Are you afraid too?

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.  And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.  But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,  saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.  But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name."  ~ Acts 4: 13-17

Men were afraid of Jesus
when He walked the earth
afraid of His power
and how He excited the many
to whom He spoke

Men were afraid of Jesus
when His disciples walked the earth
afraid still of the power
in Jesus’ name
and how they healed the sick and the lame

Men were afraid of Jesus
In His life
His death
His resurrection
They were afraid of Jesus
and the peace
He bestowed
on His followers

Let it not spread
Squash it before it goes further
Imprison them
Let it be known
punishment will come

Men were afraid of Jesus
Men still are
Seeking to devour and destroy
all that is done
in His Holy Name

But I am not afraid
Are you?

Will you stand tall
Will we go forth
into all corners of the world
and share Jesus
the one who brings peace
and is our peace?

(c) April 1, 2014

God sent His Son ... Jesus sends us

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ~ John 20:21

God
sent His Son
Jesus

Jesus
sends us
His children

We --
do we go?
do we do His will
do we abide with Him
do we hold onto
the Peace
He gives us

or

do we forget
His promises
His examples
His Love

do we fail
to seek Him
to study and meditate,
to listen to His Word
to obey

God sent His Son
His Son sends us
Who are we sending
Are we making disciples

Are we showing another
God’s love illustrated through His Son

or
are we only passing on
our opinion
of what we believe and perceive
and not what
God’s Holy Word says

If we say we love Jesus
then we will do the will of the Father
We will Trust Him and be obedient

(c) March 31, 2014

God shows us … do we wait and follow Him or just go alone?

“I have set the Lord always before me … You will show me the path of life.” (Psalm 16: 8, 11)

Don’t let the world rule you
Don’t become enamored with all
that is in the world,
with all that befalls you,
angering and frustrating you.

Give your fears and worries, your doubts
over to the Lord
Trust in The Lord
He will guide you safely.

No, it is not easy
But yes, it can be accomplished
One step at a time
Moment by moment

If you never try
you’ll never know
if you will succeed

God is the answer to every need.
The key is in His workbook -
The Bible

Study and meditation are necessary
Just picking up the Book
on a Sunday
to read the Scriptures
will not bring about much
of a transformation

They are just words
clumped together
that sound good
and make you think
briefly about them

But to learn to trust the Lord,
you must be in His word daily.
You must consider,
contemplate,
carve out time to spend with Jesus –

The One who set (s) you free

If only you could see
There are some who are blind
who see the Truth
more so than those
who have no sight

Seen through their hearts,
hearts of love

God is love.
God’s Son lives in our hearts
as the Holy Spirit
when we accept Him

When we walk with Jesus
we stumble less
because our focus is more on Him
and less on those things
that can derail us

He shows us the path
and how to stay on the path
but it is up to us
who determines
if the way we will go
is Our Will
or His Way

It is us alone
whose decision
determines
the ultimate judgment.

Keep your eyes on Jesus
Do not become daunted
by the affairs of those around you
They have choices to make too
Live for Jesus
Live on the path He shows you
Do not veer off the path  

to places unknown
just because you want to.

Seek God.
Look to Him for your every guidance.

Trust Him.
Trust Him for everything.
Trust Him for your very life. 

(c) March 27, 2014

The Sun ... Son shines bright

Winter lingers
Snow-capped rooftops, lawns and streets
glimmer in the morning sun
Coldness seeps into every pore
Spring still aloof
Trees remain bare and dormant
no budding, no blooms,
no soft green grass to run barefoot through

When will winter go away?
When will spring have its say and stay for a while
before settling into the heat of summer?
Oh when will it be?

The Lord God of all
controls the seasons
But we have had enough!

What do you teach
What are we to learn
Or is it a reminder
of whose really in charge?

The sun shines bright
But there is no warmth

Perhaps the Sun
is a reminder too
of God’s Son
His light shines
forever
Do we see it,
witness it,
Are we aware of it
in the midst of every dark, cloudy, dreary day?

Are we missing the bigger picture
when we refuse to look beyond
our personal self-serving box
of woe?

