Tag Archives: Faith

Firewall

14 Jan

Firewall

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”  1 Peter 1:7

 —-

In the eye of the storm,

The flame of faith,

Flickers and dims,

Holding perilously,

To yesterday’s truths;

Praying.

 —-

Satan’s doubt,

Quenches the flame,

Reducing it to an ember,

As the storm tarries.

 —-

A cry for help,

Faint, but heard.

 —-

Then, in a moment,

The flame surges,

Grows, strengthens,

When joined by the faith,

Of interceding saints,

Building a firewall,

Of committed prayer,

That banishes doubt,

And fuels the flame,

With the testimony of miracles.

 —-

Stand with me,

When the cutting winds blow,

Then I will be strengthened,

And ready to join with you,

When another saint’s flame,

Begins to dim.

—-

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THIS HOUSE

30 Dec

Farmhouse

“And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?”  2 Chronicles 2:5-6

 —-

This house which stands is humble.

The outside is simple  –  neat.

It does not command attention,

It does not exalt wealth.

 —-

Yet, this house has become a home,

Each inch dedicated to the Gospel.

Look inside with the eyes of a Saint,

Past the aging tapestries,

Past the dull, sparse paint.

—-

This house glows in Gold,

From the essence of His Glory within.

It is laden with silver,

From the Light of the Son.

Every inch is warmed,

By the love of His children.

It is shielded and draped,

In the Armor of Righteousness.

—-

This house which stands is humble.

The outside is simple  –  neat.

—-

But this home which we’ve built is great,

For it houses the Mighty Living God.

This God which cannot be contained,

Not by strength,

Not by boundaries,

Not by false sacrifice.

But which chooses to dwell,

In a sanctuary of praise,

Raised by the hearts of His own.

—-

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TAKE MY HAND

27 Dec

 Reaching Hand

“Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” 

Psalm 77:20

 —-

Take my hand, Lord,

                                                         and guide me through this weary time.

—-

Gently lift and gently lead,

            my eyes are tired,

           the path is dim.

—-

Take my hand, Lord,

                               a grasp of friendship,

                    a grasp of love,

—-

Father to child,

                     child to father,

            trusting,

           secure,

           warm.

—-

Take my hand, Lord,

                                   that I might be healed,

                          and capable soon,

                         to reach my hand,

                     back to another.

—-

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STREET FIGHT

13 Nov

Angry Teen

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.    John 3:16 KJV

—-  

I’m strong – I have power,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

I could hit you – I could stab you,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

 —-

These streets are mine – I need nothing,

I don’t need food – I don’t need a room.

I can do anything – I can do everything,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

 —-

I could kill you – I could take your money,

I could destroy everything you have.

I am strong – nothing can touch me,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

—-

What’s wrong with you, man?

Don’t you see me, don’t you hear me?

You are at my mercy –

You are a bug in the palm of my hand,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

—-

Don’t you hear me – can’t you see what I am.

I am strong – I am tough – nothing can hurt me.

I need nothing – I need no one –

The streets are mine,

You’re weak – you’re nothing.

 —-

You’re different, man – you’re different.

You don’t fear me – but you’re not tough.

You sort of glow, man – are you high,

What are you on, man?

 —-

You’re different, man – you’re different.

I’m tough – I’m mean – but – you’re different.

What’s in you, man – I don’t get it.

I’m mean – but you’re looking at me like –

Like – we’re old friends, or something.

But – I don’t have friends –

There are no friends on the street,

NO – you’re weak – you’re nothing.

 —-

I don’t need you – I don’t need nobody,

The streets are mine – I live through fear,

No one messes with me.

But, you’re different, man – Who are you?

 —-

Don’t touch me, man,

No one touches me – Nothing touches me.

I’m mean – the streets are mine,

I’m  –  –  strong  –  –  I’m  –  –

Who are you?

What are you?

—-

Sit down, man – over here,

Where no one can see.

Tell me again why you aren’t afraid.

 —-

There’s no way You could have been like Me,

No way, man – You’re weak – you’re –  –  different  –  –  you’re  –  –

—-

I don’t want to change,

I don’t need food – I don’t need nobody,

People are bad news, man –

People are no good,

Out here I’m king, man,

These are my streets – I’m mean . . .

—-

Don’t hold me, man -don’t touch me – don’t . . . .

Why did you do that –

Why do you care about me.

There’s nothing in your world for me,

There’s no hope – I’m not like you –

You’re not like me,

I can’t be like you.

—-

Who are you, man – look at me cry,

I don’t cry – I’m mean – I’m tough – I’m . . .

Who are you?

 —-

Ok, man – Ok.

Tell me again,

Tell me again about this Jesus guy.

