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;

Through it All

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”   John 14:6-7

I have been on both sides of the fence and

everywhere in-between;

physically,

emotionally,

spiritually,

financially;

I have worked for hundreds

of thousands of dollars,

I have worked for minimum wage,

I have tasted a life of privilege,

I have known the hopelessness

of poverty;

I have worked at a desk,

using only my mind and fingers,

I have worked back-breaking jobs

that no one should have to do;

I have seen people at their best,

I have seen people at their worst;

I have entered dark places from

which very few survive,

I have stood on the edge

as the god of this world

quietly whispered in my ear;

“just one more step”;

I have seen demons,

dark and evil,

drive past in a car

as I rode down the road

on a bike;

laughing,

mocking;

I have talked with an angel

named Vena,

she held my hand

as I lay in a hospital bed

having a heart attack;

I have seen people destroyed

by the very things from which

I was saved;

through it all,

You have been there

for as long as I can

remember,

quietly watching,

softly calling,

patiently waiting,

through it all You have

lifted me up when I could not

stand on my own,

saving me when no one

else could,

protecting me when no one

else would,

through it all You have

given me an education

that no college could provide,

no amount of money

could buy,

teaching me humility

and compassion,

helping me to stand,

allowing me to fall,

showing me the illusion

surrounding this world,

the lies that trap so many

who do not even know

they are trapped;

no one makes it out of this life

without You,

no one comes to the Father

but through You.

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Past Due

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’   Matthew 25:34-46

now it begins;

the time arrives at last,

no more excuses,

no more pretending,

no more room for denial;

you watched as my children

lay dying,

broken and bleeding,

naked and alone,

crying out for justice and mercy;

you smiled as I suffered,

you laughed while I was beaten,

you turned your backs

as I slowly starved,

your pursuit of pleasure and

perpetual comfort made

you soft and weak,

your greed crushed you,

your delusions of grandeur

and self-importance have

blinded you,

your lack of understanding

and compassion has sealed

your fate,

your denial of truth has

damned you,

your destruction is assured,

your chosen leaders

have abandoned you to the

grave;

now it begins;

your time has come O Babylon,

payment is past due.

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In You

even if there were no hope of reward

at the end of this long lonesome road

called life,

still would I sing praises unto You,

still would I love Your name;

for Your truth,

for Your light,

for Your sacrifice;

in You there is no darkness,

in You there is no confusion,

in You there is only light,

in You there is only peace,

in You lies all my trust,

in You resides all my hope,

in You I place all my faith,

in You shall I overcome,

in You shall I have

life more abundant;

for above You

there is no other,

You alone are worthy,

You know what I need better than

I could ever know myself,

You see that which my limited vision

cannot even imagine,

You lead me to that perfect place

before I even know I have arrived;

You have restored

all that was lost,

You have brought

new hope and joy,

to You do I owe

all that I have;

to You will I belong forever.

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domination

some days I am the tiger,

some days I am the wolf,

some days I am the sick,

bloated whale, lying helplessly stuck

on the soft white beach

as natives point fingers

and stare mindlessly

into my soul;

I cannot make it without You,

yet the flesh is weak

as the voice speaks gently inside;

“hold on to Me, you shall overcome;”

I ask for nothing,

You provide all I need,

I praise your name

for You alone are worthy;

the day will come

when the works of man

will be seen for what it is,

the high and mighty

will cower in shame,

their hypocritical deeds a

testimony to the evil,

seeking to fulfill

their insatiable greed,

the burning lust for power

over others;

domination

in a dominating world,

where rewards

are never enough,

and death

only a heartbeat away.

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Up Here

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.   II Timothy 3:1-5

up here I hear Your voice

whispering through the early

morning silence,

up here I am never alone,

up here You walk with me;

comforting me,

carrying me,

guiding me,

protecting me;

down there You are reduced

to a psychology,

a feel-good philosophy,

a self-improvement technique,

a better way of life,

blaspheming Your name,

making a mockery of Your kingdom,

denying the power;

forever looking but never seeing,

forever listening but never hearing;

You are so much more,

far beyond all that our limited minds

can comprehend,

more than anyone can fathom,

giver of life,

creator of all things;

the Great I Am,

the holy King of the universe,

the Alpha and the Omega;

Everything.

