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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