Christianity

Equipped

cropped-1312013-012.jpg

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17

Where else could I go, Lord,
for such instruction,
or wisdom
for all of life’s questions?
Between the covers
of your sacred tome
lies more than
my greatest expectations.

From my rising up to the end of my day,
its value is more than I could ever pay.
Draw me in, feed me Lord,
uncover your mysteries.
Give me persistence and desire to understand.
If what you’ve given has a chance
to go beyond me,
I need Godly words
to transform
this earthly man.

Inheritance

Photo by Urban Wall Art & Murals
Image courtesy of Urban Wall Art & Murals

the inheritance of
the joy of the Lord
is of the forever kind
a true joy and gift
not earned by effort
or indeed birthright

freely given
though dearly bought
by the King
above all kings
the One who causes
my countenance to glow
and my heart to sing

Calling Out

009

You can call out to the universe,
light a random spiritual flame,
converse with some spirits
you may or may not name.
You can link with a dead disembodied
owner of a shady past.
Those identities you’ll never know,
and fake relationships won’t last.

The One who stood
and stands
beside you,
and your sorrow sees,
left no question of His sacrifice,
or authority.

You may seek,
but when you’re finished seeking,
weary at the end of the day,
look up from the feet of Jesus,
the one who is “the way.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

My Mind

cropped-redwood.jpg
help me mind my mind oh Lord
where it’s going
where it’s been
when it’s settled on
higher things
or heavy burdened
with sin
when it’s lifted up with worship
to amazing grace
in league with a heavenly choir
setting the sanctuary ablaze
let me not on a rare day
meet Your Spirit there
but rather often seek to commune with You Lord
in the midst of Your angels fair

Dream Big

Family0510 035

If you would take the time to dream at all,
why on earth would you dream small?
Go on ahead and tell yourself, dream big.
Bigger than those dreams of being wealthy,
bigger than those dreams of having it all,
bigger than getting approval from the Council of Important People…
The C.I.P.? They like me! They really like me!

Get on board with the plan that God has for you!
It’s for sure you’re not just here to take up space.
You’ll need to set aside time to examine His Holy Word,
and get suited up to run a holy race.

For it is You who blesses
the righteous man,
O Lord,
You surround him with
favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12

Destiny Please Part 2

stuff13 021

Destiny please,
what you see, is just the beginning.
Now that I can see
the purpose in the pain
and I’m not foolin’ around anymore.

Destiny please,
The seed that God planted
and nurtured with the sun and the rain
is bursting forth and spreading its wings.
Soaring to
where the air is thin
and it’s terribly hard to breathe.

Little do you know,
but great you should expect
from the One
Who invented miracles.

Destiny please,
When the rain’s falling,
and tragedy’s calling
out its siren song,
help me remain steady,
as a tide pool’s eddy,
content in the knowledge
with God I’ll carry on.

Fully aware of the past,
not forgetting, but moving on,
rejoicing in His healing power,
leaning on His Word
hour by hour.

Destiny please,
complete in release,
He is worthy
to be praised and
all creation sings its song.
Despite what goes wrong.
I’ll continue…
in faith.

The Inside

You’ve hit the gym.
You’re counting all the calories
that you consume.
You’ve got a walk-in closet
to get lost in, it’s bigger than most ordinary folk’s
bedrooms.
But at the end of the day
even though it all looks fine,
the only thing that could use work
is what’s not showing, it’s on the inside.
cropped-family0510-031.jpg

They told you just work hard
and things will be fine.
But though you’ve made it
you’re not making it… You don’t know why.
Your friends are telling you to chill
but if you stopped paying their bills,
would they know your name?
All you know for sure… Something’s gotta change.
Give yourself to Jesus.
It’s in His Word.
Trying to avoid God is worse than absurd.
He’s always been around you, and He’s now knocking on your door.
Give it all to God and run
to a relationship, not religion.
For the first time in your life
it’ll all make sense, not just for the future
but in the present tense.
Give it all, give it all.
Give it all to Jesus.

Your Word

cropped-1312013-015.jpg

So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11

Your Word
Lord
sustains me
without it my likeness is poorly drawn

Your Commandments
direct me
push me
to run on

let me hide your Word
inside my heart
may it fill me from within

let it soothe the ache
caused by this world and
expose the damage of sin

help your Word
complete in me
what You’ve seen from the start
a destiny not of this place
but kept safe in Your Heart

How will they hear?

010

But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims,
A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.
Romans 10:14-17 The Message

“Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I need to hear of God.
I may not know I do.
I may not know His word contains the key
to a relationship I was made for before the world was.
My intellect, my will, my judgment, will be present.
But salvation speaks like a laser to the heart, to the soul.
I do not know yet the unvarnished truth of the gospel, how it will reveal something
so natural I’ll wonder why it took so long to become a reality in my life.
And why would He choose a human being to reveal this truth?
Why not send an angel, or a blinding light?
God could do that.
God chose you,
and others…
people.
For some reason, God is really about relationships.
Don’t think I need someone perfect to tell me about Jesus.
What I really need,
even though I may not know it yet,
is for someone to be authentic, warts and all.
Be real to me.
Care.
I’ll recognize that.