 (c) March 25, 2014

Trust Him, Thank Him, Rejoice in Him

Trust Him More

Jesus will
equip me
to get through this day,
every day
victoriously.
All I have to do is
be dependent on Him
Trust Him
Stay close to Him
Pray to Him
Talk, converse with Him
Keep Him foremost in my mind
and not how the day is or is not going
nor how levels of pain affect me
Depend on Jesus

He will help me (and you) through the day,
whatever the circumstances,
whatever life throws at you.
Jesus is the answer.
Seek Him at every turn.

The events of life
big and little
seem to swirl us
out of control
We fail to look to God
with our every question
for our every answer.
Instead,
we withdraw into ourselves
We succumb to a pitiful existence
that takes us down a road
we should never go

Circumstances bring our demise
They don’t have to
but they do
and I am
as guilty as another.  
We strive to live above
where we are
To think positive
To remember God’s eternal love for us

But a negative focus moves to the forefront
of our thinking
and we are caught, blocked, trapped in a place
we cannot free ourselves from

Shades of gray
surround us in every stage of life
What we do
can help us connect the dots
to where God wants us to be
with a clearer, sharper focus,
less shady, less gray.

He wants us with Him
To seek Him
To pray to Him
To trust Him
To put our faith in Him
To believe in Him
To  love Him
To  live our lives for Him
To see, To become aware of the blessings He gives us daily

Thank Him

Blessings and judgments flow
God above provides both to all
The judgments we may see coming
especially if we are mindful of our wrongdoings
But the blessings
we can easily miss
even when staring at us in the face

We live in a world
where we think we are the controller
Whatever happens or does not happen
is under our control
We forget there is
a higher power --
that being God
and we do not look to Him
for much of anything

Look at your life
Consider it all

Concentrate on Him
Concentrate on Trusting Him
and less on you

Our circumstances need not be
what determines our attitude
Do not dwell on the negative
of all that is around you
Dwell on the positive

Be thankful.

There is much to be thankful for
in the midst of every moment, every event
we have.
Trust Jesus.

Cling to Him
He who created you
Saved you
Delivered you from sin
Loved you and Loves you still

Thankfulness lifts you up,
above your circumstances,
brings you out of despair
brings you peace.

Trust Him, Thank Him, Rejoice in Him.

 (c) March 21-22-23, 2014

Look to Jesus for your everything

Trust all that is
and that will be
to Jesus
Look to Him
for your everything
and He will walk with you
through it
and you will be blessed

All you need
comes from God above
There is nothing
we alone
can do
to improve any
and all
circumstances

Except Pray

Pray to the Lord
for our every need
Little and Big

Pray unceasingly
with anticipated joy
as we seek
His guidance
in our struggles
His love
in our lives

Trust all that is
and that will be
to Jesus

and Thank Him
for His every provision
now and to come

Always.

(c) March 15, 2014

Rise above (a note from God)

Rise above
The physical pain

Rise above
The financial pitfalls

Rise above
The chaotic home life

Be still
Find a quiet place
away from noisy distractions

Rest in Me

I wish you to spend time
with Me daily
but you do not

You let your problems
fall around you
You want things fixed,
made better,
but you cannot make it so

Your fatigue grows
as does your distress
over the circumstances
you are currently facing

It need not be so

Return to Me my child.

The TV might give you
a temporary fix
as does computer games

But I alone
AM what you need.

Now. Today.
Tomorrow.
and the days after.

Come.

(c) March 14, 2014

The puzzle of our lives comes together with Jesus

Our lives are like a puzzle
Thousands upon thousands
of pieces
to fit together
and make us complete,
whole.

The Lord Jesus
is central
to making the pieces
fit correctly

Without Him
we are nothing

The pieces
don’t come together
the way we’d like them to
and certainly not the way
God intended

The edges are not straight
The valleys are deep
The mountaintops unreasonably high
And everything in-between is in such
sad disarray

Yes, without Jesus
we are nothing

But there are many
who prefer nothing of Him
Phrases of disdain roll off the lips of the lost …
“So what?!”
“What is that to me?”
“I’ll wait”
“When I’m ready, then maybe”

Readiness will never come.

