Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Mark (Chapter 1)
From Isaiah’s writings:
“Behold God’s messenger!
He comes ahead of you;
He’ll prepare your way! ”
A voice echoes in desert, loud:
“Prepare way for the Lord;
Make straight His paths;
Repent, be forgiven.”
Through Judea, Jerusalem,
The Baptist, John walks;
As people confess sins,
About the Lord, he talks.
And baptizes them all
In river Jordan!
John, clothed in camel’s hair,
With leather-belt in waist,
Feeds on locusts and wild honey.
Proclaiming: “Comes a mightier one
After me, whose sandals’ thongs,
I’m unworthy to stoop, loosen! ”
‘I baptize you with water;
He does by Holy Spirit.’
A Nazarene, of Galilee,
Yet, Jesus got baptized by John.
The Heavens tore open:
The Spirit came dove-like!
A voice said from heaven:
“This is my son in whom
I am well-pleased! ”
Soon, Jesus went to the desert;
For forty days, He lived just there;
And Satan tempted Him!
He lived amidst wild beasts;
But angels ministered to Him!
And after John’s arrest,
Then, Jesus preached God’s gospel,
In all of Galilee:
‘God’s Kingdom is at hand;
Repent, believe His word;
Enter His land.’
To Simon and brother
Andrew, both fishermen:
‘Come after me, He said.
I’ll make you both ‘Fishers of men’! ’
They left their nets and followed Him.
And walking farther on,
Then Jesus came upon,
Zebedee’s sons, James and John,
Mending their nets with zeal;
When Jesus called them both,
They left their father, boat
And followed Him.
Then Jesus came to Capernaum,
Entered the synagogue,
On Sabbath-day!
With great authority, He taught;
Astonished, people stayed.
Came, a man with unclean spirits
That said:
‘O Holy One, Destroy us not! ’
When Jesus rebuked the spirit;
The man convulsed and cried,
Out came, the evil spirit!
While people murmured:
‘He commands unclean spirits too,
They obey unto Him.’
Across all Galilee,
His fame thus spread.
And Jesus entered Simon’s house;
His mother-in-law was febrile;
He grasped her hand and helped her up;
The fever left at once.
When evening came, they brought to Him,
The ill and demonized;
He cured the sick off illnesses,
And drove the demons out;
He left by early dawn,
A desert place to pray;
Then Jesus went to places near,
Most villages to preach.
A Leper knelt and begged of Him:
‘If you so wish, I will be clean.’
With pity, Jesus stretched His hand
Over his head and said, “Be clean”
At once, the leprosy left him!
Jesus warned him sternly:
‘Don’t tell anyone anything;
Go show the priest and
Offer as Moses said,
As proof of turning clean.’
The man told many people;
So, Jesus stayed in lonely spots;
Yet, people flocked from everywhere.
poem by John Celes
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Mark (Chapter 3)
Jesus entered the synagogue;
There stood a man with withered hand;
They waited to see if He cures
On Sabbath, so they could accuse.
Then Jesus asked the man be brought;
He asked them all, ‘which is lawful-
Doing evil or good that day?
To save life or to destroy it?
They could not answer His queries.
Then Jesus looked at them with rage,
Aggrieved by their hardness of heart:
He told the man, ‘stretch out your hand! ’
That moment, his hand got restored!
The Pharisees then went out fast,
And talked with Herodians there,
On how to put Jesus to death.
Then Jesus went towards the sea;
A lot of people followed Him
From Galilee and Judea,
Beyond Jordan, Idumea.
He asked a boat to be readied;
The crowds were surging onto Him;
When unclean spirits saw Him, then,
They fell before Him saying that,
‘You are the Son of God (aloud) .’
Jesus warned not to reveal Him.
And going up the mountain-side,
He chose his twelve apostles there,
To accompany Him and to preach
With pow’r to drive out demons too.
The twelve apostles that He chose
Were Simon, whom He named Peter;
The son of Zebedee called James;
His brother John, now Boanerges;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Simon from Cannan and Mathew;
Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus)
Judas Iscariot, Thaddeus.
When he returned, there stood a crowd,
So huge, they could not even eat;
The scribes from Jerusalem said,
‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! ’
He drives out demons by its prince.
Summoning them, then Jesus asked,
‘Does Satan drive out next Satan? ’
A kingdom divided can’t stand!
If Satan rises on himself,
Divided, that would spell his doom!
No one enters a strong man’s house,
But plunders only with some ties!
Then Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say,
All sins will be forgiven then.
But who blasphemes against one God
And Holy Spirit, shall ne’er be!
An Eternal sin, they commit.
His mother and brothers had come.
A crowd had gathered around Him;
They said, ‘your mother, brothers wait.’
But Jesus looked at all around
And said, ‘Here are my brothers and mother! ’
For, whoev’r does the will of God
Is my brother, sister, mother!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-19-2007
poem by John Celes
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Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. Mark (Chapter 0)
Introduction:
The shortest of the gospels all,
In Testament Anew Bible,
Of Jesus’ miracles, tells well.
Perhaps, the first ever written,
By Jesus’ disciple Mark when
Jesus preached about Heaven.
It starts with Baptist John’s forecast
Of Messiah’s advent (or Christ):
John baptizes the Son of Man,
In river Jordan in his span.
But Jesus came to baptize all
By Holy Spirit, by God’s call.
And Jesus Christ, the ‘Son of Man’,
Is tempted by himself Satan;
Though Jesus Christ is victorious,
Is crucified to death on cross!
‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near;
Repent; have faith; live without fear, ’
Through parables, Jesus teaches,
Of God’s kingdom, He thus preaches.
All afflicted, Jesus heals /cures;
And out from men, demons, He drives;
Makes fishermen, ‘Fishers of men’!
