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.

.

.

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.

.

.

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.

.

.

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!

.

.

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.

.

.

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.

.

.

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.

.

.

Once More

the end draws near,

it speaks from within

just as surely as the wind

blowing through the swaying trees,

the last breath waits,

silently and patiently lingering,

like ocean waves crashing down

upon deserted winter shores;

I do not fear it,

I do not seek it,

it is what it is,

it will be what it will be,

part of the final story,

a small piece of who and what I was,

the completion of a journey;

I know my Lord and Savior,

the One who was sacrificed for me,

the King who laid down His

life that I might live,

will be there the whole time,

giving me strength to endure every trial,

standing by my side through every

moment of suffering and pain,

He will never leave me,

never forsake me,

never stop loving me;

it is in His hands that I place my life,

to Him do I submit all that I have,

in Him do I place my trust,

through Him shall I live once more.

.

.

The Wonder of You

there are secret things,

things so dark and forsaken,

things that only You can see,

things that only You can forgive;

You bring me to the foot of Your throne,

You raise me up by the hand,

You strip away the denial and pretenses,

You remove the impenetrable walls,

You bathe me in Your unspeakable light,

You cleanse the dirt and filth within,

You take away the darkness and pain,

You calm the turmoil and agony,

You heal the sickness and suffering,

You fill me with Your unimaginable glory,

You soothe the raging storm;

renew my faith,

rekindle my fire,

restore my waning strength;

refresh my tired and worn out soul,

fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit;

You are my King,

You are my Lord,

You are my Master,

You my Truth,

You are my Light,

You are my Way,

You are my God;

never let me forget,

never let me doubt,

never let me take for granted,

the wonder of You.

.

.

Dark Night No More

dark night no more,

suffering and pain forever gone,

Your precious light shines upon my face,

the road ahead becomes clear,

a new day begins to dawn;

hold me in Your arms,

pour out Your mercy and grace,

soothe the raging storms,

silence the savage screams,

save me from the fate I so

richly deserve;

there is only truth,

there is only peace,

there is only love,

there is only You;

You have defeated the darkness,

You have conquered the fear,

You have restored the life,

You have returned the hope,

You have raised me

from the deep;

forgive my foolish ways,

remove my haughty pride,

humble my stubborn heart,

show me how to live;

make me like You O Lord.

be real within my heart,

mold my desires around Your Holy will,

teach me as a father teaches a son,

speak inside my soul,

change my ways,

shield me with Your love,

walk with me through the shadows,

protect me from the night,

be with me wherever I go;

for all my days

I will trust in You.

.

.

Where You Are

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.   Luke 5:8-11

depravity is never far away,

like a cancer it grows,

eating everything in its path,

destroying all that is good and true,

mocking righteousness,

laughing at suffering and misery,

hurling damning accusations,

enslaving its victims,

forever caught in the bondage;

silence becomes a special friend,

isolation the weapon of choice,

dirty little secrets

impossible to defend,

truth slowly disappears,

light gently fades,

years roll quietly by,

night steadily consumes the day,

the anger rises up,

the imperfection takes hold,

then I remember You,

I remember Your suffering

and sacrifice,

the shame sets in,

the humility overwhelms;

I am so unworthy;

some days I am so close,

others I am so far;

look down on me now,

hear the murmur of my crying heart,

lift me from this dry, lonesome grave,

have mercy on Your servant,

take me where You are;

remove the darkness,

unlock the chains,

let the light pour in,

fill me with Your love.

.

.

Settlement

eventually we are all

reduced to settlement,

satisfied with just a little space

where pain and suffering

don’t exist,

accepting the consequences,

selling out for pennies on the dollar,

seeking an amicable resolution,

compromising in the name of peace;

no one sees but You,

no one knows but You,

no one hears but You,

no one cares but You;

no matter what the circumstances,

I will place my trust in You,

You have restored my broken body,

You have renewed my damaged spirit,

You have shined Your blessed light

upon the dark corners of my soul,

You have freed me from this forsaken prison

once again;

thank you Lord,

praise the name of Jesus forever!

.

.

ready

old friends return,

wooing, soothing,

inviting, cajoling;

standing just outside the door,

hiding among the dark angry shadows,

waiting for the show to begin,

patiently biding their time;

all night diners,

endless cups of coffee,

lonely highway lines,

empty roads leading nowhere;

when is the suffering enough?

when does the pain end?

how far is the bottom?

where does truth begin?

emotional roller coaster rides,

painful days and nights,

forgotten dreams,

silent memories;

who cares?

no one ever does,

no one ever will;

but You;

don’t let me fall Lord,

hold me above the killing zone,

keep me safe

from the slaughter below;

I am ready Lord,

I am ready.

.

.