—-

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A PERFECT HEART

12 Nov

 Hand & Heart

And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.    Luke 15:31-32 KJV

—-

Where is my heart, Lord,

The heart You can see.

Has it wandered much too far,

From where it ought to be?

—-

I rest in Your presence

And wonder where I am.

Have I gone too far?

Have I given up too soon?

You have set a path for me,

Charted by Grace,

Out of bondage,

Through the Wilderness,

Into the Promised Land.

—-

How often do I cast a glance

At the familiar security of bondage?

My memories, sweetened with time,

Draw me back across the Wilderness

That I have already overcome.

My promise of tomorrow,

Looses distance,

By my own temptations.

—-

Yet, at the end of my daily journey,

As I cry out,

You rest with me.

Words of encouragement urge me forward,

The reality of temptation, once again,

Becomes clear.

 —-

There is no anger in your voice,

There is no disappointment,

Only tears of joy,

Fatherly pride,

As I step, once again,

Toward the promise.

—-

Callous my heart, Lord,

To sweetened memories,

To familiarity.

—-

Tender my hear, Lord, toward You.

Let me see Your path with certainty.

Harness my mind and confusion.

Touch the greatest depths of my soul,

That when we meet again,

In the cool of the day,

That I might hear You,

With a perfect heart.

—-

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CRUTCH

15 Sep

Crutch2

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Ephesians 6:6-7 (KJV)

We live in a rural community, a small town with lots of space.  In the area I live, all the homes are on 1-acre lots, or larger.  It isn’t unusual to see horses and goats wandering in yards – keeping the vegetation under control.  It’s a very comforting sight.  Roosters announce the sun, and passing car headlights in the middle of the night.  Even the occasional donkey bray, louder that I ever expected, piercing the morning quiet, is comforting.  Always makes me chuckle.

We’ve had several years of drought and the lots aren’t scattered with wild flowers, as in years past, but after a monsoon rain, the valley turns immediately green and delightful.  Times come when people are unable to care for animals, for health or financial reasons.  You often see animals for sale or given away to good homes.  Lots overgrow and become fire hazards when the growth becomes dry.  Many people commute a long distance to find a good job and their lots suffer.

Not long ago our lot was to the point where we had to do something.  Even with three healthy boys in the house, between work, school, church and after-school activities, no one had time.  One day I decided enough was enough and created a parental ordinance – all activities were hereby cancelled until the weeds were mowed.

Out came the mower and about 1/16th of an acre later, the wheel busted right off.  Good Grief!  The wheel was a special order, replaced the year before, and just not what we needed to replace right now.  Grumble, Grumble, Grumble!  Been there?

Later in the day I needed to head into town.  Along a side street I noticed an empty motorized wheelchair.  I slowed down to be sure the owner hadn’t fallen out.  There he was, on a metal crutch, legs painfully misshaped, weed-eating the front of his lot.  Oh, my goodness.

Weeds and dust flew around him, but his smile never diminished.  You see, against all odds, and doctor’s reports, he could still do something.  He could get out of the wheelchair he had been sentenced to and make his overgrown lot look beautiful.  No goat, no horse – just a hobbled man on a crutch with a weed-eater.

So many times I have seen my ministry dreams and visions put on hold and I think – I’m getting old, how can I ever see this come to pass.  I read my Bible and pray and wonder, with a shadowing of doubt, whether the ministry that God has burning inside of me will ever get past pen and paper and into reality.  I sit in my self-imposed “wheelchair” and cry out for solutions when God is telling me to get out on shaky legs and lean on the “crutch” of the dream that He’s given me and make something beautiful happen; even if I can only go forward a few feet at a time – like my weed-eating friend.

How many of us sit in “wheelchairs” of doubt, fear, shame, and “I can’ts,” never allowing God to use the gifts He’s birthed inside of us.  God, stop the wheels on the chair I rest in and push me forward toward the goals You have placed in front of me.  Encourage me to take the small steps, every day, toward the finish line that grows nearer with every moment.  Prove to me “I Can.”

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JUDAH

11 Sep

 Armor of God

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand

shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall

bow down before thee.”   Genesis 49:8 KJV

—-

Judah is rising up,

As the Phoenix Bird from her ashes,

Reborn and Refreshed,

To take His place in the line of war.

—-

His dead are walking forth from the tombs,

where they have been wrapped,

In the works of this world.

—-

The scales are being removed from His blinded eyes,

Falling to His feet of bronze.

His tongue is being loosed,

To bring the message of God.

—-

Judah is rising up to take His place in the line of war.

—-

With the blessing of Jacob,

And the prayer of Moses,

He prepares Himself,

Ready to battle,

In the Armor of Light.

