The Vision Of Echard
The Benedictine Echard
Sat by the wayside well,
Where Marsberg sees the bridal
Of the Sarre and the Moselle.
Fair with its sloping vineyards
And tawny chestnut bloom,
The happy vale Ausonius sunk
For holy Treves made room.
On the shrine Helena builded
To keep the Christ coat well,
On minster tower and kloster cross,
The westering sunshine fell.
There, where the rock-hewn circles
O'erlooked the Roman's game,
The veil of sleep fell on him,
And his thought a dream became.
He felt the heart of silence
Throb with a soundless word,
And by the inward ear alone
A spirit's voice he heard.
And the spoken word seemed written
On air and wave and sod,
And the bending walls of sapphire
Blazed with the thought of God.
'What lack I, O my children?
All things are in my band;
The vast earth and the awful stars
I hold as grains of sand.
'Need I your alms? The silver
And gold are mine alone;
The gifts ye bring before me
Were evermore my own.
'Heed I the noise of viols,
Your pomp of masque and show?
Have I not dawns and sunsets
Have I not winds that blow?
'Do I smell your gums of incense?
Is my ear with chantings fed?
Taste I your wine of worship,
Or eat your holy bread?
'Of rank and name and honors
Am I vain as ye are vain?
What can Eternal Fulness
From your lip-service gain?
'Ye make me not your debtor
Who serve yourselves alone;
Ye boast to me of homage
Whose gain is all your own.
'For you I gave the prophets,
For you the Psalmist's lay
For you the law's stone tables,
And holy book and day.
'Ye change to weary burdens
The helps that should uplift;
Ye lose in form the spirit,
The Giver in the gift.
'Who called ye to self-torment,
To fast and penance vain?
Dream ye Eternal Goodness
Has joy in mortal pain?
'For the death in life of Nitria,
For your Chartreuse ever dumb,
What better is the neighbor,
Or happier the home?
'Who counts his brother's welfare
As sacred as his own,
And loves, forgives, and pities,
He serveth me alone.
'I note each gracious purpose,
Each kindly word and deed;
Are ye not all my children?
Shall not the Father heed?
'No prayer for light and guidance
Is lost upon mine ear
The child's cry in the darkness
Shall not the Father hear?
'I loathe your wrangling councils,
I tread upon your creeds;
Who made ye mine avengers,
Or told ye of my needs;
'I bless men and ye curse them,
I love them and ye hate;
Ye bite and tear each other,
I suffer long and wait.
'Ye bow to ghastly symbols,
To cross and scourge and thorn;
Ye seek his Syrian manger
Who in the heart is born.
'For the dead Christ, not the living,
Ye watch His empty grave,
Whose life alone within you
Has power to bless and save.
'O blind ones, outward groping,
The idle quest forego;
Who listens to His inward voice
Alone of Him shall know.
'His love all love exceeding
The heart must needs recall,
Its self-surrendering freedom,
Its loss that gaineth all.
'Climb not the holy mountains,
Their eagles know not me;
Seek not the Blessed Islands,
I dwell not in the sea.
'Gone is the mount of Meru,
The triple gods are gone,
And, deaf to all the lama's prayers,
The Buddha slumbers on.
'No more from rocky Horeb
The smitten waters gush;
Fallen is Bethel's ladder,
Quenched is the burning bush.
'The jewels of the Urim
And Thurnmim all are dim;
The fire has left the altar,
The sign the teraphim.
'No more in ark or hill grove
The Holiest abides;
Not in the scroll's dead letter
The eternal secret hides.
'The eye shall fail that searches
For me the hollow sky;
The far is even as the near,
The low is as the high.
'What if the earth is hiding
Her old faiths, long outworn?
What is it to the changeless truth
That yours shall fail in turn?
'What if the o'erturned altar
Lays bare the ancient lie?
What if the dreams and legends
Of the world's childhood die?
'Have ye not still my witness
Within yourselves alway,
My hand that on the keys of life
For bliss or bale I lay?
'Still, in perpetual judgment,
I hold assize within,
With sure reward of holiness,
And dread rebuke of sin.
'A light, a guide, a warning,
A presence ever near,
Through the deep silence of the flesh
I reach the inward ear.
'My Gerizim and Ebal
Are in each human soul,
The still, small voice of blessing,
And Sinai's thunder-roll.