Do Not Fear

alone in the shadows,

lost with no way home,

afraid and unsure,

do not worry,

do not fear,

God is near;

in the darkness,

in the light,

within the sorrow,

within the joy,

through the suffering,

through the pain,

through times

both good and bad;

do not worry,

do not fear,

God is near;

all things pass,

everything fades away,

but His mercy endures forever,

His love knows no bounds,

so rest your tired head

my troubled and worried child,

do not worry,

do not fear,

God is near.

.

.

Without You There Is Nothing

here within the silence

of nighttime shadows

lie unexplored depths,

mountains ready to climb,

dreams worth dreaming,

unspoken words

waiting for discovery;

without You

there is nothing;

for everything there is a price,

unseen costs and unknown tolls,

untold suffering and unspeakable sacrifice,

invisible lines and barriers without relief,

more than we can comprehend,

fantasies beyond the realm of possibility,

symptoms of the fear,

part of the process,

payment for services rendered;

without You

there is nothing;

trapped within the truth,

hiding among the enemy,

running from the end,

searching for secret sanctuaries,

they can take it all,

they can strip the clothes

from my back but they

can never take this,

they can never take You;

so much lost,

so much forgotten,

so much unknown,

so much farther to go;

without You

there is nothing.

.

.

Come Lord

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.   Revelation 22:17-20

how many forgotten words,

how many hopeless wars,

how many meaningless

dramas of men,

how much more madness?

come Lord

come;

how much suffering and pain,

how many broken hearts,

how much destruction

and death,

how much longer

waiting for a peace

always just out of reach?

come Lord

come.

.

.

Damaged

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.   II Corinthians 12:7-10

it’s not easy

accepting that you are

permanently damaged,

crippled,

handicapped,

less than normal;

less than a man;

that you’ll never run again,

never move freely again,

never be fast and agile again,

never be without pain,

never be without suffering;

never be without hardship;

it’s not easy

but you adjust,

you get by,

you take more pills

for the pain,

you learn to move slower,

you accept the inevitable,

you patiently wait for the

collapse, all the time knowing

it’s only flesh and blood,

only bone and nerve endings,

only a temporary illusion,

here today,

gone tomorrow;

you think about old girlfriends,

you think about memories

from the past,

you remember 55 yard touchdown runs

and inside the park homeruns,

you remember doing things

others can only dream about,

and you come to the realization

that all-in-all, it’s been a pretty

fair deal,

nothing to cry over,

nothing to be bitter about,

just another speed bump

along the way,

one more trial,

one more test,

one more obstacle

to overcome;

you remember the words

of the apostle Paul,

you remember that he too

toiled and suffered,

that there are things

much bigger in this life,

much more important

than the bodies in which

we are housed,

that power is made perfect

in weakness;

thank you Jesus,

for Your magnificent

mercy and grace,

thank You for my life,

thank You for making me

a son of the living God,

thank You for the peace and joy

You have placed within my heart,

thank You for the suffering and sacrifice

endured for me,

thank You for being my Lord,

thank You for being my King,

thank You for being my Everything.

.

.

Knowledge of God

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.   Romans 11:33-36

wandering alone,

destroyed by the moment,

overcome by the magnitude,

afraid of the consequences;

eternally gone;

I have fallen short,

I have been less,

I have not been

all that You created

me to be,

I don’t comprehend the reason,

I can’t explain the why,

I only know through You

it will all work out

in the end;

without suffering and pain

there would be no relief,

without sadness and sorrow

there would be no happiness and joy,

without darkness and evil,

there would be no light and righteousness;

without You

there would be no hope;

thank you Lord,

rebuke me when I am wrong,

discipline me as a beloved son,

praise Your holy name forever,

to You belongs the glory;

to You shall I belong

forever.

.

.

Everything I Need

walking in the darkness

the pain grows stronger,

becoming more than I think

my body can bear,

with every breath, with every step,

You teach me the value of mercy,

You show me the price of suffering;

You are the potter,

I am just the clay,

even though I have nothing,

I have everything I need;

this body fades,

time turns everything into rust,

being with You is all that matters,

walking with You all that I desire,

glorifying Your name my only purpose,

serving You my only mission;

You are the potter,

I am just the clay,

even though I have nothing,

I have everything I need;

Lord I am so close,

look down on me now,

see the humility of my heart,

know the sorrow contained within,

remove the darkness,

save me from the sadness,

fill me with Your love,

lift me into Your arms;

every hour,

every minute,

every second,

everything I have,

belongs to You;

You are the potter,

I am just the clay,

even though I have nothing,

I have everything I need.

.

.

