Ch.12 - Table Side

Ahhhh. My feet won't seem to carry me as fast as I'd like to go.

What about you, Discipline? Can those new feet of yours keep time and pace with me?

No, but I am trying. And yes, I'm still getting used to these two new feet. It does seem to help if I attribute some kind of cadence or rhythm in my moving.

Left one, right one, left one, more. One foot, two foot, three foot, four.

I'm so glad I don't have four feet. Two is plenty enough for me. And just a reminder, this is not a competition, we're not keeping score.

Well, it would appear there is a musical score in our moving about. Let me join you once more.

One foot, two foot, three foot, four. One foot, two foot, three foot, four.

Picking up some steam now, let's go!

One foot, two foot, three foot, four.

Forward motion into these open flames;
the secret and experience of there,
being able to remain.

Living within the blaze, that's my purpose,
that's my aim.

Meet me table side.

Poetry in motion.

Come on, Discipline, let's go.

I don't know about you,
but I'm shifting my pace to a higher gear.

Eyes fixed, gaze focused,
to that Man I'm drawing near;

His name's Jesus.
So I am now quite aware,
amidst the flicker of the flame;
I'm here to give Him
any earthly gain.
I surrender all my human desires.

Meet me table side.

How is it, I'm overtaken, yet I'm not consumed?
This life brings so many questions; all I can
is bring them to you.

The flame amidst us rises,
a blue and purple hue;
pillars of smoke now envelop this whole room.

Here am I,
table side.

Jesus, your eyes, they're open wide.
Your gaze is fixed upon me, transforming.
The fire within your stare; it's overtaking.

Table side.

And so, I kneel humbly before You now,
Your voice, it thunders quite aloud,
Yet, somehow, I hear yet another sound;
Do I hear rushing waters?

You say, take this bread, it's been broken for me.
Now eat;
For from it, all of life flows.

And then, this cup from which I drank,
you now must drink it, too; for
from it flows healing, forgiveness.

Complete healing, table side.

(She's quite unaware in this moment, Discipline receives His final creative miracle.
He now has another hand.)

(She clears her throat and begins again.)

Let me continue.

There's one more thing that sits upon this table.
A flask of oil, ready for anointing, impartation.
I bow humbly before you,
without You in my life,

I'm not worthy, I'm not able.
You are my All in All.
My yes, I give You, table side.

King of kings and Lord of lords, I need You, to rule and reign over my life,
each and every part.

Forgive me for thinking,
it would be enough to just seat You
on some random chair
in that familiar closet of my heart.

And yes, it's true,
cleaning it out
was such a very important task.

It most definitely needed to be done,
so many, many, many years before.

And yet, in such a spans of time
I was once again finding satisfaction
with just the status quo.

But one day you came.
You came to lead me
to that same old closet door.

There you
pulled back the carpet;
cut the lock;
swung open wide
a quite hidden trap door.

And in that moment
In mercy, you bid me to come in
and embrace the depths
of my foundational things.

So you and I,
we climbed down that wood ladder,
all five rungs, gracefully we
entered what lies underneath.

I had some fears of what was down there.
It was less than I thought,
But still I was quite scared.

In the underneath,
you led me to Sir Discipline.
I learned more from him
in just those couple months, it's true.

And then, with new lessons learned,
In fresh understanding,
I gave up all my rights;
I chose to listen while pondering.

I learned in those moments
very basic things,
things I'm convinced no one
ever taught me.

Most basic, it seems,
came through this revealing fire;
The things I thought I never learned,
they were actually always there.

They were held within your gaze,
Found in your embrace.

Table side.

The thing I learned most this time
was how this thing called healing
and those creative miracles,
they came from getting to know

Discipline, my friend, my teacher, my guide.
Hebrews 12, mid-chapter,
speaks to that truth.

What I find most ironic?
It's the tendency we humans have
to make the most important of all our relationships so generic, plutonic.

And in doing so we struggle.
Struggle to understand just where intimacy
with You will take us.

Table side.

And so
once I understood Discipline,
who he was, who he is;
my faithful friend.

It was he who led me to the flicker,
this flame,
the hue of the fire.

Straight to You
He led me back again.
Table side.

And so I'm asking You in these last moments here…

Why did I say last moments? Hmmm.
Earmark that.
Let's come back to it for sure.

…please let me ask again,
that flask of oil?

Oh, I see it's now Your hand.
Is it for me you're holding it?
Are you getting ready to pour?

As I've heard of you,
Your fame,
Pour it out on me once more.

Pour it out!
Impartation oil,
Here, a fresh mantle.
Fuel for my lamp,
trim the wick.