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Vanities and Vexations

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.   Ecclesiastes 1:14-15

I hear the words being said,

I listen to the songs being played,

I watch the drama unfold,

in them all are the words of men,

in them all are vanities and vexation;

I who deserve nothing,

I who have disappointed and

fallen short time after time,

I who have lied and cheated

without reservation or fear,

come before Your throne

with nothing to offer,

seeking forgiveness

through your mercy and grace;

all my words,

all my thoughts,

all my ideas,

are but vanities and vexation,

imaginations of the heart

whose time has come and gone

like the moment in which they live,

fit for nothing but the dust

from whence they came;

oh mighty Lord,

lead me by Your light,

guide me by Your voice,

fill me with Your words,

let me live by Your grace alone.

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Not Even a Sparrow

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.   Luke 12:6-7

in the morning

Your voice softly speaks,

telling me not to fear,

bringing peace

to my troubled mind,

removing the chaos and confusion,

lighting up the darkness,

proving that You are real,

reminding me that You see

everything I do,

that not even a sparrow falls

without Your knowledge

and that I am worth more

than many sparrows;

help me overcome

this spiritual darkness,

help me remember

the arrogance and hypocrisy

will pass,

help me turn the other cheek

when I am attacked,

silence my lips before they utter

foolish words of vanity and evil,

teach me to control this flesh,

remove anything not of You,

let others see You through me.

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Yeshua

what words have I

that pay honor to a King?

what gift can be given

worthy of His name?

He who overcame,

He who defeated death,

He who reigns eternally,

He who is our master;

mocked and mistreated,

spit upon and reviled,

beaten and scourged,

led like a lamb to the slaughter,

sacrificed upon a tree for our

iniquities and transgressions,

resurrected from the grave,

that through faith in Him

none should perish

but all might have life;

through Him are all things possible,

through Him are all things made new,

to Him does all praise belong,

to Him is all glory given,

lift up His name before

all others;

Yeshua,

the Holy One of God.

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Backup

my computer crashed today,

everything I had written

for the last 4 months was lost,

no cd,

no backup,

it was simply gone;

forever;

it’s not like I can recreate it,

this stuff doesn’t work like that,

it comes, it goes,

when it’s gone it is gone,

never to return;

I felt like I had lost a child,

something precious and dear,

but even when you lose a child

eventually you have to move on,

life is like that,

here today,

gone tomorrow;

like a crashed computer;

moments piled upon moments,

some good, some bad,

some precious, some unremarkable,

coming and going with the blink of an eye,

every moment sacred,

every moment uniquely yours,

never to return again;

I prayed to the Lord,

He gave me peace,

He made me remember what is truly important,

that it’s not the words I write,

not the respect or glory they might earn,

not the admiration of others,

not about feeding my vanity and ego,

He is what is truly important,

He is my King and Lord,

serving Him is where my true joy lies,

glorifying His name is all that matters;

there will be more words,

other moments

piled upon other moments,

like sheets of ice

during a Lake Michigan winter storm,

forming vast mounds of forgotten dreams,

full of dramatic melodramas,

fading like the setting evening sun,

but the Lord shall be forever,

His kingdom will shine for all eternity;

He is my backup,

He is my guarantee.

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None But You

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”   John 10:7-10

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.   Acts 4:12

the night time sky approaches,

the last rays of sunlight

break through distant storm clouds,

small patches of blue quietly linger,

creating pools of tranquility

within the departing maelstrom,

it is here I seek Your refuge,

it is here I hold on to Your hope

for just a moment more;

another day comes,

another day goes,

the cost slowly taking its toll,

rising and falling with each

passing breath,

all the meaningless decisions pass,

all the thoughtless words fade,

still Your love remains,

still You pour out Your blessings

where none are deserved;

light within the darkness,

life inside this death;

who can speak of wonders

which words can never say?

who can understand mysteries

which can never be known?

none but You Lord,

none but You.

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Past Due

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’   Matthew 25:34-46

now it begins;

the time arrives at last,

no more excuses,

no more pretending,

no more room for denial;

you watched when my children

lay dying,

broken and bleeding,

naked and alone,

crying out for justice and mercy,

you smiled as I suffered,

you laughed while I was beaten,

you turned your backs

as I slowly starved,

your pursuit of pleasure and

perpetual comfort, made

you soft and weak,

your greed has crushed you,

your delusions of grandeur

and self-importance have

blinded you,

your lack of understanding

and compassion has sealed

your fate,

your denial of truth has

damned you,

your destruction is assured,

your chosen leaders

have abandoned you to the

grave;

now it begins;

payment is past due.

