Showing posts with label Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lord. Show all posts

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Help Me, Lord!




Help me, Lord, to live for Jesus
So that I may live with Jesus!

Help me, Lord, to walk aright
So that I may walk right into the City!

Help me, Lord, to love the light
So that I may show the light of love to Your people!

Help me, Lord, to shine the Light
So that my light will shine and Your name will be glorified!

Help me, Lord, to speak Your truth
So that by my speaking, Your truth will speak to the people!

Help me, Lord, to hear the voice in the stillness
So that I may hear the Still Small Voice

Help me, Lord, for I cannot help myself.




Thursday, January 1, 2015

Prayer: Grant Me The Mercy of Heaven!







Father, my heart is open to Your leading - grant me the mercy of Heaven!
Help me not to trust to, nor trust in, luck!
Help me Father to daily seek Your face 
as I travel along life’s pathways in this New Year.
Help me, Father, not to look with eyes of covetousness 
upon the dainties of those around me, for I do not know 
how the acquired their possessions, nor do I want to know, and
help me to stay contented with Your provision, whatever that may be.
Father, I ask for spiritual blinkers to be placed upon my eyes 
so that I can only see the straight path ahead, 
and help me to not yield to the temptations of the baubles and bounties 
of this dark world as they walk beside me to entice me from Your Light.
Even though I can’t store up earthly sustenance already utilized, 
help me to store Your spiritual food deep in my heart 
against the dark days that shall soon befall all men. 
Father, I am weak! 
Help me to be strong by, and in, Your Light for You say in Your word that 
Your strength is made perfect in weakness!
Father, I ask You to forgive me my sins,  
those I have remembered and confessed, 
and those long-forgotten and unconfessed sins, 
and I beseech You to help me to forgive myself,
 and to walk ever forward in faith. 
Today, Lord, I lay me down on the altar of sacrifice 
and I ask Your acceptance of my offering 
for Jesus' blood has made me clean.
I thank You for the many blessings 
You have already bestowed upon me, Lord, 
those seen and unseen, 
those known and unknown, 
those unexpected, and those unappreciated, 
and I earnestly pray for the soon coming of our Lord, Christ.
Father, I beseech You, by Your Grace, and in mercy, 
to bless me time and again so that I may bless another. 
Help me not to be tight-fisted with Your bounty 
but to open my hand, and my heart, to truly bless others in word, and in deeds,
so that Your Name may be glorified.
Help me, Father, to contend valiantly for the Faith, 
and keep me on the straight and narrow way to Glory.
Through it all, Father, keep me from becoming like Lot's wife.
Help me, Lord, not to look back, 
neither literally, nor figuratively as in my heart for what was.
Help me to look to what is possible to a life lived in You.
Help me to trust You, and in You, especially when I can't see You.
Help me, Lord, to love even as Jesus loves, and please engender
within me an unquenchable longing for ... Home,
for I am a pilgrim, and a stranger, in this vale of tears.
Thank You, Father, for hearing and answering my prayer. 
I love You, Lord.
 AMEN




Friday, November 14, 2014

Romans 8:28's Promise



Some days I get really upset when
Things just keep going wrong
It seems everything I touch turns to ashes
And even the short things seem long!


But then I hear the sweet voice of the Spirit
Whispering a very comforting word
To calm my flustered heart, troubled spirit and
Fill my old world with a brand new song!


That's when I sit back and breathe deeply
And a big smile comes over my face
And I think of our God, the Eternal
Who's made provision for believers in the race!


I close my eyes in contentment
And remember the promise He gave
To comfort, compose, and to carry me
When Satan stands up in my face!




... ALL THINGS WORK together for GOOD
To them that love the Lord
And are the called
ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE”


So, from now on I'm endeavoring to never
Let evil nor malice throw me
For I am on an upward trajectory
And no one's stealing my blessed peace nor sanity!


So, Dear Ones, when your life is in a tailspin
Remember Romans 8 verse 28
Lift your hands, bless the Lord, and shout aloud, and
Tell Satan he's a dollar short, and one day too late!