He shows the way for all, Heaven.
In A.D.70, it’s written.
poem by John Celes
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. John (Chapter 1)
In the beginning was the word,
And the word was with God,
And the Word was God,
And He was the beginning!
Every thing came to be through Him,
And without Him, nothing did not;
What came to be through Him was life,
And life was light of human race.
The light had shone amidst darkness,
And darkness hasn’t overcome it;
A man named John was sent by God
To bear testimony to light,
So that, through him, all may believe.
He wasn’t the light but came
To only testify to it;
True light enlightening persons
Was in the world which didn’t know him;
His own people didn’t accept him;
To those whoev’r accepted him,
The power to be a child of God
And to believe in his name was given.
All were born but of God alone,
And not through nature or by man;
The word became flesh, dwelt ’mongst us;
Like the Father’s, we saw his son’s
Glory too, full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried,
“This is He of whom I had said,
The one who comes soon after me,
But ranks ahead of me because
He had existed before me.
From his fullness, we all received
Grace after grace through Moses’ law,
While grace and truth came through Jesus;
None has ever seen God,
The son of God alone who was
At his father’s side, revealed him.
This is the testimony of St.John:
The Jews from Jerusalem sent Levites
And priests to John and asked him, “Who are you? ”
He admitted, “I’m not the Messiah.”
So, they asked him again, “Who are you then? ”
“Are you Elijah? ” and he said, “I’m not.”
“Are you the prophet then? ” He answered, “No.”
They queried him, “Just tell us who you are?
Let’s take an answer to those who sent us;
“What do you have to tell about yourself? ”
I am a voice in desert that’s crying,
“You make the way straight for the Lord.”
Some Pharisees then asked him, “Why baptize
If you are not the Messiah or else? ”
John answered them, “I baptize with water;
But there’s amongst you, one whom you know not,
And whom you neither recognize at all;
He is the one who will come after me;
His sandal-strap, I’m unfit to untie.
This happened in Bethany in Jordan.
On seeing Jesus the next day, John said,
“Behold the Lamb of God who washes sins away! ”
He is the one who’s expected to come
Soon after me but ranks ahead,
Because he had existed before me!
I didn’t know him but baptized with water.
So that he may be made to Israel known;
John testified more, “I saw the Spirit
Descend from the sky like a dove on him.
The one who had sent me to earth to preach
Told me, “On whomev’r you see the Spirit
Come down, remain, he is the one
Who will baptize with the Holy Spirit!
I’ve seen and testified that he’s the Son of God! ”
The next day, John was there again
With his two disciples
On seeing Jesus walk near-by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God! ”
The two disciples heard whatev’r he spoke
And they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned and asked of them,
“What are you looking for? ”
They said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher) , where do you stay? ”
He said to them, “Come and you’ll see.”
So, they went and saw where he stayed,
And stayed with him that day.
It was four in the afternoon.
Andrew, (Simon Peter’s brother)
Was one of the two who‘d heard John
And too followed Jesus.
He found his brother Simon and told him,
“We’ve found the Messiah (the Anointed) ”.
He brought Simon to Jesus, who told him,
“You’re Simon, son of John.
You will be called Cephas, meaning Peter! ”
The next day, Jesus went to Galilee
And finding Philip, said, “You follow me! ”
Now Philip was from town of Bethsaida.
He found Nathanael and said to him,
“We’ve found the one about whom Moses wrote
In law and prophets also did like-wise:
Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth.”
Nathaniel asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?
So, Philip said to him, “Just come and see! ”
On seeing Nathanael come, Jesus said,
“An Israelite true, there’s no duplicate! ”
Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know me? ”
When Jesus answered him, “I saw you ’neath the fig-tree.”
Nathanael said, ” Rabbi, You’re Son of God, King of Israel! ”
But Jesus queried him, “Do you believe
Because I saw you under the fig-tree?
You’ll see much greater things than this.”
He said to him, “amen, I say to you,
You’ll see the sky open, God’s angels come
Ascending, descending on Son of Man! ”
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-20-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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White Republican Male Jesus?
White Republican Male Jesus?
what about...
black Jesus, brown Jesus,
Asian Jesus, atheist Jesus,
female Jesus, poor Jesus,
jobless Jesus, prison Jesus,
homeless Jesus, illegal immigrant Jesus?
dog Jesus, cat Jesus,
baby in a dumpster Jesus,
addict Jesus, old Jesus?
gay Jesus, union Jesus,
hungry Jesus, foreign Jesus?
bumming a cup of coffee Jesus?
brother Jesus, sister Jesus?
just bombed Jesus,
food stamp Jesus?
how many bodies? how many crosses?
you tell me!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 8)
When Jesus came down from the mountain-side,
A great crowd followed Him, leper beside;
The leper paid Him homage and begged, ‘Lord,
‘If you so wish, you can make me too, clean! ’
So, Jesus stretched His hand out and touched him
And replied, ‘I’ll do it. You be made clean.’
His leprosy had vanished immediately.
Then Jesus told him, ‘See that you tell none.
Go show the priest that you are fully cleansed.
As proof, you offer Moses’ prescribed gift.’
When Jesus entered Capernaum, there came
A centurion who approached Him and said,
‘My servant lies at home Lord, paralyzed,
For days, he’s suffering most dreadfully.’
Then Jesus told him, ‘I’ll come home and cure.’
The centurion replied, ‘O Lord, I am
Not worthy to have you under my roof,
Just say the word, my servant will be healed.’
‘For, I’m a person with authority,
With soldiers many under my command;
I say to one, ‘Go, ’ and he goes at once;
I order another, ‘Come here, he comes;
And to my slave, I say, ‘Do this, he does.’
When Jesus heard this, He was so amazed.