God pulls on your heart strings
Perhaps you feel something
but are unsure what it means
The tugging continues
You are bewildered
You feel
You listen
but what do you hear
and how should you respond?

Talk to God.
He will listen.
He cares.
He  loves you.
He will walk with you
and at times He will carry you.

Pour out all the  anguish you feel,
all the struggles that seem insurmountable .

Talk to God.
He can heal you
if you allow Him to.

So simple,
we make it so hard.

Accept Him.
Believe Him.
Confess Him.

But what do you accept?
and what do you believe?
and what do you confess?

Admit you are a sinner.
We are all sinners.
Not one of us is free from sin
Except One – Jesus Christ
The Son of God.
Accept Him.

Jesus is the one who was born of the Virgin Mary
and God
Jesus is the one who took all our sins upon himself
who went to the cross at Calvary
who bled and died for you and me
Jesus is the one who was buried
and on the third day, rose.
Jesus is the one who sits at the right hand of His Father.
Jesus is the one who is ALIVE.
Accept Him.
Turn away from your sins.
Turn toward Jesus
He  is The Way, The Truth, The Life
Accept Him.
Believe Him.
He lives!

Confess, proclaim!
your faith in Jesus
as your Lord and your Savior.

Dear God,
I  believe you love me. I believe I am a sinner. I believe you died for me. I know I am drowning. Help me God to turn away from all that imprisons me and attacks me. Help me God to turn to you. Save me God. I want to be whole. I pray this in Your name. Amen

I want to be whole
I want to be complete
I want Jesus

When we are One with Him
and stay focused on Him
through every trial we encounter
each piece of our lives
will come together
and fit according to His purpose.

Our lives
radiate from Him
for Jesus is the cornerstone
in the puzzle
of our lives. 

(c) March 10-11, 2014

Who is this?

“Who is this who even forgives sins?” ( Luke 7:49)

We all are sinners
You and you and you and me
Every single one of us
is not perfect
is not without fault

All the goodness
you and I think we are
and do for others
does not make us perfect
does not make us without fault

We all are imperfect
We all are sinners

There is only one
Only One
who is perfect
who is without fault
who has no sin

That One
is Jesus Christ
Son of God
born among men
among sinners

taught One central truth
among men
women too
sinners all

died between two thieves
before all of mankind
past, present and future

took our guilt, our sin
upon Himself
became the Passover Lamb,
the perfect sacrifice
once and for all

was buried, and then,
after 3 days,

That One
Jesus Christ
Son of God
Perfect
Blameless
Pure
and

True

rose again - He’s Alive!

and was seen
by hundreds,
more
40 days
He walked the earth
before ascending
to heaven
to sit
at the right hand
of the Father
to judge
the living and the dead

That One
Jesus Christ
The Holy One
forgives sins

He has the authority
The power

for He is the Truth
- there is no other

He is Our Savior
- only by believing in Him,
accepting Him,
trusting Him
can we hope to obtain
eternal life

He is The Way
- the only way

He is The Solution

Ask, receive

And just as Jesus said
to many during His earthly ministry
and says still today
through the Holy Spirit,

“You faith has saved you.” (Luke 7:50)

(c) February 28, 2014

Whose plans are you following?

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

The Lord has plans for you
Do His plans
coincide with yours
or have you decided
you know best?

His plans
are to prosper you
to give you hope, a future

What are your plans

Have you determined God’s plans
are futile … hopeless?
Have you looked upon the world
at everything around you
and thought,
It is too much
I can’t handle it

Have you forgotten?!
You are not in control
God Is.

When you learn toward giving up,
Look Up

When you start to worry about all that troubles you,
Pray
When you feel helpless,
remember He IS with you
When you have fallen,
Reach Up
He will lift you to safety

You may present yourself to everyone
as having it together,
but remember,
God sees straight through you,
to the depths of your soul.

You cannot pretend with God.
He knows you inside and out
When you are weak,
He can make you strong.

Keep your focus on Him
Nothing else
He will guide you through your day.

