now. Let me back up, and explain something. God had commanded us that no one was to take anything from Jericho. We were to destroy everything. The only exception was the gold, silver, bronze and iron. But we still weren't to take it – it was dedicated to the Lord. God had told us that if anyone took anything, there would be severe consequences. I guess He was serious. You know, God is always serious about sin. And now, we had lost the battle because someone had disobeyed God's command. Not only that, we were doomed to destruction unless we took action, unless we destroyed the sin from among us! God had spoken and said, “I don't want your whining. I want your repentance!” The sin must be destroyed... man, tomorrow wasn't going to be a fun day....

We started early in the morning and Joshua gathered everyone together. This was it, the big test. Joshua brought us before the Lord by tribes. Reuben... no. Simeon... no. Levi... no. Judah... taken. Judah? Not Judah! You see, I'm from the tribe of Judah, those are my people! Someone from my tribe could do this? It got worse, as the families came, the Zarhites were taken. I'm a Zarhite – that's my family. Somebody in my family committed this sin? My family was responsible for our loss in battle? How could this be? Then we went through the Zarhites, and Zabdi was taken. This can't be real! Zabdi? Zabdi was my grandfather! No! Not my family, not my people. This can't be! How could we be the ones that are responsible? Who would do such a thing? Then Joshua went through the household of Zabdi man by man... and Achan was taken. No! No! It can't be! Not Achan! Anybody but Achan! Achan's my brother! There must be some mistake! How could he do such a thing? How could he be the one that separated a nation from God? Anybody but Achan! Not Achan!

Sure enough, Achan admitted to taking of the accursed things from Jericho. He said that when he saw them, he coveted them, and took them. He took a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a 50 shekel wedge of gold, and hid them in the ground under his tent. That's it? Something so small? Surely we can overlook something so small, surely he doesn't have to be punished for that? I mean, he's my brother! Can't we just forget about the whole thing? No! God had spoken. But surely God can't be serious! Surely He must understand! I mean, it was something so little; He would let us off with that, wouldn't He? No! God had spoken. Sin is sin, no matter how great or small. And until the sin was destroyed, God's presence would not be with us. Did we want God, or not? The choice was up to us. We had to obey God!

So we did. We took Achan, the silver, the garment, the gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, everything he had. And we stoned them and then burnt them with fire. It was the hardest thing in my life – to cast stones at my own brother. But God had commanded that we destroy the sin from among us. And when we did, God's anger turned away from us. God's presence was restored. Afterward we piled up a huge pile of stones, that stayed for years, as a reminder that God is serious about sin.

God is serious about sin! God had commanded. We had sinned. We could not win if they we didn't take drastic action. It was either severe punishment or God was out of here. We could not take it lightly. Did we want victory? Did we want God's blessing? Did we want God's presence? If so, then we must deal drastically and immediately with the sin – destroy it! And we did. The sin seemed so small, I mean a Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and that separated the entire nation from victory! But you have to understand, Achan's sin was an affront to God's holiness. God's holiness must be preserved – He's serious about that. We'd better be serious, too. It's not just Achan's sin. Any sin, no matter how big or small, is against God. It is attack on who God is, an attack on His holiness. We must not take sin lightly.

Not only that, we need to realize that sin affects more than just us – our sin will have devastating effects on others. I wonder if Achan thought of others as he stole the things in Jericho, as he took that which was dedicated to God? Did he have any idea that his sin would cost the lives of 36 of his fellow soldiers? Did he think about his family, his children, who would also perish because of his sin? I don't think so. Sin blinds us. It makes us think that we will be the only ones affected, that it won't bother anyone else. Not true! Achan's sin not only cost his own life, but cost the lives of many others, and put his whole nation in jeopardy.

These are the lessons that God taught me through all of this. They were hard lessons; I lost my brother, I lost a battle, I lost fellow soldiers, I lost a lot. But I learned in a way that I will never forget: Sin is Serious! We must not tolerate it in our lives! Sin will separate us from God, it will keep us from victory. Even a little sin, something we think that only we know about, something that only affects us – it will cause defeat! How often does a small amount of sin keep us from experiencing victory!

I wonder as you're reading this, if it might be possible that you're tolerating sin in your life. Perhaps it's just a little thing. Perhaps no one else knows – you are hiding it underneath your tent, and no one can see. But God sees. And I'd invite you to take this opportunity and pray and get serious with God. God is serious about sin, and we need to be serious. Will you take that step and tell God that you are serious? Will you take the drastic action required to sever sin in your life? Will you accept God's forgiveness now? Perhaps sin is stealing your joy. Perhaps it is keeping you in defeat. Maybe up to now you have thought that it doesn't affect anyone else, but it does. Will you bring it to God? He can restore victory in your life.

To Sleep

I recall the days before me.
I would calmly lay my head.
Sleep would come and quickly find me,
And stay with me 'till I said.

But now I lay my head to pillow
For sleep hath bidden far away.
I lie awake and dream of sleeping.
Sleep, how could thou this disarray?

Won't thou join me once for mem'ry,
Like we did in days of old?
I can search, but will I find thee,
All alone in this night of cold?

Shall I find thee through the classics
Or wilt thou join me numbering lambs?
I ask, please, wouldst thou come and find me
And help to shorten the nightly spans?

Hold me gently, soft caressing,
Close my eyes 'till light of day.
Let me swoon in your embracing.
Let me swoon the night away.

Sleep, where art thou? I do need thee!
Come and save me is my moan.
Dost thou hear me? Come relieve me!
I cannot bear the night alone.

Epilogue:
'Tis only a short need that's passing.
I won't always need her lore.
For one day I'll cross the river
To that Land and sleep no more.

Wilt thou join me, then, in Glory,
As we've kissed our sleep goodbye?
She may leave us for the night, now,
But we'll leave her the day we fly.


© Daniel Lorimer
January 6, 2010
Composed at night for the night of Jan 4, 2010.