DEAR SATAN: NO CREDIT TODAY.

CREDIT TOMORROW!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Opposers of The Truth




Opposers of The Truth


Trust not your soul to the opposers
Those who don't love the Word
Read you the Bible for yourself
It is God's immutable Word!



Those dread opposers of the Truth
Do not have a valid opposition
And they only oppose the Truth because
It makes true believers question their earthly tradition!




They also oppose the Truth because
It gives the masses power
And strength to stand up, and loudly say
"Lord, please take this stumbling-block away!"


The Truth opposers are separated from
The poor, the meek, the frail
By wealth, position, learning and
The rarified air they inhale!


They love not Jesus nor His Word
They've chosen Satan as their lord
And all around they feint and confound
Preferring destruction to turning around!


These men and women who oppose
The transcript of God's character
Try to deny Jesus access to the child
Who would upon Him safely rely!


They oppose, then propose new rules by which
Mere mortals should unerringly abide
Do what thou wilt!” is their song and chant
For that vile devil did them enchant!


Through seven church ages – six have passed
These opposers have been so bombastic
Deftly exalting human authority – what nerve
Over individual conscience – it's a curse!

Every human received at its conception
A free will, and a conscience, without exception
Which both inherently know to do the right
But doing the right seems oft' to come with a fight!


Let no man, parent, church nor the state
Remove from your will your conscience to activate
For each man, alone, will the Judgment seat face
And before the Lord his accounts he must state!


Each account is settled according to the work
Even the lengthy account of the Arch Deceiver!
For King Jesus is bringing each man his reward
As none can hide his account from God, the Lord!



So associate you not with The Truth opposers
Learn for yourself – The Word is not still!
Do not try to oppose God – you cannot win!
And the opposers of The Truth, they cannot you fill!




GIVE GOD HIS GLORY!!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Father, Forgive Me!


Heavenly Father,
I come to You  today with a contrite heart and beseech Your forgiveness.
I ask you, Lord, to forgive me for all the times I did not trust You to make 
a way for me; for all the times I ignored Your wise counsel not to make 
a move and paid a heavy price for disobedience; for all those times that 
I have been willful, and hard-headed and chose to walk in my own wisdom; 
for all those times I chose to ignore  conscience and knowingly did what 
I knew to be  wrong in Your sight. Oh, Father, forgive me! Father, I beseech
You to forgive me for my often lack of faith in You, my Almighty God.
I beseech You, Father, to forgive me for the many times I have given
You my burdens only to take them back and made matters worse.
Father, I am sorry for being an often wayward child, and I ask You to help
me to stay on the straight and narrow path, and to always 
do right even in the face of rabid opposition.  Father, I love You, and I ask
these mercies in the name of Jesus Christ, the Righteous, and I thank You for
hearing and answering prayer. AMEN.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

God DOESN'T Change



God DOESN'T Change


The Lord is still on His throne
And the Truth is still the Truth
Don't let the skeptics sway you now
For Jesus is soon coming down – the signs are around you!


Some people they would have you believe
That our God IS rolling with the times
Don't trust their word I pray you
For they're just trying to sway you – from the Truth!


Malachi 3 verse 6 clearly says
For I am the Lord, I change not; …”
So when someone you trust is telling you otherwise
You'll know that they're among the unwise – don't trust them!


Yesterday, today, forever and ever
Our God is always the same
No fits or starts with commands to amend
On His Sure Word you can always depend – believe it!


It's only those with personal agendas
And remits from that Dragon so foul
Who whistle in the wind, spit up in the air
And put truth-seekers on three-legged chairs – unclean spirits!


I beseech, I'll plead, I'll even beg you if I need
To make sure of what it is you believe
Take down the old Bible from off the top shelf
And read the Word's Words for yourself – they're trustworthy!




Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Master warned us in Matthew 24:4 to ... “Take
heed that no man deceive you.” This was/is no idle warning as,
at this time of the end, many are changing, misinterpreting,
deleting, questioning, doubting and causing others to doubt
the Inspired Word, and even trying to force others
to deny the Lord Jesus Christ on penalty of death!
I implore you to know for your own self:
(1) in whom you believe;
(2) why you believe in this being;
(3) whether you can stand up and DEFEND your belief; and
(4) if you are willing to die for said belief!
We are living in perilous times, and soon we will all
have to face the “music” if we CHOOSE (and it is a choice)
to “STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS!”
I am asking each one of us to take the time to write
a sentence or paragraph or essay outlining
WHY we have our hope in Jesus Christ.
Are you able to say why?
YOU had better be sure for yourself because
neither the Bishop, Pastor, Preacher, Teacher, Guru,
Priest, Apostle, Guide, Companion,
nor the Prophet can answer for you!
Stand up for AND Hold on to King Jesus!
BJ




Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Lord, Prepare Me

Father, Have mercy on me,  a sinner.  
Father, I am digging into Your Holy Word seeking after knowledge, and I ask You to help me to see Your truth, 
and not the truth that evil men would have me 
believe for their gain as I search through the many and various study materials to aid my understanding of Your Word.  
I ask You to shield my eyes, my ears, and my heart from the personal interpretations, outright lies, and carefully 
crafted deceits of the enemy of my soul, and help me, Lord, 
to keep my eye on the prize, Home. 
Oh, how my heart longs for Home. Home with Jesus. 
You have promised in Your Holy Word that You 
will have a people prepared and ready to meet the King. 
Please, I beseech You, help me, under the agency of 
Your Holy Spirit, to be ready, possessing all 
the fruit of Your Spirit, and living as only a 
Child of the King, can. I love You, Lord. 
Please come soon. AMEN

The Contrite Heart



The Contrite Heart

If only ...


I should have ...


I could have ...


Maybe if ...


Perhaps I ...


So Sorry for Self-inflicted Sorrow.


Useless!


Unchanging!


Unchangeable!                  It's ... Too late!


I CAN'T CHANGE IT!! 


But I Can … REPENT!




Joel 2: 13 – And rend your heart, and not your garments, and


turn unto the Lord your God: for He [is] gracious and


merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth


Him of the evil.






I Am FORGIVEN!




2 Timothy 2:15 – Study to show thyself approved unto God, a


workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the


word of truth.







Monday, October 6, 2014

Praise HIM!!



Praise HIM!!



I feel Like calling Him, Jesus
I feel like calling Him, Lord
I trust my soul to His keeping, and
I dwell upon His word!



I feel like calling Him, Savior,
He's my Redeemer, too
He paid the price for my sinning,
I know He's Holy and true!


He keeps me in his tender care
His Holy Angels surround
His Holy Spirit comforts me
Dear Lord! I'm heavenward bound!!



I cannot keep from shouting
I can't help singing His praise
I'm gonna give Him all the glory

For all the rest of my days! **BJC**

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Man's Favorite Pursuits



Man's Favorite Pursuits



She is ever the sensualist
He lives by all his greed
They are so very ambitious
And very proud indeed!


She is ever so puffed up
He is a stuffed-shirt by his creed
They complement each other
Love of money is their speed!


She's selfish, he's miserly
Both dishonest to boot
They fear no law nor justice
Will not fear to shoot!


Prayer? Bible? Believer? Jesus who?
When did you say we were introduced?
Then Put Him on the speed dial
We'll call Him if we need a boost!


Pride! Greed! Gluttony! Sloth!
Lust! Envy! And Wrath!
They indulge in them all
And, yes! Then they laugh!


Who cares what others think!?
We live for ourselves!
Why must you always butt in?
Who let you through our chain link?


They lived their lives like hedonists
Nothing to recommend them
But like the rich man with Lazarus
They're only fit to condemn!


It was only when in review
Their lives looked back in
That they recognized with horror
How foolish they'd been!


Those that they'd ill-treated
Those they'd robbed blind
Those they'd had wrongly punished
They now begged to be kind!


Alas, it's too late
You're no friend of ours
You despised us and you cursed the Lord!
Yes! THAT King Jesus!