“…my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.”  ~ Psalm 141:8-9

 

(c) February 21, 2014

Come to Me

“Come to Me. All you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My voice is easy and My Burden is light.”  ~ Matthew 11:28-30

I AM
All you need
I AM
All you will ever need
to bring fulfillment in your life
that is drowning in a vast sea
of helplessness and hopelessness.

The circumstances
you face and endure
day after day, week after week,
month after month, year after year
may change for the better
but you remain in a state of despair
not knowing how to pull yourself up
and out of the thick mud surrounding you.

The Bible,
God’s Holy Word,
and God Himself,
through Jesus, His Son,
tells us,
Come to Me.
Do not spend your days in sorrow.
No matter how sorrowful they are
I can overcome the darkness
Through Me in you,
the darkness
of days past
present
and even to come
will not linger within you
will not destroy your joy
when to Me
you draw near.

I AM with you
I AM your strength
I AM your shepherd

Rely on Me
not on yourself.

Alone, you will surely fail.
With Me,  you can conquer all
that seeks to devour you.
Come to Me.

(c) February 20, 2014

He will help us overcome

For all the stillness
and quietness
God tells us to have
and do and be

For all the reminders
He gives us
to search for Him
dwell with Him
instead of self
and circumstances
around you

For all that,
accomplishment
is no easy task

To know the way
and to strive toward that way
is done moment by moment
We do not succeed all at once
any more than we fail all at once
Two steps forward
One step back
We are a continual work in progress

When we still look to Him
When we still have quiet time in His Word
When we still pray for others
and yes, even for ourselves
When our hope is in His promises

The pit may be deep
that we find ourselves in
But God is ever present
He will help us overcome.

 (c) February 17, 2014

Be still

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

                           ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Be still
quiet
Think on all that is God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Think on that which is in you
Think of your First Love
of how you came to Christ
Think on these things
Allow these thoughts to permeate within
to become so much a part of you
that there is no room
for circumstances
and affairs of the world
to overcrowd it
Search for Me
in the midst
of every step and path taken
good and bad

I AM HERE
Be still
quiet
Remember I AM God

(c) February 16, 2014

We need to be more like Jesus

“For  I,  the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13

The Lord has said,
Fear not
I will hold your right hand
I will help you

Our mission?
To focus our entire being
on Him
His goodness
His majesty
His love
His judgments
His righteousness
His Word
Him
Always
at all times
to not stray unto ourselves
unto the circumstances
in the world surrounding us

Hardship and pain
will be present
wherever we go

The Lord
can and will help us
if we allow Him
to take control of our lives
to let His will
become our will
to not give in
or give up
to carry on
however bitter the pill to take may be

No one reigns higher
than God Himself
We are all servants,
not masters
believing
we must be in control of ourselves at all times
believing
we must act normal even if we need help

Woe
to any and all
who would put another down

Woe
to he or she
who longer sees hope
and self-destructs

Sadness indeed erupts
Answers not revealed

Woe to us all
who live our lives
according to what we think
and not according
to what God’s word says,
to what Jesus has said
and has done

One faithful has left us
gone home
way too soon

We are the losers

We need to reach out
beyond ourselves
to everyone
We need to extend
encouragement
at every opportunity

We need to be more like Jesus
even though the going is rough
for in His word, He tells us
I will help you.

(c) February 15, 2014

For all the reminders, why have you forgotten?

(Based on readings in John 19:7-15)

For all the reminders God has given
few have been remembered
“Do this in remembrance of me”
“Keep these commandments”
“Love one another as I have loved you”

You say you have a law
and that law must be obeyed
Whose law?
It is not God’s law
that you obey
but one of your own making

You say Jesus is not your king
because according to you
He blasphemes
You have no king
He is Not the Son of God

Oh but He is

Woe
You fail to recognize
You fail to see
Your hearts hardened

He loves you
He died for you
He came to set you free
from the sin
which enslaves you
has you tied in knots
and presses you down

Yet you do not see Him
for what He was
for what He is
for what He will be

When He returns
and He will
You will bow down
to Him
You will never again
dishonor Him
You will deserve
whatever punishment He sets

The King you claim
to not have
will reign
He reigns now
He is My King
My Lord
My Savior
My Redeemer

Why is He not yours?
Why have you forgotten?

