Sifted

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”    Luke 22:31-32

another feeling,

another emotion,

another disappointment,

another lie;

the darkness grows,

swallowing everything

in its path,

I no longer know

who or what I am,

I no longer see

where I belong

or where I need to be;

I can deny myself,

but I cannot deny You,

I can run from everything

and everyone,

but I cannot run

from You;

everything I know

falls away,

everything I am

becomes less,

everywhere I go

is nowhere;

there is nothing

without You;

like a light shining

in the night,

You lead me back,

guiding my steps,

restoring the hope,

calming the storm,

providing the only

reassurance I will

ever need;

there is nothing

without You.

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Experienced

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.   Philippians 4:12-13

have you ever been experienced? – Jimi Hendrix

the overwhelming hunger fades, the cruel,

dark night disappears, rolling like a soft, ocean wave

into far off, distant shores, gone forever;

all your life, searching, wandering, waiting,

a prisoner of fear, a slave to desires, without fulfillment,

without satisfaction, without destination,

released by the Master, pardoned by the King;

set free by the truth;

nothing more to prove, nothing more to obtain,

the evening train awaits, the light shines bright ahead,

the dawn breaks clear, the battle already won,

the path leads to home;

I am ready.

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Something New

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!   2 Corinthians 5:17

In the morning You are there, like a breath of sweet springtime air, renewing my mind, refreshing my soul, providing comfort and hope; bring me home to You.

some days the confusion runs so deep,

I no longer know which end is up

or which end is down,

what is true and what is false,

who I am and who I am not,

inside I am like a sad, pathetic,

little child,

wandering lost and alone,

afraid of everyone and

everything,

trying to find my way,

searching for the road home,

I only know

if I can just hold on to You,

everything will be alright;

today is the beginning

of something new;

the day begins anew,

bright and fresh,

the darkness fades as the

morning light rises on the horizon,

the hope grows within,

and if I can just hold on to You,

everything will be alright;

today is the beginning

of something new;

this body grows weary,

weak and frail,

failing minute by minute,

but I am not afraid,

as I become less

You become more,

standing by my side,

providing strength,

bringing comfort,

and if I can just hold on to You,

everything will be alright;

today is the beginning

of something new.

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Light of the World

all creation holds its breath

on this silent night of nights,

yearning for deliverance,

groaning like a woman giving birth,

patiently waiting for the moment to begin,

salvation from the cries of an infant;

redemption through the sacrifice of a King;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

the angels do sing Your praise,

all in heaven and on earth

bow before Your glorious throne,

the blessed lamb of God,

the righteous Judge of judges,

the mighty King of kings,

the holy Son of God;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

look down on us now,

see the ignorance of our ways,

forgive the arrogance of our

hardened hearts,

heal the damage we have done;

make us more than we are;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

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Choices

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.   Romans 12:21

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Ammorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”   Joshua 24:14-15

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”   Matthew 7:13-14

the hot sun beats down,

the sweat slowly runs,

the anger and hatred grow,

the bitterness spreads,

life is finite,

all things come to an end,

we have no control

over the places or times,

the circumstances and situations,

it is there with every beat of our heart,

it speaks with every breath we take,

it is all that we are,

it is part of the life we live;

participation is not optional;

in the end we choose

the reaction not the situation,

we choose the darkness

or the light,

we choose to control

or be controlled;

the truth or the lie;

the narrow road that leads to life,

or the broad road that leads to death;

choose wisely.

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In The End

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”  Luke 20:17-18

when I was 18 I was the real deal,

the high school, jock, superstar,

the golden boy

with the golden touch,

class president,

everything to everyone;

it was an image

I spent most of my adolescent years

perfecting;

I could have married the hometown girl,

bought a house in my parents neighborhood,

spent the next 30 or 40 years

making a comfortable living,

gathering after work at the local bar

with all the other hometown boys,

living off old press clippings

and exaggerated sexual conquests,

collecting interest on Friday night touchdowns

and Saturday morning hangovers;

instead I did everything I could

to kill who and what I was,

I wandered,

I searched,

I smoked,

I drank,

I snorted,

I embarrassed,

I lied,

I deceived;

I failed;

I burned every bridge,

I slept with whores,

I broke man-made laws

and spiritual taboos,

I sinned against man,

I sinned against God;

but in the end

I was still here,

stuck in the same skin,

unable to escape,

unable to change,

unable to be anything

but what I was,

trapped by the truth

living inside;

in the end,

I became exactly

what I was destined to be,

and You were still there,

knocking,

whispering;

waiting;

in the end,

You put Your arms around me,

quietly whispering:

“Don’t be afraid, just believe”

forgiving the beatings,

forgiving the humiliation,

forgiving the suffering,

forgiving the pain,

forgiving the torture,

forgiving the isolation,

endured by You;

for the evil committed by me;

in the end,

You forgave the sins

of a world not worthy

to kiss the dust beneath Your feet;

in the end,

You shined Your light before me

and my eyes were blind no more;

in the end,

I will stand before the throne of Your glory

and the joy shall be forever.

Adonai

The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.   Psalm 110:1-7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   John 1:1-5

Adonai;

above You there is no other,

You are the beginning,

You are the end,

You are all there is;

Adonai;

You stretch out Your hand,

the raging winds become calm,

You speak and by Your words alone,

a universe is created;

Adonai;

You are truth,

You are light,

You are righteousness,

You are holy;

Adonai;

before You do I fall,

through You am I redeemed,

by Your will do I stand,

through Your love am I saved;

Adonai;

forgive my foolishness,

rebuke me as a Father rebukes a son,

fill me with Your truth and love,

teach me Your righteous ways;

Adonai;