No! We cannot help you!
There's enmity, there is envy, no love between
You sinners and the Savior
Oh, look! The opening scene!


The sky is unfurling
Rolling back as a scroll
Look! There! Upon a white horse,
With many crowns, is the Lord!


The graves are opening wide
Saints alive with the dead-in-Christ rise high
To meet our Savior in the sky!
Sinners, prepare to die!
I'm sorry!
Goodbye! **BJC**


Dear Friends:
Lest you think that Christians will gloat at the loss of the wicked, think again!


The Lord has said in His Word that it is not His wish that any should perish. So, far be it from the truth for us as HIS children – who choose to obey – to rejoice over those who are, or will be, lost. Let us, therefore, redouble our efforts to help prepare a people to meet the King.


Let us, if we can't preach, pray for, cook, feed, clothe, visit,
and love our brothers and sisters into the Kingdom.



Thursday, October 2, 2014

Redemption Song



Redemption Song


a lie was told
godhood the goal
no death know good from evil


Eve ate the fruit
Adam shared the loot
we're naked but oh, how we feel the knowledge!


garments once bright
lost that great light
excommunion … leave thou Eden's Garden!


thistle and thorn
raise wheat and corn
sacrifice a lamb so you have modest clothing


childbirth in pain
first son named Cain
tilled he the land his sacrifice was not accepted


Abel was type
always did right
sacrificed to God a lamb as was instructed


anger in Cain
killed Abel great shame
vagabond marked no one can ever kill him


so now you see
problems for you for me
original sin we need a savior


third child arrives
Seth by name survives
The Savior comes right down through his lineage



one glorious night
Bethlehem was starry bright
appeared Prince Immanuel the Light of the world


age 30 baptised
age 33 crucified
He'd preached salvation for you and for me


Christ died He arose
He's alive all is disclosed
Coming again for His children living in the Light


keep hope alive
live right and strive
for God's Kingdom coming and a home by and by



pray to the Lord
stay in His Word
He's coming soon He's even at the door


amen amen
amen again

His Kingdom come again and again AMEN **BJC**

Friday, September 26, 2014

Hold No Converse With Satan



Hold No Converse with Satan


Hold no converse with Satan
You do not have the skill
To put him decidedly in his place, Friend
He will assuredly overcome your puny will!


Jesus Christ showed us the way how
To handle Satan's shenanigans
Meet him headlong, with the Word of God
Against that he cannot defend!


Lean not unto your own understanding
For you are made of finite flesh
You haven't the intellect, nor experience of life
Nor the capacity to deflect him in his strife!


Invite the Holy Spirit's indwelling!
Immerse yourself in the Word of God!
Inculcate good habits – reflect the Word, and
Inspire others to follow our Lord!


So when Satan attacks – don't engage him
Don't be intimate, nor try to negotiate
Just give him both barrels of your gun – THE WORD! and
Don't ever from this plan deviate! **BJC**


Saturday, September 20, 2014

Through the Fire




THROUGH THE FIRE


Genesis 1: 26 - Let us make man in our own image and in our likeness.

Genesis 2:19 - Lord God formed all the birds of the air and the beasts of the field and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.