(c) February 11, 2014

Another cold day .... to be bold

Another cold day
alas not May
to be bold
to do as told
whatever it is,
whatever it takes
as The Lord commands

Tree branches stark
grounded in park
reaching up and out
scattered with snow
that sometimes with blow
The sun shines bright
and pinpoints its target
with just one solid ray
filled with light

So many people
alone and lonely too
reaching
for something more

Some a hot meal
a warm bed
a lasting friendship

Others look for meaning
in their inner core

There is One who Is
and there are
His children
who share His Word
He is Lord
who share His life
filled with strife
who share Him
Jesus Christ

He is The One Who Is
Our great Redeemer
Our Savior
Our Eternal Security
He is The One
The Only One
who fulfills us
who gives our lives meaning

Don’t be like a tree
in winter
but blossom and grow
right where you are
right now

Reach for Jesus
for He is The Way
He is The Life
He is The Truth.

(c) February 10, 2014

Whole and Complete

I am whole and complete in the Lord.
He made me well.
He gave me rest.
I am His forever more.

It was me who cried
Help me!
Save me!
Catch me!

The whispers louder within me
and outside too
Fear and emptiness
has captured me
Am I beyond reach?

a still small voice
booms loudly
that only I can hear

I  AM here My child
I will not leave you
Come to Me
and I will give you rest
Come to Me

Who?
Who are you?

I AM He who you seek
I AM All you need
I AM Jesus
I AM your Creator
Your Savior
Your Redeemer

Come to Me

Follow Me My Child
Only Me

I will lead you
I will show you the way
I know the way
for I AM The Way
and The Light
and The Truth.

Come to Me
Follow Me

Keep your focus on Me
I will never  lead you astray.

Yes,
 I am whole and complete in the Lord.
He made me well.
He gave me rest.
I am His forever more.

(c) February 8, 2014

We can dance with gladness

I struggle.
Being a Christian
does not make me less a person
or even more one
as some may think.
We are all human
filled with weaknesses
Caught in places
we wish we weren't
Questioning decisions.

My struggles
bring me down
to the land of the doldrums
It is not a place
to stay too long
The focus
is only one me
No other is in the picture
No other really matters
Although that’s not really true,
is it?
There are others
You think of them
But they are not with you
You are alone in the land of pity and woe

Yet I read
and study
and ponder
God’s Word
Today, in the midst
of mindless thinking
 a verse in Psalms
speaks to me
It is not the verse

I sought
but the one
I was led to.
God directs our steps
He directed mine
to Psalm 30:11

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.”

The road up and out
is difficult
Circumstances hinder us
from achieving our best
we think.
But in every aspect
of our life
circumstances change
All is not gloom and doom
nor is it
rosy and bright
We cannot say
we wish it was this or that
We have what has been given us

When we strive to focus on the Lord
no matter how hard
to do
in our mind,
in our word
in our action
the doldrums will vanish
And in its place
will be peace,
a sense of calm.

The struggles
exist still
a daily task
we each face
but we can
dance with gladness
in our hearts
when Jesus
is the one
who leads our way.

 (c) February 4, 2014

The answers

The answers
I see
when I am in
His Word
clear and precise
the action
to take
to be pleasing
to Him
at all times.

(c) February 4, 2014

How? ... keep trying

“Watch and pray so you won’t enter into temptation.”  ~ Matthew 26:41

How do you watch
when praying
How do you avoid temptation
when the phone rings
and it is an unnecessary call
bringing only irritation to your quiet
How do you transform your mind
to God-thinking
How do you keep your thoughts constantly on Him
when life enters the picture
and you become distraught over such minor things

Train your mind
to seek God
in every instance

It isn't easy
I've already failed

Then try again
You only fail
if you never try … repeatedly
Continue to seek God
in every instance

Pain and sorrow
anger and frustration
will happen
It is a guarantee
Dust off your pants
Wipe your brow
Go on

 Remember Me – God
in every step.

(c) February 3, 2014