He said to those who followed Him, ‘Amen,
I say to you, in Israel, none I’ve seen,
With faith so strong as this centurion’s.’
‘Many will come from east and west, I say
To sit with Abraham, Jacob, Isaac,
At the banquet in kingdom of heaven,
But the kingdom’s children will be driven,
Out in the darkness where there will be much
Wailing and grinding and gnashing of teeth.’
Then Jesus told centurion, ‘You may go,
Let it be done for you as you’ve believed.’
That very hour, his servant got well healed.
Then Jesus went to Peter’s house and saw
His mother-in-law in bed with fever;
He touched her hand and fever left at once;
She rose and waited upon Him that day!
By evening time, they brought to Him many
Who were by demons, spirits too possessed;
He drove the spirits out by simple words,
And cured the sick and suffering who came.
Thus, Isaiah, the prophet’s words came true:
‘He took our infirmities, diseases.’
When Jesus saw a crowd large, surround Him,
He gave orders to cross to other side.
A scribe approached and said to Him, ‘Teacher,
I’ll follow you wherever, you may go.’
And Jesus answered him, ‘Foxes have holes;
Birds of the sky have nests but Son of Man,
Has not a place on earth, to rest His head.’
One of his disciples said, ‘Lord, let me
Go first bury my father who is dead.’
But Jesus ordered him, ‘Just follow me.
Let dead bury their own dead by themselves.’
Then Jesus and disciples went by boat.
A violent storm then brewed upon the sea;
The boat was hit by waves, He lay asleep;
They came and woke Him saying, ‘Lord, save us!
For, we’re perishing in the stormy sea.’
He asked them, ‘Why are you so terrified?
You ones of little faith! He then got up.
He chided winds and sea and there was calm.
The surprised men then asked, ‘What sort of man
Is this whom winds and seas also obey? ’
They came to other side called Gadarenes;
Two savage demoniacs from tombs met Him.
No one could dare to travel by that road.
On seeing Jesus, they cried, ‘Son of God,
Why have you come into our habitat?
Do you then come to torment us early? ’
A herd of swine was feeding near-by there.
The demons pleaded, ’If you drive us out,
Then, permit us to enter the swine herd.’
Then Jesus said, ‘Go then, and they came out!
The demons went into the swine near-by;
The whole herd rushed down-slope, the steep bank-side
And fell into the sea and were all drowned.’
The swine-herds ran away to town and told
All that had happened to demoniacs.
The townspeople then came to meet Jesus.
They begged Him leave their place immediately!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-30-2007
poem by John Celes
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Jesus Tempted
“The Tempter tempts the Creator –
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The Lord was just a man like us
But lived a sin-free life on earth.”
The Spirit then took Jesus Christ
Into the desert for some days;
For forty days and forty nights,
He fasted and fervently prayed.
And in that weary state of mind
And body when Christ Jesus lay,
The Tempter Satan came beside
To test the Lord and make Him prey!
Oh, what a time, the Tempter chose
To try to bait the Lord Jesus!
He didn’t spare ev’n the Son of God,
And chose His weakest moment too.
‘Oh, you must be so hungry now!
Why don’t you turn these stones to bread?
Oh, what a suggestion to make
Reminding Christ, His powers divine! ’
The wily Satan thought Jesus
Would succumb to his proposal;
But Jesus knew why Father sent
Him to be born as man on earth.
‘Man does not live by bread alone,
But by each word that God utters, ’
said Jesus to the Tempter and
Got over His first temptation.
Then Satan took Christ up the roof
Of Jerusalem temple high,
And urged Him to jump down at once,
For angels would prevent His hurt!
‘Don’t test thy Lord, ’ the Scripture says,
said Jesus Christ to Satan then.
Satan showed Him the wealth on earth,
Promised Him if He worshipped him.
But Jesus spoke sternly to Him –
‘Thou shalt worship thy Lord alone! ’ –
the scripture says, ‘Oh, don’t you know;
Begone then Satan, ’ and he left.
Then Jesus felt truly hungry;
Angels ministered unto Him.
The Tempter failed deceiving Christ,
And Jesus won full victory.
When Satan can tempt Christ Himself,
All mankind is his soft target;
Temptations come to every man;
Yet, we mustn’t fall a prey to them!
Our faith in God must remain strong;
We ought to stay alert all life;
The Holy Spirit within us
Will help to ward off every strife.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 3-1-2009
poem by John Celes
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Sonnet: The Name of Jesus…
The name of Jesus gives us grace anew;
The name of Jesus cures minds of evils;
The name of Jesus portrays divine view;
The name of Jesus drives away devils.
The name of Jesus works great miracles;
The name of Jesus brings solace to all;
The name of Jesus flashes parables;
The name of Jesus makes a clarion call!
The name of Jesus wards off dangers great;
The name of Jesus acts like holy knives!
The name of Jesus changes sad a fate;
The name of Jesus saves all sinners’ lives.
The name of Jesus will convert a soul;
The name of Jesus leads souls to God’s goal!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 7-5-2006
poem by John Celes
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O Jesus
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who was the Word of God…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and was always in the Thoughts of God…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who was born of the Virgin Mary…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, and peace be upon his mother Mary…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who the Holy Spirit of God was given…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one who in the name of God, casted out demons…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one they said slanderous things about…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, the one they tried to blot out…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and was sinless…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came to the temple and became relentless…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came to the Israelites to teach them the Gospel…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, who came and did things that were impossible…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who is the Prophet and Christ…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who the Scriptures prophesised…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who Almighty God raised up…
O Jesus, peace be upon him, he who Almighty God will send back and amaze us.
poem by Russel Choudhury
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Salvation
how many Jesus's does it take?
rock n roll Jesus, civil rights Jesus,
sexual Jesus, Baptist Jesus,
Pentecostal snake Jesus...
heroin Jesus, small town family Jesus,
necklace Jesus, tattoo Jesus,
illegal immigrant Jesus...