'The stern behest of duty,
The doom-book open thrown,
The heaven ye seek, the hell ye fear,
Are with yourselves alone.'
. . . . .
A gold and purple sunset
Flowed down the broad Moselle;
On hills of vine and meadow lands
The peace of twilight fell.
A slow, cool wind of evening
Blew over leaf and bloom;
And, faint and far, the Angelus
Rang from Saint Matthew's tomb.
Then up rose Master Echard,
And marvelled: 'Can it be
That here, in dream and vision,
The Lord hath talked with me?'
He went his way; behind him
The shrines of saintly dead,
The holy coat and nail of cross,
He left unvisited.
He sought the vale of Eltzbach
His burdened soul to free,
Where the foot-hills of the Eifel
Are glassed in Laachersee.
And, in his Order's kloster,
He sat, in night-long parle,
With Tauler of the Friends of God,
And Nicolas of Basle.
And lo! the twain made answer
'Yea, brother, even thus
The Voice above all voices
Hath spoken unto us.
'The world will have its idols,
And flesh and sense their sign
But the blinded eyes shall open,
And the gross ear be fine.
'What if the vision tarry?
God's time is always best;
The true Light shall be witnessed,
The Christ within confessed.
'In mercy or in judgment
He shall turn and overturn,
Till the heart shall be His temple
Where all of Him shall learn.'
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Our Master
Immortal Love, forever full,
Forever flowing free,
Forever shared, forever whole,
A never-ebbing sea!
Our outward lips confess the name
All other names above;
Love only knoweth whence it came
And comprehendeth love.
Blow, winds of God, awake and blow
The mists of earth away!
Shine out, O Light Divine, and show
How wide and far we stray!
Hush every lip, close every book,
The strife of tongues forbear;
Why forward reach, or backward look,
For love that clasps like air?
We may not climb the heavenly steeps
To bring the Lord Christ down
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
For Him no depths can drown.
Nor holy bread, nor blood of grape,
The lineaments restore
Of Him we know in outward shape
And in the flesh no more.
He cometh not a king to reign;
The world's long hope is dim;
The weary centuries watch in vain
The clouds of heaven for Him.
Death comes, life goes; the asking eye
And ear are answerless;
The grave is dumb, the hollow sky
Is sad with silentness.
The letter fails, and systems fall,
And every symbol wanes;
The Spirit over-brooding all
Eternal Love remains.
And not for signs in heaven above
Or earth below they look,
Who know with John His smile of love,
With Peter His rebuke.
In joy of inward peace, or sense
Of sorrow over sin,
He is His own best evidence,
His witness is within.
No fable old, nor mythic lore,
Nor dream of bards and seers,
No dead fact stranded on the shore
Of the oblivious years;--
But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
A present help is He;
And faith has still its Olivet,
And love its Galilee.
The healing of His seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch Him in life's throng and press,
And we are whole again.
Through Him the first fond prayers are said
Our lips of childhood frame,
The last low whispers of our dead
Are burdened with His name.
Our Lord and Master of us all!
Whate'er our name or sign,
We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call,
We test our lives by Thine.
Thou judgest us; Thy purity
Doth all our lusts condemn;
The love that draws us nearer Thee
Is hot with wrath to them.
Our thoughts lie open to Thy sight;
And, naked to Thy glance,
Our secret sins are in the light
Of Thy pure countenance.
Thy healing pains, a keen distress
Thy tender light shines in;
Thy sweetness is the bitterness,
Thy grace the pang of sin.
Yet, weak and blinded though we be,
Thou dost our service own;
We bring our varying gifts to Thee,
And Thou rejectest none.
To Thee our full humanity,
Its joys and pains, belong;
The wrong of man to man on Thee
Inflicts a deeper wrong.
Who hates, hates Thee, who loves becomes
Therein to Thee allied;
All sweet accords of hearts and homes
In Thee are multiplied.
Deep strike Thy roots, O heavenly Vine,
Within our earthly sod,
Most human and yet most divine,
The flower of man and God!
O Love! O Life! Our faith and sight
Thy presence maketh one
As through transfigured clouds of white
We trace the noon-day sun.
So, to our mortal eyes subdued,
Flesh-veiled, but not concealed,
We know in Thee the fatherhood
And heart of God revealed.
We faintly hear, we dimly see,
In differing phrase we pray;
But, dim or clear, we own in Thee
The Light, the Truth, the Way!