—-

The belt of truth glistens in the light of the sun,

Making a way,

Distilling the darkness.

—-

Righteousness adorns His breast,

Truth, Grace, Justice.

Peace from the written Word,

Which was God and is God,

Steadies and guides His feet.

Cloaked with faith,

Which no evil can penetrate.

—-

Covering His head with the Anointing oil,

A Spiritual helmet,

Cleansing the mind,

Clearing the confusion,

Making salvation clear.

—-

Stepping forth in the strength of the Spirit,

Both violent and tender,

Judging in Love,

He begins the walk.

—-

Judah has risen,

He is taking His place,

In this Spiritual War.

The singers march first,

To anoint the field,

Causing demons to flee.

—-

The Levites remain, interceding,

Protecting, lighting the way,

With prayers unceasing.

Those that have fallen,

Those that have strayed,

Hear His call.

—-

The Lion roars in the tribe of Judah,

The Root of David gains strength.

The songs of Angels’ tongues break forth,

Screams and gnashing echo in the darkness.

—-

Judah has risen, He has taken His place.

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DRY BONES

10 Sep

Dry Bones

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto

them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.  Ezekiel 37:4 KJV

———

Could I have bore the pain you carried.

Would you have tread where I once walked.

—-

Had we been given each other trials,

Would I or you have chosen different paths,

Or could I have carried the burden for which I have judged you?

—-

The ravens of gossip and deceit,

Help me to strip the smallest,

Most hidden and covered areas of your being.

—-

With a critical tongue and thoughtless sighs,

I chew away your life, bite by bite.

Stripping away the beauty that was you,

Leaving dry parched bones,

Cast into the wasteland.

—-

What have I done?

Can these bones live again?

Can what was stolen ever be returned?

Will you be able to hear Jesus call,

With the cleansing blood of truth,

That can breathe life back into these bones.

—-

Will you let another hear that can love

          and nurture your brokenness back to health,

Or have the words of my mouth caused walls of stone,

So tall and deep, that none may penetrate.

—-

Could I have carried the burdens for which I have judged you?

Could I have carried the burden of the pain which I have caused you?

If I had only taken the time to see life through your walk,

If . . .

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WOMAN OF GRACE

9 Sep

 woman in prayer

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”  Proverbs 31:30 KJV

—-

Born of sacrifice,

Birthed in grace,

Bone of man’s bone,

Blood of man’s blood.

—-

Chosen to serve,

Cleaving to the covenant,

The promise of Adam,

The promise of Abraham.

—-

Grace to bring forth,

The children of promise,

Destined to call,

Destined to serve.

—-

Grace to pray truth,

Into the nation,

Grace to endure,

Intercession by day,

Intercession by night.

—-

Unwaivering love,

Unmerited favor,

To see past the pain,

Of sin’s temporal hand,

To the promise of life,

This side of the cross.

—-

Faith in the truth,

Abounding with love,

To believe in the birth,

To believe in the death,

Of life and of Sin,

Of spirit, of soul.

—-

Grace to bloom forth,

As the rose in the desert,

With fragrance and velvet,

From the thorns,

Rigid arms.

—-

Rising to God,

In manifest witness,

Of grace and of mercy,

In truth from above.

—-

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The Mustard Seed

2 Sep

Mustard Seed

Matthew 17:20 “ . . . If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

While enjoying a moment of prayer and being enveloped in the blessing of anointed music, I was touched by the greatness of God. The God that brought the children of promise out of Egypt; the God that parted the Red Sea; the God that brought life to the womb of a virgin Israelite girl; the God who created life and set the sun, moon and stars in their orbit. The God that give life to the grass, flowers, animals and man – no two alike. The God that holds every thought and every emotion of each of His children close to His heart, and turns His head toward the broken, sincere prayer.   What a Mighty God We Serve!!!

As I sat in thanksgiving of how great He is, I rejoiced in how He loves us so much that He has packaged all of His power into a faith that would fit inside the tiny mustard seed. A seed so small, that I could hold hundreds in the palm of my hand. That thought fills me with such joy. The faith of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Peter and Paul would fit into five tiny seeds that rest in the crease of my palm. The faith to lead a nation, to speak life into dying people. The faith to perplex natural events and raise the dead back to new life. The faith to stand, and when they were weary and no longer had the strength to stand, by faith they stood.

Jesus, I pray that I will be content enough with myself that I will want to abundantly bless another in my smallness. I don’t want to feel that I must be well known and in frontline ministry to be able to make a difference. Help me to remember that I can rest in prayer, and with the faith the size of a mustard seed, send up the sweet savor of a miracle to be birthed in another, half a world away.

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