Awake!!!

amchurch

Awake
(For the American Church)

Awake, arise
Oh, Great one of the west
Can’t you see?!
Born in blood’s struggle
Birthed for the sake
Of freedom &
To throw off a yoke
Of tyranny!!

Step out of your darkness
Renew your strength
From the blood of martyrs
Birthed
And a savior’s sacrifice.

Give up your pursuit
Of ease and comfort.
Face the battle once again
As you did of long ago.
Raise up a fist toward heaven!

Proclaim His name
Over a land lost
In self-indulgence and
Satan’s lust for power.

Release your sleeping stupor
And surround yourself
With your lost, but still
Available Heavenly Power!

Shake off the dust on your shoulders
Proclaim His Name,
this His battle cry,
Become a world’s changer
change this game below
from that of Satan’s hate
to a Salvation found only
in Christ’s deep love.

Dignity

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Along the river walk they have preserved as much of the nature as they can. They’ve left the trees and undergrowth at the river’s edge. I love the old trees, especially the larger, oldest ones. It’s always amazed me that they were here before me and will probably be here after me remaining after I’m gone. That just seems amazing to me. Here is a poem about my few thoughts on that subject. Hope you enjoy it and Praise God!!

Dignity
(Of Trees)
Ancient, unmoving
Imprisoned into a primordial
Earth, sustaining your
Existence.

Your bones lie locked
Deeply beneath a surface
flowing life to your limbs
dancing above in free-air.

At times, you lean
To dip your fingers into
An icy stream or wave lacy limbs
Of colored leaves into
sometimes gentle, sometimes violent winds.

I move past, wondering,
Wondering a why.
You were here before I
Had become a thought.

Whether naked or clothed
In your royal dress of
Green for a season,
or Gold, or red

You drip with, exude
Your form of wisdom,
Dignity, if you wish,
Reminding of an eternity
Existing before us.

You were here before I,
Will probably be here
After I
Living on to tell and testify

Of a beginning of life
Unknown and an unending
Of life foretold,
Teaching without speaking,
saying without words.

Displaying a Power beyond us,
Unseen but felt, glory beyond
my weak physical Senses
Yet proven in your existence.

Spit Out Into Hell

impoverished-child-on-streets

Screenshot from Dante's Inferno video game — Screenshot from Dante’s Inferno video game

I came into the world as an orphan from birth with nothing, no mother, no father, no love. I was traumatized and abused both. They said I was a highly sensitive child so maybe it impacted me more than someone else. I remember only fear and terror. I was suicidal a few times, but God stays close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit Psalm 34:18. Here is a poem I wrote about my experiences. Hope you enjoy. Praise God!!!

Spit Out Into Hell

Alone, wet, cold
Shivering into the wall,
I try to fade, pushing
Into the emptiness inside,
This, an unending terror.

I crouch, attempting to avoid
The inevitable. Knowing it
Will come. Survive, survive,
Gritting the teeth
Hanging on, hoping
reprieve will come
Someday.

Despair, hopelessness
dragging. So worthless,
I deserve only
this joyless existence?

Looking up I scream
someone explain this
Why?

Until a light breaks in,
A gentle presence
Fear brought no longer
a feather-soft presence
ever over my head
hidden, between us only
a thin veil of sky.

Feelings stir
Leaving Hope.
Do Not Give Up.
I AM here.

A Wind lifts
Releasing, removing pain.
Strong, a glowing light
Shines down into
my interior.

A living God, a living
Son.
Wonder of wonders
He wants Me!
Joy begins, grows
Becomes stronger
Passion and Praise flow.
New Life Is Created.

So if I can endure
So can You.
His life can exist
Inside of you.

Remember, loving He spread out
His arms
On a wooden beam.
Death juxtaposed on top of
LIFE!

Strange but I believe
Eternally True.
an answer to the
WHY.
HE can use anything, pain
sorrow
To bring you closer to
joy.
and in the darkness give you
Himself.

Passion but not in Black and White

christoncross jesus#3 art-1703880__340

Jesus loves us so profoundly, deeply and passionately that he left a place so wonderful we can’t even begin to imagine its beauty, and He did it solely for us. He allowed himself to be tortured to death overnight and into the next day for our sakes. He was beaten almost to death, flogged and then spiked to a piece of wood. He loves us totally and completely. The poem below I wrote about the depth of His love for us. Hope you enjoy and may God bless your day. Praise God!!

In Black and White

Small minds reduce
our Lord’s Glory
to mere words on a page.

Life is not lived in
Black and White!

All life contains
A struggle.
Sad, happy,
Pain, Joy,
Misery and Glory.
Passion.

Our Lord knew this
And for this
He died.

But not in
Black and White!

Of Nazareth

crossforpoem

People like to argue over what they perceive to be inaccuracies in the Bible. For example, how no one could seem to find the location of Nazareth. In recent years, however, because of archeological discoveries, the location of Nazareth has been found. I wrote this poem thinking of this small, ancient village. Hope you enjoy it and have a blessed day. Praise God!!

Of Nazareth

Small, dirty
Slumbering at the foot
Of another, greater
larger, yet you persist
unrivaled in your beauty.

Overlooked, unpursued
By a world entranced
By power, lust, its greed
You slept waiting,
Dozing in your dust.

Until chosen by a power
Not understood by man
Wearing your unseen crown
You nurtured heaven’s
Purpose for all life.

He walked your streets
Breathed in your light-filled air
With every glance, smile
Literally dropped onto, littered your streets
With His glory.

What a King!! To leave
a throne of blazing glory,
enraptured within, carrying,
bringing the breath of heaven
To fill your ancient streets.

But it was just this
the tenderest, gentlest
Grandest deed ever performed,
This to become
Of Nazareth
That touched our human hearts.

A Prayer

Dear God, Creator, of all the Universe and Beyond

I give you all the praise and honor. Thank you for being who you are, for the beauty of your face and the beauty of your great heart. Thank you for the gift of your one and only Son and your Holy Spirit. Praise you God for who you are!

I pray your blessing and protection on all of your churches world-wide, your family, and the people trying to lead them closer to you. I pray we could all be more of what you want us to be so that it is not I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me. I pray especially for the church of my country, America, that we would be less caught up in the culture and more caught up in You, Holy Lord.

I pray for your whole world that every soul on it could come to know you as their Lord and Savior and come to know how much you love them. May we as your church show them your love! I pray this in the name of your most beautiful, gracious Son,

Amen.