The homage that we render Thee
Is still our Father's own;
No jealous claim or rivalry
Divides the Cross and Throne.
To do Thy will is more than praise,
As words are less than deeds,
And simple trust can find Thy ways
We miss with chart of creeds.
No pride of self Thy service hath,
No place for me and mine;
Our human strength is weakness, death
Our life, apart from Thine.
Apart from Thee all gain is loss,
All labor vainly done;
The solemn shadow of Thy Cross
Is better than the sun.
Alone, O Love ineffable!
Thy saving name is given;
To turn aside from Thee is hell,
To walk with Thee is heaven!
How vain, secure in all Thou art,
Our noisy championship
The sighing of the contrite heart
Is more than flattering lip.
Not Thine the bigot's partial plea,
Nor Thine the zealot's ban;
Thou well canst spare a love of Thee
Which ends in hate of man.
Our Friend, our Brother, and our Lord,
What may Thy service be?--
Nor name, nor form, nor ritual word,
But simply following Thee.
We bring no ghastly holocaust,
We pile no graven stone;
He serves thee best who loveth most
His brothers and Thy own.
Thy litanies, sweet offices
Of love and gratitude;
Thy sacramental liturgies,
The joy of doing good.
In vain shall waves of incense drift
The vaulted nave around,
In vain the minster turret lift
Its brazen weights of sound.
The heart must ring Thy Christmas bells,
Thy inward altars raise;
Its faith and hope Thy canticles,
And its obedience praise!
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Holy Cross
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ!
How must I come to Calvary?
– By giving up world’s pleasures first,
Carrying my own and follow Thee!
O Holy Cross that Christ had borne!
Take me to Heaven’s narrow gate;
Much strife my body does adorn,
My sufferings never abate!
O Holy Cross on which Christ died!
At times, in life I grow weary,
Although in God, I do abide;
With charm all lost, life seems dreary.
O Holy Cross that satan fears;
Then guide me in the way of light;
My stay on earth almost well nears;
Let Truth be always in my sight!
O Holy Cross: eternal sign;
In Jesus Christ, I trust my soul;
In Maker’s Feast, I wish to dine:
My only aim and earthly goal!
O Holy Cross that saves mankind;
Show me the dress of grace to don;
For only pure a heart and mind
Can see the face of God’s one Son!
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Purposeful Surrender
As you empty self for the Lord, blessing by Him will be poured,
Upon the others in your life, as you faithfully serve Jesus Christ,
As you empty your fleshly will, the void, The Holy Spirit shall fill,
With the things God will need, with surrender to The Spirit’s lead.
In the light of what John had said, regarding Christ, in His stead,
When Believers do become less, The Lord God begins to bless,
As Christ then becomes more, blessings around us He will pour,
When we move aside for Christ, to be God’s vessels, in this life.
So we must purpose in our heart, to God’s surrender at the start,
To become God’s vessel for, Jesus Christ, Who becomes more,
While we remain just who we are, as we serve God, near and far,
Making our purpose and intent, pleasing to God, as we are sent.
When we empty our self, for Him, of all our ways, tainted by sin,
God then fills us with new desire, with a new vision that is higher,
When in Christ, we become less, He gives to us eternal purpose,
As we submit to Christ our Lord, service for us God shall afford.
With Christ, less becomes more, as God shall open a new door,
A new door of service in His way, as Christ leads us day to day,
For service to God is not about us, but our Savior, Christ Jesus,
Who fills us with His Holy Word, to be poured till all have heard.
(Copyright ©12/2009)
Revelation
Still, as of old, in Beavor's Vale,
O man of God! our hope and faith
The Elements and Stars assail,
And the awed spirit holds its breath,
Blown over by a wind of death.
Takes Nature thought for such as we,
What place her human atom fills,
The weed-drift of her careless sea,
The mist on her unheeding hills?
What reeks she of our helpless wills?
Strange god of Force, with fear, not love,
Its trembling worshipper! Can prayer
Reach the shut ear of Fate, or move
Unpitying Energy to spare?
What doth the cosmic Vastness care?
In vain to this dread Unconcern
For the All-Father's love we look;
In vain, in quest of it, we turn
The storied leaves of Nature's book,
The prints her rocky tablets took.
I pray for faith, I long to trust;
I listen with my heart, and hear
A Voice without a sound: 'Be just,
Be true, be merciful, revere
The Word within thee: God is near!