He is There

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:38-39

the time draws near,

the journey almost at an end,

home just beyond the distant horizon,

lying only a heartbeat away,

and I am ready;

He is there waiting,

making all things new,

removing the darkness,

wiping away every tear;

the pain will pass,

the doubt removed,

the suffering no more,

the night turned to day,

the joy shall be forever;

He is there waiting,

making all things new,

removing the darkness,

wiping away every tear;

the words fade away,

time passes like a dream in the night,

these prison walls crumble into dust,

all things will be as intended,

all things will be made right;

He is there waiting,

making all things new,

removing the darkness,

wiping away every tear.

.

.

Redemption

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”   Luke 21:28

another day begins,

another day ends,

how many days are left?

let me count the days;

we have become a society

of death, a cult of iniquity,

violent predators obsessed with

fresh new victims,

laughing at misery,

taking delight in suffering,

fascinated by the pain of others,

immune to the cries for mercy,

lost in fantasy and delusion,

appearing to have a form

of godliness,

yet denying the power;

the hope rises within,

the time almost here,

home only a moment away,

lift up your heads,

for your redemption draws near;

no more shall we hunger,

no more shall we thirst,

no more shall the sun beat down,

no more shall the heat scorch,

we shall lie down at springs

of living water;

every tear shall be wiped away.

.

.

Let Me Belong To You

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!   Matthew 6:13

For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.   2 Samuel 22:29

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.   Isaiah 9:2

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.   John 8:12

I am done with darkness

and all it’s misery and suffering,

done trying to live in it,

trying to be a friend of it,

trying to understand it,

trying to please it,

being afraid of it;

I am done with darkness;

let me live in Your light,

let me grow in Your love,

let me rejoice in Your mercy and grace,

let me be a lamp set upon a hill,

let me have the light of life;

let me belong to You;

so many have lost hope,

sitting trapped in self-made prisons

of darkness and despair,

searching for false truths

and solutions leading nowhere,

depending on man-made answers and

inventions of their own minds;

let me belong to You;

You are the truth,

You are the light;

You are the Way.

.

.

Power

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

Your power is beyond all

this world can comprehend,

like a philosophy or psychology

they try to minimize who You really are,

sweeping You under man-made rugs,

placing You inside man-made boxes,

trying to restrain You with man-made

laws and traditions,

never understanding,

never knowing,

never able to fully acknowledge,

that everything they are,

everything they know,

exists only by Your

unfathomable mercy and grace,

through the unlimited power

of Your Word alone,

that every breath taken is a gift

which can never be repaid;

through Your power

I am given a taste of a world

free from sin,

a world of love and hope,

stripped of all its suffering and fear;

without hate,

without lust,

without greed;

through Your power

I begin to understand,

I start to see,

a world which my mind

cannot fully grasp,

an indescribable place,

prepared from the beginning

for those who love You,

a world that leaves me humbled,

perfect and pure,

beyond words,

without compare,

a world where I can only

fall down before You

and whisper;

my Lord,

my Master,

my King;

my Everything.

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Cost of Living

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”   Acts 4:8-12

what is the cost of living?

sadness,

joy,

sorrow,

suffering,

pain,

hopelessness,

satisfaction,

fulfillment,

emptiness,

loneliness,

death;

decisions made,

consequences paid;

for every breath there is a cost;

evil in the name of righteousness,

hypocrisy in the form of light,

of such things are men made,

by such things do they fall,

standing fast on truths

they understand not,

blinded by sanctimonious testimony,

lost on roads leading to nowhere;

who shall pay the debt?

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Take My Hand

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends.”   John 15:13

take my hand,

lead me as one blinded

by their own ignorance,

rebuke my evil ways,

teach me Your discipline,

show me Your truth,

place Your laws within my heart,

let me follow Your example,

help me survive the suffering,

make me understand

what love really is;

I am so lost in this world

blinded by its own darkness,

surrounded by the need

for retaliation and revenge,

judging by man-made rules

and traditions,

where might makes right

and only the strong survive,

killing in the name

of righteousness,

leveling the playing field,

settling the score;

lead me from this place,

restore the innocence

forever gone,

shine Your light upon me,

fill me with Your Spirit,

make me holy and clean;

make me a son

of the living God.

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Delusion

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 the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and 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.   II Thessalonians 2:7-12

Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.   Revelation 18:8

the joy does end here in this land

of limited sun,

cold hearted and alone,

forsaken and forgotten,

the gate is closing,

the gap is narrowing,

the light is starting to

disappear,

there are things bigger

than life,

bigger than death;

bigger than dreams.

even now they mock,

twisting the truth,

creating monuments of self-glory,

worshiping idols of their own doing,

maligning anyone and everything,

laughing at the misery and suffering,

exploiting the helpless and weak,

drowning in self-proclaimed wisdom,

unable to understand truth,

incapable of anything more

than what they are,

refusing to see past themselves,

seeking life, liberty and the pursuit

of perpetual pleasure,

blinded by their superiority,

wallowing in the fantasy,

delighting in the delusion;

finding comfort in the lie.

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