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Just Believe

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”   Mark 5:36

in the middle of the night

I awake,

gripped with fear,

overcome by the immensity,

afraid of the unknown road ahead,

thinking of all the possible dangers,

unable to control even the smallest detail,

completely inadequate and out of control,

heading on a collision course with disaster;

then I remember the places from

where I have come,

all the doors that have been opened,

all the chains which have been removed,

the love and grace that has brought me

to this place and I hear His soft, cool voice

gently whispering in the nighttime darkness;

“don’t be afraid, just believe;”

the fear fades away,

the doubt dissolves into nothing,

the darkness turns to light,

there is only love,

there is only Him;

and that is all that matters;

in the deepest depths,

on the highest heights,

He is there

guiding my path,

showing the way;

the Friend who stands by my side

closer than a brother,

the King who laid down His life

that I might live;

the One who I will love

forever.

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Parole

from the conquering depths

of this cold black cell,

You bring hope and life,

within the endless darkness

of this lonely, empty dungeon

You fill me with your light,

trapped in the endless despair

of this eternal bondage,

You bring freedom and peace;

this prison which has held me

captive all my life,

no longer decides who or what I shall be,

this depraved fortress of iniquity,

filled with suffering and pain,

where so much has been lost,

no longer shackles me in the binding

chains of anger and fear,

the master of the night,

no longer blinds my eyes with illusions of

false hope and instant gratification;

freed from this prison

at a cost beyond compare,

paroled by your sacrifice and love;

praise Your name forever!

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Walking Through the Valley

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.   Psalm 23:1-6

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   Ephesians 6:12

once again,

I enter this dark place,

this cold, empty, deserted place,

this place from which most

never return,

my enemies wait outside,

gloating over the misery,

laughing at the naivety,

mocking from afar,

standing firm in their ‘moral’

and ‘intellectual’ superiority,

waiting for the fall;

once again,

You stand by my side,

letting me know You

will always be there,

helping me to rise when

so many others would not,

softly reminding me that

I have nothing to fear;

“Don’t be afraid, just believe”

once again,

You prepare me for

a battle most will

never see,

in a war that

rages continuously

around everyone

and everything,

rescuing me from places

which no man could overcome;

teaching me that through You

I can do all things.

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Next

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”   Matthew 14:28-33

one more lesson,

one more obstacle,

one more weakness,

one more time, I begin

to sink below the surface;

once again You grasp

my hand,

once again You pull

me from the depths,

once again You teach me

to overcome,

once again Your power sets

me free;

the world continues on,

wars and rumors of wars,

death and destruction,

joy and laughter,

greed and self-satisfaction,

vanity and pride;

none of that matters now,

the flesh slowly dies,

only a fading mist,

a disappearing shadow,

I am finished with it all,

there is nothing more

I need,

there is nothing more

I want,

all that matters now is

what comes next;

all that matters now,

is You.

.

.

No Other

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.   Isaiah 45:5-7

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.   I Corinthians 4:20

the empty highway looms ahead,

stretching on forever, no end in sight,

destinations unknown, distant and unexplored,

staring mindlessly ahead, missing the thrill of the open road,

missing the isolation of the high mountain trails,

missing the taste of a young girl’s lips,

the breathless excitement in her eyes,

the feel of her quivering anticipation;

understanding things that no longer are;

it does not matter, the past is gone,

the only truth left, shining brightly ahead,

the small, still voice, speaking deeply within,

opening your eyes, revealing things

you could never have imagined,

incomprehensible things, things of beauty, things of truth,

knowledge for which words have no expression,

leaving you humbled and in awe;

God is power,

forming the light, creating darkness,

bringing prosperity, allowing disaster,

not bold, foolish talk, not man-made traditions,

not a better way of living, not a philosophy,

far beyond anything our limited minds can comprehend,

healing the sick, giving sight to the blind,

raising the dead to life;

God is power.

.

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All I Have is You

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.   2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

another day begins,

the sun rises,

the sun sets,

time passes,

pointing fingers,

assigning blame,

caught up in the self-righteousness,

unable to see past their preconceived

thoughts and ideas,

incapable of comprehending,

trapped in the delusion;

none but a few see;

the moments slip through

our fingers like liquid glass,

everything I once was

has ceased to exist;

all I have is You.

.

.