'A light to sky and earth unknown
Pales all their lights: a mightier force
Than theirs the powers of Nature own,
And, to its goal as at its source,
His Spirit moves the Universe.
'Believe and trust. Through stars and suns,
Through life and death, through soul and sense,
His wise, paternal purpose runs;
The darkness of His providence
Is star-lit with benign intents.'
O joy supreme! I know the Voice,
Like none beside on earth or sea;
Yea, more, O soul of mine, rejoice,
By all that He requires of me,
I know what God himself must be.
No picture to my aid I call,
I shape no image in my prayer;
I only know in Him is all
Of life, light, beauty, everywhere,
Eternal Goodness here and there!
I know He is, and what He is,
Whose one great purpose is the good
Of all. I rest my soul on His
Immortal Love and Fatherhood;
And trust Him, as His children should.
I fear no more. The clouded face
Of Nature smiles; through all her things
Of time and space and sense I trace
The moving of the Spirit's wings,
And hear the song of hope she sings.
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Do You Know the Son?
Do you know the Son, the one the Father gave?
Do you know the Son, who can save you from the grave?
The one who's got the crown from the Father up above?
The Word becoming flesh, to show the Father's love?
The Logos who came to Earth and was born but not by man
But by the Holy Spirit sent down by God's own hand.
The Son born in Bethlehem of Judea on that night;
The Son who is the one, whom in John is called the Light.
Yes, He's called the Light, and that's very true
For He came to light the way for men like me and you.
He is also called the Word, and if you did not know
He is the One who made all things so very long ago.
His name is Yeshua, the Christ, and now I'm telling you
Just what it was that God sent Him into the world to do.
God sent His Son to tell us about ourselves you see -
And how that if we did not change, we would end in misery.
He also showed us how to live and to make it ample;
He lived a life without sin; what a great example.
Now Yeshua is the Son of God and on this Earth he dwelt
'til the age of thirty three and, then the pain He felt.
Men on earth did not care about what He had to say;
All they thought of was themselves, so carted Him away.
And on the hill called Calvary, to a stake these men had made
They nailed my Saviour Yeshua the messuah, and there my debt He paid.
And as the blood poured forth from His hands, feet and side
If I then had been there like now I would have cried;
'cause of something else He had also come to say
Which was this that 'By His death He would take my sin away'
So, if you would believe that Yeshua died for you
Then you will also know your sins are forgiven too;
Do you know the Son, the one the Father gave?
The One called Yeshua, the Messiah, who died for you to save?
1 John 5: 20
It is to be noted that the Lord is not the eternal Son of God, but the Son of the eternal God; for there was no Son until he was born of Miriam, and born again at his resurrection, where it was declared to him by his Father, 'You are my Son, this day have I begotten you' this 'begotten' is reference to his resurrection, for he is the 'FIRSTBORN of many brethern' and 'we' at his coming. For we have been born again unto a living hope, that living hope is our LORD YESHUA/JESUS; for as he was raised to life. So too shall we be so raised if we press forward to the prize of the upward call in Messiah Yeshua our Lord, amen.
poem by Richard Merrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Of Love To God
When I do this begin to apprehend,
My heart, my soul, and mind, begins to bend
To God-ward, and sincerely for to love
His son, his ways, his people, and to move
With brokenness of spirit after him
Who broken was, and killed for my sin.
Now is mine heart grown holy, now it cleaves
To Jesus Christ my Lord, and now it leaves
Those ways that wicked be; it mourns because
It can conform no more unto the laws
Of God, who loved me when I was vile,
And of sweet Jesus, who did reconcile
Me unto justice by his precious blood,
When no way else was left to do me good.
If you would know how this can operate
Thus on the soul, I shall to you relate
A little farther what my soul hath seen
Since I have with the Lord acquainted been.
The word of grace, when it doth rightly seize
The spirit of a man, and so at ease
Doth set the soul, the Spirit of the Lord
Doth then with might accompany the word;
In which it sets forth Christ as crucified,
And by that means the Father pacified
With such a wretch was thou, and by this sight,
Thy guilt is in the first place put to flight,
For thus the Spirit doth expostulate:
Behold how God doth now communicate
(By changing of the person) grace to thee
A sinner, but to Christ great misery,
Though he the just one was, and so could not
Deserve this punishment; behold, then, what
The love of God is! how 'tis manifest,
And where the reason lies that thou art blest.