Jesus on the cross in a drunk tank Jesus,
Marlboro Jesus, county fair Jesus,
pray for Armagadden Jesus...
or just a man,
living one day, one moment,
one bare naked dirty human need
at a time...
with open hands, open heart,
and open mind!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 17)
Then Jesus took Peter, James, John,
And led them up a high mountain;
He was transfigured before them,
His face illumined like the sun;
His clothes became white like bright light!
Behold, then Moses, Elijah,
Appeared to converse with Jesus.
Then Peter told Jesus up there:
‘’Tis good that we are here, O Lord.
If you so wish, we’ll make tents three,
One for Moses, Elijah, you! ’
While Peter was still speaking thus,
A bright cloud cast its shadow there;
A voice from within cloud then said,
‘This is my Son, beloved one,
In whom, I’m pleased, listen to Him! ’
The disciples fell prostrate then,
On having heard the voice fearsome!
But Jesus came and touched them, said:
‘Arise and do not be afraid! ’
And then His disciples now saw,
There was no one, except Jesus.
While descending the mountain, then,
Said Jesus to them, ‘Do not tell
About the vision to someone,
Until the Son of Man be raised
From dead after three days had passed! ’
His disciples then asked Him why
Scribes say must come, Elijah first?
He said, ‘Indeed, Elijah will
Come and restore, all things aright.’
‘He has already come, I say,
And they did not recognize him;
But did to him as they so pleased.
The Son of Man will suff’r like-wise!
The disciples mis-understood,
He spoke of John, the Baptist then.
When they approached a crowd, a man
Knelt down and begged of Him and said,
‘Pity my son, O Lord Jesus,
A lunatic, he suffers much;
He falls into the fire oft,
And falls in water too often.
I brought him to your disciples,
But they could not cure his illness.’
Then, Jesus said, ‘O faithless ones,
Behold, perverse generation:
How long should I be with you all?
How long must I endure your wrongs? ’
‘Just bring him here to me, ’ He said.
When Jesus chided him, there came,
A demon out of him too soon;
The boy was cured at that instant.
When disciples asked Him, ‘Why Lord,
Why couldn’t we drive the demon out? ’
He said, ‘Because of little faith.’
‘Amen, I say to you that if
Your faith although be mustard-sized,
If when you order mountain, ‘Move!
It will move then immediately.
Nothing’s impossible for you.’
In Galilee, then Jesus said,
‘The Son of Man will handed be,
To men and they will kill Him then,
The third day, He’ll arise alive.’
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they had come to Capernaum,
The temple-tax collectors came;
They asked Peter, ‘Doesn’t your teacher
Regularly pay temple tax?
They answered, ‘Yes! ’ and entered house;
Then Jesus asked Simon Peter,
‘What is your opinion, tell me? ’
From whom do kings collect toll-tax?
Is it from subjects or aliens? ’
When they replied, ‘From foreigners, ’
Jesus said, ‘Subjects are exempt.’
‘That we may not offend tax-men,
Then Jesus told to go to sea,
And catch the first fish that comes up,
Open its mouth, you’ll find coin,
Worth twice the temple-tax; Pay them
For me and also for you then! ’
poem by John Celes
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. John (Chapter 2)
There was a wedding in Cana,
And Jesus’ mother had gone there;
Invited was Jesus also;
His disciples attended too.
When wine ran short, His mother told,
Jesus, “They have no wine to serve.”
But Jesus asked. back, ‘Why tell me? ’
“How does that concern me? ” He asked.
“My hour has not yet come.” He said.
His mother told the servers all,
“Do whatev’r He tells you to do.”
There were six water-jars of stone,
Meant for Jewish ceremonies.
Each could hold some thirty gallons.
When Jesus told, ‘Fill up the jars
With water up to brim, ’ they did.
Then Jesus told them, ‘Draw out some
And take it to the head-waiter.’
The Head-waiter tasted new wine.
He knew not wherefrom this wine came.
He called the bridegroom and told him,
“All serve the good wine initially.
When people have drunk one less good,
You’ve kept the good wine until now? ”
This was his first miracle done
In Cana town, in Galilee.
His disciples believed in Him.
Thus was revealed His glory first!
All went to Capernaum later.
They stayed there only for few days.
Then Jesus reached Jerusalem,
As Passover was nearing fast.
And in the temple area then,
He saw some selling animals;
Some money-changers were there too.
He made a whip out of some cords,
And drove them out of temple fast.
He spilled the money of changers,
And over-turned their tables too.
He told the dove-sellers to leave.
He warned them not to make the house
Of His Father, a market-place!
His disciples recalled scripture,
‘Zeal for your house will consume me! ’
The Jews then asked Jesus to show
The sign for doing thus, that day.
And Jesus answered them and said,
‘Destroy this temple; in three days,
I’ll raise it up! ’ He firmly said.
‘The Temple took forty-six years
For construction, ’ the Jews all said.
‘You’ll raise it in just three days time? ’
But He meant His body’s temple.
When Jesus was raised from the dead,
His disciples remembered this.
They came to believe the scripture
And what was foretold by Jesus.
While Jesus in Jerusalem
And Feast of the Passover came,
So many believed in His name,
When they had seen the signs He did.
But Jesus didn’t trust anyone.
He knew the people all around.
He did not need one to tell Him.
He understood human nature!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-21-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Prayer Against The Spirit Of Lust
• Man is a slave to lust. I am the most high child of the Most High
God. I will never be a slave to lust, in the name of Jesus.
