No trespassing – KEEP OUT!

On the southern corner of Routes 30 and 997 (turning back to roll through beautiful Pond Bank, PA) there stands a very strange but mostly ignored site. The shell of a turn of the century red brick gas station or fruit stand. Nothing but the roofless walls remain. Where once there was occupational busyness within the walls now sprouts the tall branches of poison sumach in its place. There are signs posted – No Trespassing – KEEP OUT! Someone every once in a while comes by and cuts back the protruding branches, but this hollow of poison is so deeply rooted it  just climbs back out to wave its berried branches. Once a vibrant stop for fuel to keep life moving, now a curiosity to the beholder.
Lack of maintenance? Lack of attention? Lack of occupational interest? Abandoned to uselessness, time and weather wear, it was now an empty potted vessel for poison.

How does the heart hollow out and bring forth poison … and why does the current pride protect and cultivate the poisoned growth?

Hosanna! -Yasha! – Hosanna! - Be propitious! – Bring salvation! – Bring it now! – Save Now!!
“Hosanna: Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.” The crowd leading and the crowd following were crying out, “Hosanna; Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the Name of the Lord”. “Blessed is the Kingdom of our father David”. “Hosanna to the Son of David”.

The Chief Priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the crying of the children in the temple … and They were sore displeased (indignantly moved with displeasure). WHAT IN THE WORLD? Seeing – Hearing – sights and sounds of spiritual pleasure and comfort AND THEY WERE POISONED? The temple was fine when their hollow liturgical utterances were the only sounds that reverberated off the the dedicated walls. The temple was blessed when the blessings were filling their purses. The temple was magnificent when the praise and worship was under their control. Oh too soon the poison arises and the “No trespassing!” and “KEEP OUT!” signs are posted on the heart of fearful leadership.

You Scribes (experts of the Word) and Pharisees (practitioners of squinted righteousness) that guard your moment of God's visitation and claim it as if no one else has the right to any claim in Kingdom blessings. You Scribes and Pharisees are the beautification of the grave and the glorification of death.
Your faith is so founded on diminished tangible acquisitions that you have total intolerance for any new “wonderful” movement of God. And your poisoned blood boils when you hear the creative  joyful cries
of the New Babes in the Kingdom. “Be real” and “transparent” are words that terrify you because someone would be able to see the poorly trimmed poison sumach within your fortified but failing walls. You would have to admit to your desperate need for revival. Your strength and your courage is a facade because it collapses before the faith songs of the children of the Kingdom.

Oh to miss the full picture of this King of Glory during His first visitation is to begin the downfall.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Your King comes unto you. He is all that is needed for justification and salvation. Look carefully … He is lowly - poor, afflicted, humble, and wretched … able to reach and to save the lowest. He was on a colt ...His war was not with flesh and blood. And when He says “come unto Me”, He is easy to approach because He comes unto you with total loving deliverance. Lay down your pride, take up your palms, lift up your songs … Join the Children – Hosanna!! My heart is filled with my King!!

HLFA,

Jeff

P.S. The heart is hollowed for bitterness when it has not hallowed His heart for the hurting.