This doctrine being spoken to the heart,
Which also is made yield to every part
Thereof, it doth the same with sweetness fill,
And so doth sins and wickednesses kill;
For when the love of God is thus reveal'd,
And thy poor drooping spirit thereby seal'd,
And when thy heart, as dry ground, drinks this in
Unto the roots thereof, which nourish sin,
It smites them, as the worm did Jonah's gourd,
And makes them dwindle of their own accord,
And die away; instead of which there springs
Up life and love, and other holy things.
Besides, the Holy Spirit now is come,
And takes possession of thee as its home;
By which a war maintained always is
Against the old man and the deeds of his.
When God at first upon mount Sinai spake,
He made his very servant Moses quake;
But when he heard the law the second time,
His heart was comforted, his face did shine.
What was the reason of this difference,
Seeing no change was in the ordinance,
Although a change was in the manner, when
The second time he gave it unto men?
At first 'twas given in severity,
In thunder, blackness, darkness, tempest high,
In fiery flames it was delivered.
This struck both Moses and the host as dead;
But Moses, when he went into the mount
The second time, upon the same account
No fear, nor dread, nor shaking of his mind,
Do we in all the holy Scripture find;
But rather in his spirit he had rest,
And look'd upon himself as greatly blest.
He was put in the rock, he heard the name,
Which on the mount the Lord did thus proclaim:
The Lord, merciful, gracious, and more,
Long-suffering, and keeping up in store
Mercy for thousands, pardoning these things,
Iniquity, transgressions, and sins,
And holding guilty none but such as still
Refuse forgiveness, of rebellious will.
This proclamation better pleased him
Than all the thunder and the light'ning.
Which shook the mount, this rid him of his fear,
This made him bend, make haste, and worship there.
Jehoshaphat, when he was sore opprest
By Amnon and by Moab, and the rest
Of them that sought his life, no rest he found,
Until a word of faith became a ground
To stay himself upon; O, then they fell,
His very song became their passing-bell.
Then holiness of heart a consequence
Of faith in Christ is, for it flows from thence;
The love of Christ in truth constraineth us,
Of love sincerely to make judgment thus:
He for us died that for ever we
Might die to sin, and Christ his servants be.
O! nothing's like to the remembrance
Of what it is to have deliverance
From death and hell, which is of due our right,
Nothing, I say, like this to work delight
In holy things; this like live honey runs,
And needs no pressing out of honey-combs.
poem by John Bunyan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Blessings To Heed
What a Blessed thing indeed, to hear God’s Word and to heed,
Many Awesome Truths of God, wherever you do presently trod,
The Truth of God that sets you free, is available to you and me,
And The Holy Spirit I received, when His Saving Truth I believed.
God’s Truths will guide us then, when we indeed are Born Again,
As we heed The Word spoken of, we’re Born Again from above,
Given on earth, a brand-new life, through The Lord, Jesus Christ,
New Life, that includes Eternity, provided for us through Calvary.
Then as we walk in God’s Truth, we become God’s Living Proof,
That God indeed changes men, when in Christ we’re Born Again,
Allowing us live beyond this world, as God’s Truths are unfurled,
His Truths about eternal things, when True Light His Spirit brings.
Blessings begin coming our way, as we walk with Him every day,
Blessings that will truly flow, when in The Word we begin to grow,
When hiding His Word in our heart, God’s peace shall not depart,
Even when uncertainty appears, the Word of God calms all fears.
Earthly comfort’s fleeting friend, but, God’s blessings never end,
Promises in God’s Word you’ll see, will carry well on into Eternity,
As you heed the words of Christ, and let God’s Word fill your life,
God will fill you with His Love, preparing you for blessings above.
(Copyright ©02/2011)
Of The Light
Sometimes in this life I need to be, a quiet light for all to see,
Not flickering of words to hear, but, that light with Jesus near,
To be for God one quiet flame, by the power of Jesus’ Name,
A light for God in any place; maintained in His love and grace.
When to dark places, I must go; it is His Light I need to show,
Indeed the light of Jesus Christ, shown to a very troubled life,
When even in the darkest hour, His Light is the ultimate power,
To help a darkened heart to see, what one life in Christ can be.
If the time seems not so right, what may be needed is the light,
The Light of God’s Holy Truth, for others, as we’re living proof,
Of the power of, God’s Word, from truths that they have heard,
From truths you have expressed, when at this time light is best.