• I will not lust after anything, and my God will give me the grace to
do things according to His will, in the name of Jesus.
• I will be moderate in everything that I do, and my God will bring
balance in all things, in the name of Jesus.
• I will not lust after the things of this world but focus on things in
heaven, which are permanent, in the name of Jesus.
• My righteousness and my uprightness will deliver me. I will not be
caught lusting after things, in the name of Jesus.
• I will not lust in my heart to dishonor my body, the temple of the
Holy Spirit, in any way, in the name of Jesus.
• Heavenly Father, purify my thoughts and
let my ways be pleasing to You.
• I bind any spirit that may cause me to lust after things that will not
glorify the name of God in my life, in the name of Jesus.
• I bind any spirit that may cause an intense and excessive craving for
things that do not matter, in the name of Jesus.
• I bind any spirit that may cause an overwhelming desire to do things
that will make me sin against my Father God, in the name of Jesus.
• I come against every strong sexual desire, in the name of Jesus.
• I come against every wrong motive in doing things that may damage
my life, in the name of Jesus.
• I will not regret anything I do, for all of me and my thoughts are in
the hands of the Almighty God, in the name of Jesus.
THE MAGNIFICENT 333 PRAYERS 81
• I know, my Lord God, that You are able, and abundantly able, to
deliver those who trust in You, in the name of Jesus.
• I will not lust after things thereby falling into the trap set by the
enemy for me, in the name of Jesus.
• The grace to focus on things of God, grant it unto me, O Lord, in
the name of Jesus.
• The zeal to do things of God, grant unto me, O Lord, in the name
of Jesus.
• The enthusiasm to hang around people of God, grant unto me, O
Lord, in the name of Jesus.
• Empower me not to lust after anything that does not matter and
that will not glorify Your name, in the name of Jesus.
• Lust is to live unguided to Satan’s strain. This will never be my
portion, in the name of Jesus.
• Forever I am delivered from the Spirit of LUST, in the name of God
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ,
I pray with thanksgiving. Amen.
poem by Enoch O. Akanji
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Believe In Jesus
Ran into mother mary down on line
Street in l.a.
She was preaching the gospel
She was singing how jesus saves
When a crowd of passing tourists
Looked to see what they could see
You know before they know it she had
Them all down on their knees
I believe in jesus you know I know him
Oh so well
And Im going to heaven by and by
cause I already been through hell
I believe in jesus, in jesus, in jesus
I believe in jesus, in jesus
So onward christian soldiers still
Marching as to war
With the cross of jesus just going on before
Now jesus was a little lamb, his fleece
Was white as snow
And every where that jesus went
This lamb is sure to go
Well I believe in jesus you know I know him
Oh so well
And Im going to heaven by and by
cause I saved my soul from going to hell
I believe in jesus, in jesus, in jesus
I believe in jesus, in jesus
Look at the sheep cause theyre
Running fast
They wanna make it through the gates
At last
So onward christian soldiers still
Marching as to war
With the cross of jesus just going on before
I believe in jesus, in jesus
I believe in jesus, in jesus.....
song performed by by Donna Summer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 28)
When Sabbath day was over then,
And week’s first day was still in dawn,
Mary and Mary Magdalene,
Both came to see the tomb again.
Behold, there came an earthquake great,
An angel came from heaven’s gate,
And having rolled away the stone,
The angel sat upon it lone.
He appeared bright akin lightning,
And dressed in white, snowy clothing;
The guards with fear lay shaken then,
And turned at once almost dead men!
The angel told the two women:
‘You fear not for, I’m from heaven!
You search for Him, Jesus, I know,
The one who was crucified, Oh! ’
‘He is not here, right now today;
He has been raised from dead, I say;
Come see the place wherein He lay.
Go tell His disciples this, Aye! ’
‘Raised from the dead, He goes ahead
To Galilee ’fore you, He said;
You can all see Him there, behold,
And certainly, as I have told! ’
The women left the tomb in haste;
Their visit had not been a waste;
Afilled with fear and joy, they ran
To tell His disciples, Oh, man! ’
But Jesus met them on their way;
And greeted them like a great Fay;
They fell and paid Him homage then,
Embracing feet of His divine!
And Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t fear.
Go tell my brothers all you hear;
Ask them to go to Galilee,
And there, they can all well see me.’
When they were hurrying to see them,
Some guards had reached city’s gates,
And told chief priests, the happenings.
They counseled with the elders there;
They gave the soldiers money fair;
And warned them to tell everyone:
His disciples stole Jesus when
They slept at night, as wearied men!
‘They promised them that they would save
From governor, if they behave;
And satisfy his questions well,
And keep them out of great trouble.’
The soldiers took the bribe-money;
They did as they were instructed;
Among the Jews, this false story,
Was wantonly circulated.
The disciples all eleven went
To Galilee’s mountain, as sent,
As ordered by Jesus and saw
Him, worshipped but doubted, in awe!
Then Jesus came and said to them,
‘All pow’r in earth and in heaven,
Has been to me, accorded then.
You go therefore to all nations,
And make more disciples of men.’
‘And baptize them in Father’s name,
Spread Son and Holy Spirit’s fame;
And teach them follow my commands,
And carry out heaven’s errands.’
‘Behold, I am with you always,
Until the end of age, all days! ’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-16-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 9)
By boat, He crossed and came to His own town;
They brought a paralytic on a bed;
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to him,
‘Courage, your sins have been forgiven you.’
At this some scribes began to tell themselves,
‘This man blasphemes for He forgives man’s sins! ’
As Jesus knew what they were thinking then,
He asked, ‘Why do you harbor evil thoughts? ’
Say which is easier saying, ‘Your sins are
Forgiven or rise and walk, ’ Thus Jesus asked.