On any given day, Hilda, Carmen and Sybil could be heard preaching the Bible to any and all who would listen, and to even those who couldn’t be bothered to listen.
They could be heard boisterously uttering phrases like “Too blessed to be stressed!” “Thank God for Grace!” and “I’m glory bound!” and “Bless Jesus, I’m saved!”
You could hear them singing:
Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Savior; Open my Eyes That I May See; I’m Climbing Jacob’s Ladder; Onward Christian Soldiers; and I am Delivered, Praise the Lord!
But, there was something not quite real about any of them.
If you passed by Sybil’s house on laundry day, you could hear her singing:
I don’t like work, and work don’t like me, and that is the reason that I’m so hungry. Hallelujah, I’m a bum. Hallelujah, a bum again. Hallelujah, give me a hand out to revive me again!”
If you passed by when Carmen’s husband had gotten drunk and beat and curse her and the children, you would know that she had completely forgotten all about the catch phrases that she loved to quote to people when she was on her “Jesus Juice!”
You could hear Carmen asking the Lord to let the day come when she would ask Him to give her five minutes to “out that cretin’s lights” permanently. And that was after she had used enough technicolor phrases to make even a sailor blush!
As for Hilda, when she left off her preaching stint every Wednesday morning outside Dolphus' Shop, she stepped inside for the requisite flask bottle of Cockspur Rum which she said was for when “King Arthur kicking in me old tail!”
Of course, after she had taken a liberal dose of her “medicine,” she set about doing her Christian duty to, as she said, “The poor, morally bankrupt and lost souls.”
Everybody knew that was Hilda-speak for “I am going to give and get the juiciest gossip on everybody in this neighborhood!”
And, of course, there was Ms. Daisy. The most devout of the neighborhood Christians.
Daisy could hardly walk during the week, and needed help to do even the most basic things to keep herself comfortable. But, when Church day came along, Daisy could outwalk and outrun everybody, rain or shine, to be the first one in the Sanctuary. She was the one to speak to if you wanted to know the 411 on “them deceitful people in this church!”
These women had forgotten their examples from the Bible: Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Job, King David, Nehemiah, Paul, Dorcas, and on and on.

The Christian’s Lot
The lot of a Christian is hard, often bitter, and contentious. There is no minimizing that.
Look at the Master. He didn’t do anything wrong. He did all that was right in the sight of God and man, and yet, ultimately, he was brutally scourged and finally murdered.
However, with Christ as the only binding example of the Christian walk, we Christians are called upon
1. To be WISE, beyond education, training, situation or circumstance. We must remember that our current situation is NOT our final destination, and we must look beyond what is to what is possible.
2. To be temperate. We must do all things in moderation, including eat, sleep and work and play.
3. To seek to find our innate gifts. Think back to Genesis 2:19. God gives each of us gifts — we only have to seek for, recognize, accept and use, better yet, exploit them. If you want more gifts, remember, first, to use the ones with which you have been blessed.
4. To be our brother, and sister’s keeper. If your neighbor, your husband, or wife, mother, father, brother or sister hurts you, and you can help, even if he or she may have despitefully used you, you are required to assist that person. For, you are to heap coals upon that person’s head and let the Lord take vengeance, which He says is His, and which He will repay.
5. To surround ourselves with positive people, and to set a positive example for those who are otherwise. We must live up to our calling and project a sense of self that is worthy of our Christian calling.
6. To be rounded, a pie, if you will. A bible-thumper does not a Christian make, nor a slice a whole pie. We are to find the things that bring us and others joy, and stop sucking the air out of the atmosphere with our sour looks and pious expressions which only cover very shallow and one dimension beings.
         By way of analogy, I give you Life as told by the Rose:
Rose, that I am, while beautiful to behold and fragrant to the nose, is sheathed in protective thorns to keep at bay those who would mishandle or abuse me.

          As it relates to life, we are to observe, and enjoy, and handle said life wisely, or else the thorns

that are life’s prods to growth with tear us to pieces.
          I also give to you the analogy of the Redwood tree. That giant in nature which grows in community and toward heaven in all majesty.
A Redwood tree will never grow in isolation. It will never reach its potential if left to its own devices. At 1,000 plus feet of height, it needs the community of the brotherhood as support for its growth toward grace, as it cannot grow alone and be called by its real name.
           I also give to you the analogy of the Waterlily. The most fragrant and beautiful salve to the weary and wandering soul who gets life, and attains its regal stature and poise from growing where it is planted, in the dirtiest, dankest, smelliest, swamp imaginable.
In short, that Waterlily has learnt to “grow where it has been planted!” It has found its purpose in life and it lives above its surroundings while being a beacon to the lost, the weary and lone.
Finally, I want us to consider Samuel 16:7 - ... The Lord looketh on the heart.
We must not minimize people just because they are not like us in face, body, clothing, speech, education, living accommodation, financial acumen, bible mastery, or even in smell.
As Christians, we are to be as the Shepherd David:
David took his HARP and played for the soothing of his enemy King Saul’s soul.
David also played ,and sang unto his God of the desires of his heart and his personal observations of the Lord’s creation. David gave thanks and praise while seeing to the welfare of his parents, the displaced of the community; his followers; his army and the stranger within his gate.
David was not arrogant because of his elevation from the sheepfold. He accepted his chastisement when he was convicted of doing wrong in the sight of God and man, and he repented and became that beloved “Man after God’s own heart!”
David always sang of his faith in His Creator and TESTIFIED of His Creator’s saving grace and power.
David, that wise singer, songwriter, harpist, conqueror, builder, and King, after having found his purpose, and after having confessed and was forgiven of his sin, behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord, God, was always with him. **BJC**



