"God Re-Presents The World To Us" ("Level Four" Poems)

God re-presents the world to us, now, from His point of view;
Invites us up on Kingdom-layer and gives us work to do;
Like this-and-that which gives to Him some space in which to act,
He does the heavy lifting here, a load now off our backs.

Take, “Scripture, Stu, keep focus there, and move along with that;
You’ve done such all along in Me; like satisfaction’s cat,
You’re curious, you want to know how life and Scripture meet;
Encourager with giver mix, big picture’s seen as sweet”.

He prunes me back to work in that, a stewardship of word;
Providing tools that work progress, that gospel might be heard;
Like “Layers model” (Kingdom-life) I’ve come to see and more
Assigned to me, with focus there, the rest I can ignore.

So first I take a slice of text, four, twelve, then seven-two;
The four’s enough to grow upon, as I shift point of view;
The loop was good, it raised me up, kept me above a while,
Then let me go the way I thought – “On earth” to walk a mile –

Assigned a task I’d asked to do when He said “Option time”,
I did it faster than I thought – reward indeed was mine –
Decoding culture-codes for folks is what Apostles do;
He showed the key, and Bruchko-style – this shift in point of view.

Now all has changed, for me, for them, as we move on from here –
“Preach Kingdom-layer, and teach the folks assigned, thus make it clear;
Don’t rush it, but disciple those assigned into your care;
Teach them the ins and outs of life upon the Kingdom-layer.”

I feel I’m just two steps ahead of others in this walk;
My head was raised up on the loop, which changed the way I talk;
So long my journey – TCK, Apostleship, and more,
Now Kingdom-life releases us – see what He’s got in store.

Lord, Tilton taught me how to dance around each block in life;
He showed me how You’d help us live amidst the noise and strife;
But then You showed this truth as well – there is a Kingdom-layer,
With Christ made Lord of life on that, it’s there we’re Kingdom-players.

Proclaim the news of Kingdom-layer; just do it in your lives;
Draw people up to God in life, not God to where each strives;
Keep focus there, and not on Stu; matured as we’re prepared;
Repeat that cycle; use old wine ’till gone in life that’s layered –

The Kingdom has a King, of course; and people ready are;
Huge fields are ripe for harvest now, no need to travel far;
Christ was appointed King of layer where we find freedom, rest,
Until His clean-up task is done, all issues are addressed.

That is the essence of the part Christ taught at “level four”
Quite simple, yet when viewed up close it’s such a narrow door
A narrow path, a choice of trees with different kinds of fruit;
To me it is His Jubilee – up here is freedom’s route.

Lord, I’m not ready at this point to mentor more than four;
Two pairs indeed, and send them out, in You to mentor more;
Teach me how best to share good news of Kingdom-layer with folks,
And live it out in You each day, thus bear your joyful yoke.

Help me to see how best to draw each person, group, and town,
Into Your presence on this layer, find healing in that balm;
Help me keep focus on that layer as place to grow, mature;
Let folks outgrow old “clothing” – set it by for life’s allure.

Help me come under Lordship of Christ Jesus, Lord and King;
Help me to model layered-life, this gospel to them bring;
For those whose view is “almost there”, help them to sense relief
And then respond, climb on that layer, and then taste victory.

There’s a so much more to learn in this, just at this level “four”;
I know that modeling Kingdom-layer is how folks hear much more
From me than “leadership” as such, where I’m out front in this,
And Scripture has a part to play – sell “beach” with heaven’s kiss.

Thanks Lord for this.

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