‘To prove the Son of Man has power on earth
To forgive sins, He told the sick person,
‘Arise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.’
The man rose immediately and went home.
Awe-struck, the crowd then glorified the Lord,
For giving such authority to man.
As Jesus passed, he saw a man Matthew,
Sitting at the customs’ post. He told him,
‘Follow me.’ He got up and followed Him.’
And at the table, in His house, there sat
Tax-collectors and sinners with Jesus.
The Pharisees then asked his disciples,
‘Why does your teacher eat with such people? ’
As Jesus heard, he said, ‘Those that are well
Don’t need a physician but sick ones do.’
‘Go learn the meaning of the words, ’ He said:
‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice;
I came to call sinners, and not righteous.’
Then the disciples of John asked Jesus,
‘Why do the Pharisees and we, fast much?
Why don’t your disciples fast anytime? ’
Then Jesus asked, ‘Can wedding guests mourn when
Their bridegroom stays along with them as long?
Those days will come when bridegroom has to leave,
And then the wedding guests will fast like you.’
‘No one will patch an old cloak with new cloth;
For, when the new cloth shrinks, the tear gets worse.
Neither they put new wine in old wine-skins;
For, both the skins burst and the wine spills out.
They fill new wine in only new wine-skins;
Both are preserved and destroyed is not one.’
Just then, an official came to Jesus,
Knelt down to Him and said, ‘My daughter’s dead! ’
But if you lay your hand on her, she’ll live.’
Jesus followed him with his disciples.
A woman menorrhagic for twelve years,
Behind him came and touched His cloak’s tassel;
She said to herself, ‘If I can but touch
The fringe of His garment, I shall be cured!
Then Jesus turned around and said to her,
‘Courage my daughter, your faith has saved you.’
And at that moment, that woman got cured.
When Jesus reached the official’s house, then
A crowd had gathered, causing commotion;
He said, ‘Just leave, the girl’s not dead but sleeps! ’
The people there ridiculed Him for this;
When Jesus took the girl by hand, she rose;
The news then spread throughout the land quite fast.
As Jesus passed, two blind men followed Him,
And cried, ‘O son of David, pity us.’
When Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe me? ’
They replied, ‘Yes, .my Lord, in one loud voice.
Then Jesus touched their eyes in turns and said,
‘Let it be done according to your faith.’
They got their sight and Jesus warned sternly,
‘See that none come to know about your sight.’
But they went out and spread word of Jesus.
By then, a mute demoniac was brought;
And when the demon was sent out, he spoke.
The crowd was astonished when this happened.
They said, ‘Nothing like this has Israel seen.’
But Pharisees then said, ‘Prince of demons
Is able to drive out other demons.’
Then Jesus went to towns and villages,
And taught in synagogues in all temples,
Proclaiming Gospel of the kingdom and
Curing diseases and illnesses all.
His heart was filled with pity seeing crowds,
Who looked abandoned and troubled in life,
And wandered akin sheep without shepherd.
He said, ‘The harvest is so abundant;
But laborers are few in number found;
So, ask the Master for more harvesters!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-30-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Matthew (Chapter 12)
It was the Sabbath day, when Jesus walked,
Through a field of grain with His disciples,
Who being hungry, picked some heads of grain,
And ate them while the Pharisees had watched.
They then remarked to Jesus about them.
On Sabbath day, his disciples had done
An act, unlawful, according to them.
Then Jesus asked them, ‘Haven’t you read
How David and his friends had fed,
When hungry they became one day,
And ate the offered bread that lay,
Inside the House of God which he
Ought not to eat but ones priestly! ’
‘Have you not read the Sabbath Law?
That priests that serve in temples are
Violating, though innocent? ’
‘There’s something more than temple here.
If you had known what was meant by
‘Not sacrifice, I desire mercy,
You would not condemn such things done.
The Son of Man’s, Lord of Sabbath! ’
Then, Jesus went into the synagogue.
There was a man with withered hand;
Is it right curing on Sabbath?
They asked to accuse Him therefore.
Then Jesus asked, ‘If your sheep fell
On Sabbath day, into a pit,
Would you not lift it out at once? ’
‘Is not man’s life more valuable?
’Tis lawful doing good on Sabbath day.’
He told the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’
The man did so and was restored.
The Pharisees then decided
To wait and then, put Him to death.
As Jesus knew their evil plan,
He left that place to another.
And many followed Him with faith
And Jesus cured their illnesses.
He warned them not to publicize.
This was to fulfill what was said
By prophet Isaiah before:
‘Behold my servant I’ve chosen
My beloved, in whom I delight
I’ll place my Spirit upon Him;
He’ll bestow justice to Gentiles.’
‘He’ll not contend or cry out and
His voice will not echo in streets;
A bruised reed, He will not break;
A burning wick, He’ll not put out,
Until He turns victorious,
And in His name, Gentiles will hope.’
They brought to Him, a demoniac,
Who was blind too and also mute.
He cured the person immediately;
He started speaking and could see.
The crowd was astounded and asked,
‘Could this be perhaps, David’s Son? ’
But Pharisees remarked, ‘This man
Drives out the demons by the pow’r
Of Beelzebul, prince of demons! ’
As Jesus knew what they had thought,
He said to them, ‘A kingdom that’s
Divided will be laid to waste;
A house divided cannot stand;
If Satan can drive out one more,
How can his kingdom ever stand?
And if I drive the demons out
Through Beelzebul, by whom do you?
I drive out demons with God’s help,
The Holy Spirit assists me!
God’s kingdom shall be upon you.’
‘How can one steal a strong man’s house unless,
He ties the man up before he plunders?
Whoev’r is not with me is against me;
Whoev’r that does not gather, then scatters.
Every sin will be forgiven people,
But sin against the spirit will not be.