Sunday, September 14, 2014

God's Workmanship - A Poem



Greetings, Dear Ones!

     I hope every one had a Happy Sabbath, and that all is well in your world!

     I recently had the occasion to gaze upon a set of photographs showing what men, surgeons of high degrees - who "knew" that they could fix with a knife, surgical vacuum and filler and pads, etc., what the Lord through Christ Jesus had created with His own hand - had done to the faces of those who had sought their professional skills to "fix" what "ailed" them, or else ...! You may add your own ending to the previous sentence!

     To say that the end result for all those persons seeking perfection for already beauteous faces/features is a dire testament to the price paid for those of us whose hearts are so burdened with the things of this world, that we are willing to destroy ourselves for what is ephemeral. It is so much smoke and mirrors, and it makes me very sad.

     There was a time when this type of behavior was displayed by the "rich and famous!" Now this behavior is to be found among the "regular" people.

     In Ephesians 2:10 KJV, we see the following:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

    In Song of Solomon 4:7 ESV, we see the following:  

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

     Can't we  learn to be satisfied with what the Good Lord has done for us, unless it is out of medical necessity?

     In the old days, we often heard the elders say: "Beauty fades, but ugly lasts for ever!" and "She/he is handsome/beautiful, but he/she has no mind!" What an indictment!

    We are asked to look at people/self in the same manner as our Lord did when He was with the Prophet Samuel as he was doing the Lord's commission to find an earthly king for Israel: " ...[M]an looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 in part, ESV.

     What is wrong with many of us is NOT external, it is internal, and only Jesus Christ the Great Physician can fix what ails us.

    Dear Ones, let us forget about those things which fade, and look, instead, toward to the Eternal Kingdom and Eternity with our Lord and our God.

    Today's offerings are poems - one has its own page, and is entitled God's Workmanship, and one which appears at the bottom of this post  is entitled Mirror Therapy.

    God does not makes mistakes! He made each and every one of us just right!

     Sin caused the problem.

     Our God has, and is, the solution!

     Enjoy!

BJ


MIRROR THERAPY


The mirrors in the olden days
Always replied when queried
Who’s the fairest of them all?”
You always are, my dearie!”


I had this mirror on my wall
That’s now sitting on a shelf
Because whenever I looked I saw
Someone not my reflected self!


I wondered how this was possible,
And my mirror calmly replied:
You don’t like yourself very much
And it’s reflected outside!”


I decided to change my image by Design
By enhancing the Miracle inside me,
The mirror stands proudly back on the wall
And my Inner Vision shines back at me! **BJC**

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Why Worry When...?



Why Worry When ...?


Why worry when
you cannot change the inevitable?
Why worry when
you cannot even the score?
Why worry when
the world is working against you?
Why worry when
you know the outcome is sure?


Why worry when
your hands are tied behind you?
Why worry when
your feet are nailed to the floor?
Why worry when
everything you touch turns into ashes?
Why worry when
you know He’s at the door?


Never worry when
you know He’ll send someone to aid you.
Never worry when
you know that He’s still in control!
Believe in His Love
your faith it will sustain you,
Give your praise to the Lord, and
Never worry when...! **BJC**