Let me keep my mind, my heart
centered,
my gaze upon you
I will keep fixed.

Oh, boy, the ground,
it's beginning to shift.
I'm feeling it quake.

Jesus!?
The earth…
Under me it shakes.

What is this?
What's happening?
Tell me, what is taking place?

Discipline, I desperately need you more, than ever by my side.
This shaking;
it's straight up so very different
than when your creative miracles came.

It's intense.
So I stand now locked and loaded,
Set, battle ready.

Table side.

I draw my sword,
the Word of God,
it keeps my feet steady. 

My friend: I must commit His Word
To memory again.

Table side.

The helmet of salvation,
It covers my whole head.
My mind must be clothed
with the mind of Christ. 

Table side.

This breastplate, the heaviest of all these pieces and these parts,

It's righteousness covers,
Keeping my heart tender,

Tuned to Discipline,
My heart now joins with Yours

Table side.

But wait
just a minute, please,
if you would.

Let me pause for a second here. 

Table side.

Before I say anything more
or go any further,
suddenly I'm realizing…

Discipline, when did you get that new part?

One foot, two foot; three foot, four. 
Right hand, left hand!
Right hand, more!

You have a left hand!

Table side

 Praise God from whom all blessings flow…
…amidst the flicker and the flame,
communion in Jesus name,
intimacy, humbly bow

Table side,

Jesus now,
pouring oil on me again.
Right here.

Here I am,
Here I'll abide.

Table side.

Amidst the all-consuming, unconsuming flame,
Discipline, the shaking once prophesied
It has begun. 

There's a whole lot of shaking going on.
What's that sound?
I'm now stand unscathed in this blazing fire,
While I hear the sound of the trumpet
The heavenly choir.

Table side.

My prayer was, is, and will continuously be…
Jesus, my King,
let me hear the peace within your voice.
May it always be
Right here I abide,
Amidst the flicker and the fire. 

Table side.

For I have not come like Moses,
with human hands
to touch just
any fire.

No, this fire it flickers differently.
It's now resident within my spirit.

Despite all the shaking
the earth resounds,
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty.
Unto you I bow.

Table side.

Here, now,

Table side
The fire grows,
Consuming in me what's not of you.
It keeps drawing me closer
I'm caught up into
A much different realm.

Table side.

What is this place?
How did I get here?
Is this the City of my Living God
I've now entered?

Table side.

Kingdom come
On earth as it is in Heaven
Let Your will be done.

Table side.

And now what's that?
It's yet another sound?

Do your eyes see
what's now in my purview?

Table side.

An entire host of angels, joyful,
now gather round about me?

Table side.

There's a whole lot of celebrating
taking place right before me,

Table side.

And so it's true,
My name is there!
It's in that book.

Table side.

I am a citizen of heaven!
A table's been set
before me.

Wait a minute, Jesus.
You're close to me,
You see my lip,
It's given way to quivering.

It's not fear that I'm feeling
but instead a lot of sadness.
I'm so not ready for
this last chapter,
as our time together reaches a crescendo.

This is now Chapter 12, in my writing,
A prophetic number,
government.

Please hold that gavel up
For just a minute longer?

There's so much work we've left to do here.
You promised, if Your people would
Humbly call on Your name
Repent, turn from their wicked ways,
It's then, you'd heal.

I must go
For all of Heaven, there's souls
I'm in my armor now,
all hell we will plunder.

Please don't play that trumpet sound.
Not yet.

These tears;
they're welling in my eyes again. 

So many still sleep.
Sound the alarm

Let the church bells ring.
Stir from your slumber!

Rise. 
Awakening.

We musn't refuse
to turn now our ears,
and listen to You,

I hear You speaking.

Table side.

For just as you spoke there on Mt. Sinai,
your voice thunders loud from Your
throne in the sky,
"here comes heaven."

There's now nowhere to run,
Nowhere to hide.

Table side

Here's the message we must carry. 
Take heed,
this is your terminal warning. 

The very systems of this earthly realm
have begun their final quake. 

And as you do your ultimate bidding,
only what is unshakeable
will stand true, remaining.

And so it's here at this table side,
I once more give You my thanks. 
With all I am humanly able,
my purest form, I give you now my worship.

May it delight and warm every fiber of
Your heart, My Lord.

And so once more,
And yet then more and more
I choose to live in absolute surrender.

With all that can be shaken,
in humility,
My God, you're holy.
I come to You with reverence.

Keep my heart, my soul, my mind
Always pure and tender.

Table side.

Now, I go, this one last time
to the valley of decision.
It's there I'll gather others
and I'll bring them
right here to You.

 At this Table side.