Whoever speaks against the Son of Man
Will also be forgiven without fuss;
Who speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t
Be forgiven now or in age to come.’
‘The tree is known by fruits, it shall put forth;
Either the tree is good and so is fruit
Or rotten tree producing just bad fruits.’
‘You brood of vipers, how can you talk good
Things when your heart is filled with evil-hood?
For, speaks the mouth from fullness of the heart.’
‘The good from good person comes from like store.
An evil person delivers evil;
On Judgment Day, each one renders account
For every careless word, he spoke in life;
By your words, you’ll be acquitted, condemned.’
Some of the scribes and Pharisees then said,
‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’
Then Jesus told, ‘A sign, an unfaithful
And evil generation seeks but then,
They will be given none except the one:
The sign of Jonah, prophet that all know;
Just as how Jonah stayed in fish’s belly,
For three days and three nights, so will the Son
Of man, be inside the heart of the earth.’
‘On Judgment day, Nineveh’s men will rise,
Because they heard Jonah and repented;
The queen of south will likewise then arise,
Because she heard King Solomon’s wisdom.’
‘When unclean spirit leaves a person, then
It roams through regions but cannot find rest,
And so returns to home that it had left;
It finds it empty, clean and in order;
It goes to bring back seven worse spirits,
And thus the person’s condition worsens;
Thus will this evil generation be.’
While speaking thus, his mother, brothers came,
And wished to speak to Him most urgently;
But Jesus asked, ‘Who’s my mother, brothers? ’
‘He showed His hand at His own disciples
And said, ‘Here are my brothers and mother!
Whoever does the will of my Father,
Is my mother, my sister and brother! ’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-1-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Good Friday
The Crucifixion- Jesus Spoke Seven Times
The day was Friday and time: Nine O’clock:
To Golgotha, the ‘Place of Skull’, they came;
And on the cross, they wrote His glorious name:
I N R I: in Latin, Greek, Hebrew-
‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’
And Jesus spoke for the very first time:
‘Father, forgive them for they do not know
What they are doing.” Lk 23: 34
They tore His garments and auctioned them Mt 27: 25
They mocked at Jesus, and spat on his face; Mt 27: 39
The thieves spoke angrily to him but one
Believed that Jesus was truly a king.
And Jesus spoke for the second time thus:
“Truly, I say to you, today,
You will be with me in Paradise.” Lk 23: 43
When Jesus spoke the third time, He told His mother,
“Woman, this is your son.”
And to the disciple, He said,
‘This is your mother.” Jn 19: 26-27
The robbers two, were crucified with Him;
One to His left and other, to His right;
At noon-time, darkness fell: the land turned dim;
Till three O’clock, there was not much of light;
When Jesus spoke for the fourth time aloud:
‘Eli, Eli, lema sabackthani! ’ which meant:
‘My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me? ’
When Jesus spoke for the fifth time, He said,
“I thirst, ” Jn 19: 30 and they offered a sponge with vinegar!
And the sixth time when Jesus spoke:
‘It is finished; and ‘it is accomplished’ Jn 19: 28
And when He spoke for the seventh time
It was the last and Jesus cried aloud:
“Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit” Lk23: 46
A soldier pierced the side of Jesus when,
Blood and water gushed forth from the wound!
The curtain of the Temple was torn apart
And there came upon the land, an earthquake. Mt 27: 51-54
Jesus was taken off the cross and buried. Mk 15: 46
Copyright by Dr John Celes 3-21-2008
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Mark (Chapter 10)
Across the Jordan, Jesus made His way
Into the place called Judea wherein,
Crowds gathered and by custom, He taught them.
The Pharisees awaited to test him
And asked, “By law, can husband divorce wife? ”
But Jesus asked, “What Moses did command? ”
They said, “To dismiss her by divorce-bill.”
Then Jesus said, “Because of your hard hearts,
Did Moses write you such a commandment? ”
God made them male, female at creation;
A man shall leave his parents, join his wife;
No longer are they two but single flesh;
What God has joined, no one can separate.
His disciples then questioned once again.
He said, “He who divorces wife, commits
Adultery by marrying another.
By divorcing husband, the wife commits
Adultery by marrying another.
And people brought children to Him to bless.
His disciples rebuked them by habit.
So, Jesus said, “Let children come to me.
Prevent them not for, Heaven will be theirs.
Unless child-like, you cannot enter it.
He embraced them and blessed each one of them.
As He was setting out on a journey,
A man came running, knelt to him and asked,
“Good Teacher, tell me what I ought to do
On earth, to inherit eternal life? ”
And Jesus answered, “Why address me ‘good’?
No one is good except Almighty God!
You know the commandments, you ought to keep?
He said, “I’ve observed them all since my youth.”
Then Jesus said, “You lack in just one thing.
Go sell all that you have and give the poor.
You’ll have treasure in Heav’n; then, follow me.”
At this, the man turned sad and went away,
As he possessed a lot of wealth with him!
So, Jesus turned to disciples and said,
“’Tis hard for wealthy ones to reach heaven! ”
A camel passes through a needle’s eye
With ease but not one rich can, heaven’s gates!
His disciples asked, “Then who can be saved? ”
“For human beings, ’tis impossible.
All things are possible for God, ” He said.
Then Peter told, “We gave up everything.”
Jesus replied, “One who gives up all things
For sake of Gospel’s and for me receives
A hundred times more in this present age,
And persecutions and eternal life!
Many first shall become last, the last, first!
Then Jesus started to Jerusalem;
He went ahead of them; they were amazed;
And those who followed seemed to be afraid;
To twelve disciples, Jesus spoke again,
“Behold, we go to Jerusalem town;
They’ll hand over the Son of Man
To scribes, chief priests who’ll condemn Him to death;
And hand Him over to Gentiles:
They’ll mock at Him; and spit on Him; scourge Him;
Put Him to death; after three days, He’ll rise!
