Gates of Eden gatesofeden.org

Lazarus
by Ernest Ben Dorantes

Lazarus lies at the gate--
Sores, unhealing, ulcerate;
Hunger does emaciate;
Yes! bitter is his portion.

Anguish robs him of his rest,
As a crumb he would digest
If the chance would manifest,
To relieve his distortion.

Dogs come licking at what's sore:
This his comfort, and no more.
For the wealthy him deplore:
He'll not find their consortion.
Yet, he is Abraham's child--
Soon he will be reconciled.
He is homebound, undefiled:
His part in life's apportion.

The Blind Receive Their Sight
"I found it! I found it!" cried Olivia the Obedient to her friend, Blind Bart. "It's right here in the book of John, chapter 15, verses 9 and 10. I'll read it from my translation of the Bible. It's real easy to understand. This is Yeshua (Jesus) speaking to his disciples. 'I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."'
Olivia smiled secretly up at her Heavenly Father and continued. "Except, of course, for the command to keep the 7th day Sabbath holy. I abolished that one -- the one that Ezekiel said was a sign between God and his people, Israel -- Israel being Israel in the Old Testament and in Romans 11 of the New Testament, Israel being 'spiritual' Israel, grafted into the tree, no less a son than those of actual, physical birth..."
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Where's my Bible? Let me see that." Olivia's blind friend slid his fingers deftly over the pages of his KJV Braille Bible. "Okay, okay, here it is -- verse 9, 'AS THE FATHER HATH LOVED ME, SO HAVE I LOVED YOU: CONTINUE YE IN MY LOVE.' And -- verse 10, 'IF YE KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS,YE SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE; EVEN AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS, AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE. "I don't see anything about abolishing the 4th commandment. In fact, it says we are to obey Yeshua's example of obeying the Father's commandments, and if we do, we will abide in his love."
"Is that so?" "Olivia, it's right here.
Can't you see it?" Bart snorted. "I think you need to find a more accurate translation."
"I know you can't see me, Bart," Olivia beamed. "But I'm smiling." -Lynn Langan