Then James and John came up to Him and asked,
“Will You do teacher, what we ask of You? ”
So, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me? ”
They said, “Grant that in glory, we may sit with You,
One at your right, the other at your left.”
But Jesus told, “You know not what you ask;
Can you drink from the cup that I drink from,
Or be baptized the way I am baptized?
They answered Jesus, “yes, we can.”
Said Jesus, “Yes, the cup I drink, you’ll drink;
The baptism I get, you will also.
But to sit at my right or left isn’t mine
To give, but is for those for whom it’s been prepared.”
The other ten got angry at the two.
Then Jesus called and said to them, “You know
Those rulers over Gentiles recognized,
Lord it ov’r them and make their power felt.
However, it shall not be so ’mongst you.
Whoev’r wants greatness will be your servant;
Whoev’r then wants to be first will be slave of all;
The Son of Man did not come to be served;
He came to serve and give His life for all.
While leaving Jericho, a blind beggar
By road-side, Bartimaeus, then cried out,
“O Jesus, Son of David, pity me.”
Rebuking, many tried to silence him.
He kept on calling loudly all the more:
“O Son of David, have pity on me.”
So, Jesus stopped and told that he be brought.
They told the man, “Get up, He’s calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up and came.
When Jesus asked, “what do you want of me? ”
The blind man told, “O Master, I want sight! ”
So Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you, Go! ”
Immediately, he saw and followed Him.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-19-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
The younger son of father, Zebedee,
And younger brother of St. James, the great;
His mother was Mary’s sister, Salome;
He was the disciple whom Jesus loved.
A fisherman like his father,
He fished in Genesaret Lake;
Called ‘Boanerges’ by Jesus,
Meaning ‘sons of thunder (anger) ’.
Born in Bethsaida, Galilee AD6,
One of twelve apostles of Christ;
A former disciple of St John, the Baptist,
A ‘half-cousin’ of Jesus Christ.
John was called Evangelist too;
A friend of Jesus, fast and thick;
He sat near Christ at Last Supper;
He went to jail with St. Peter.
Called ‘Apostle of Charity’;
St John the Theologian;
St John the divine;
He saw Peter heal the lame man.
He witnessed Jairus’ daughter being raised,
And was in Gethsemane with Peter;
He called Christ, the Lamb of God;
He was a ‘pillar of the Church’.
With Mary, John stood near the cross,
And Jesus said, ‘This is your son! ’
And to John, ‘This is your mother! ’
He saw Jesus when transfigured.
He ran with Peter to Christ’s grave,
Believing Him to have risen;
He recognized Jesus ashore,
When he appeared after He rose.
Thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil,
He did not suffer injury.
He was banished to Patmos isle.
He wrote his gospel at Ephesus.
He wrote the fourth Gospel;
He wrote three epistles;
The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse):
He founded churches in Asia Minor.
He died at AD 100 when,
He was extremely old by then;
He died on Sept 26th.
His feast is on Dec 27th.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 09-07-‘08
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20)
It was the day one of the week;
When dawn broke, Mary Magdalene
Came early to the tomb, though dark
And saw the stone large, set aside!
She hurried to Simon Peter,
And other one, whom Jesus loved,
And said, ‘The Lord has been taken.
We don’t know where they have put Him.’
So, Peter with the other one,
Both ran towards the tomb at once;
The other disciple reached first,
But did not go into the tomb.
He bent down, saw the burial clothes!
Then Peter went into the tomb and saw
And saw the burial clothes lie there;
The cloth that covered Jesus’ head
Lay rolled up in a separate place.
The other disciple went in
And saw, believed the state of things;
For, they didn’t know the scripture say:
‘He had to rise from dead, third day! ’
The two disciples returned home.
But Mary stayed outside the tomb;
Bending over the tomb, she wept;
She saw two angels in white there:
One at the head, one at the feet,
Where Jesus’ body had been laid.
They asked, ‘Woman, why do you weep?
She said, ‘They’ve taken the Lord away!
I don’t know where they have laid Him.’
At as she said, she turned around,
Saw Jesus but didn’t recognize.
Jesus asked her, ‘Woman, why weep?
Whom are you searching for right here? ’
She thought it was the gardener.
She asked him, ’Sir, please tell me where
You’ve laid Jesus and I’ll take Him! ’
Then Jesus called to her, ‘Mary!
She said in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni! ’
Then Jesus said, ‘Stop holding to me;
I’ve not ascended to Father.
But go and tell my brothers all,
I’m going to my Father, God! ’
Then Mary Magdalene went back,
Told all disciples, all she saw.
While disciples stayed with doors locked,
For fear of Jews and evening came:
Then, Jesus stood in their ’midst, said,
‘Peace be with you, peace be with you!
As Father sent me, I send you.’
He breathed on them and said to them,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit now!
Whose sins you forgive, are forgiv’n,
Whose sins you retain, are retained.’
Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus came;
The others told, ‘We’ve seen the Lord.’
He said, ‘Unless I see the mark
Of nails in hands and side, and put
My finger into them, I’ll not
Believe in whatever you say.’
When Thomas was with disciples,
A week later, again inside,
Then Jesus came, though doors were locked,
And said to them, ‘Peace be with you! ’
He told Thomas, ‘Put your finger
Into my hands, into my side;
Don’t be unbelieving, Believe! ’
Then Thomas said, ‘My Lord, My God! ’
Then Jesus asked, ‘Do you believe
Because you have all seen me now?
Bless’d are those who haven’t, yet, believe! ’
Then Jesus did many more signs,
In presence of his disciples.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-27-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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