When Eternal Truths we proclaim, in the Power of God’s Name,
In those times, somewhat dark, The Lord’s Light leaves a mark,
Deep upon the heart, of a man, this, as we live out God’s Plan,
To be the Lord’s salt and light, while in this world dark as night.
When God’s Word, we do heed, sometimes light is all we need,
This as God’s Holy Spirit moves, upon a soul that He reproves,
Moving upon that soul’s heart, with God’s Truth He shall impart,
Through the light within our life, as we truly live for Jesus Christ.
(Copyright ©12/2011)
He's More Than Just a God To Me
Christ is more than just a God to me; He's my Savior and my friend,
He formed me in my mother's womb, and is my Hope as I near the end.
He governs the entire universe but walks beside me every single day,
And He's never too busy day or night to stop and listen when I pray.
As my Savior He became a bloody sacrifice and died on a cross for me,
So The Father could forgive all my sins and adopt me and set me free.
It was with His own blood that He bought me out of the market of sin,
Then He gave me The Holy Spirit as a guide and a new life to begin.
Now The Holy Spirit teaches me to live as a new creature in Christ,
And He helps me to crucify my old life to become a living sacrifice.
He gave me a hunger for Righteousness as I live to please The Lord,
For The Spirit taught me that His Holiness simply can not be ignored.
He took away my timid spirit and filled me with His spirit of power,
Now He helps me to boldly witness instead of shrinking back to cower.
He filled me with His love and compassion as I seek to win the lost,
So I can teach them Biblical Truth, while pointing them to The Cross.
He filled me with His Light to draw others so I can share The Word,
And sharing Christ is my compassion until all around me have heard.
It is only through The Cross of Jesus that one can have a new start,
Before you stand before my Savior, let Him also change your heart.
(Copyright © 01/2003)
One Came For All
Down upon this earthly sand, came in flesh The Son of Man,
He appeared as The Word, this from God is what men heard.
Christ sent The Holy Spirit, so when spoken we could hear it,
And The Spirit in men will lead, as they plant and water seed.
Holy seed that God shall grow, so that all the world can know,
Salvation comes through only one, Jesus Christ His only Son.
Under Heaven is but one name, that men forever will proclaim,
As God’s only true salvation, for each and every earthly nation.
Only in the Son Jesus Christ, can earthly man gain eternal life,
When in Him we’re born of God, upon this present earthly sod.
Eternal death is what’s in store, for all men who reject the Lord,
For all power was given to Him; Christ, who died for all our sin.
Christ is coming back to receive, all of those who truly believe,
To take to Heaven all His own, to the glory of an eternal home.
While wrath abides on everyone, who refuses God’s Only Son,
Who was God’s perfect sacrifice, as He paid sin’s eternal price.
God had paved the way at Calvary, for all men to live eternally,
Where Christ died for all men; so that we could be Born Again.
He came not to judge the world, but with a message to herald,
That man can live forevermore, in Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.
(Copyright ©02/2007)
Relying On The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is enough for me, as I’ve been sealed for eternity,
Sealed, by The Spirit of Christ, with His guarantee of Eternal Life;
The Spirit, the only teacher I need, as Truth, He helps me to heed,
Guiding me through all my days, for Christ’s Glory and His Praise.
For The Spirit opened my eyes, to discern Truth from Satan’s lies,
Teaching me the Ways of God, while led by Christ’s staff and rod,
Growing in His Truth and Love, assisted by His Spirit, from above,
Teaching me God’s Truth day to day, as I travel life’s Narrow Way.
It’s the work of God’s Holy Spirit, to shed light on Truth as I hear it,
Revealing Truths, that I never heard, from God’s Holy, Living Word.
From The Truth, revealed to men, by God’s Spirit, I am Born Again,
Believing in Christ and Him alone, I became one of God’s very own.
As God’s Spirit led me to believe, The Truth of God I would receive,
Believing the Saving Truth of Christ, I received in the Spirit New Life,
And at that very time and place, my life was changed, by His Grace,
Never again would it be the same; all by the power of Christ’s Name.
It is in Christ, that I now abide, through The Spirit, Who dwells inside,
And in God’s Spirit, I fully rely, in the same power from God on high,
Sent to comfort Children of God, while they journey this earthly sod,
Who will also, soon snatch us away, to Heaven on that Glorious day.
(Copyright ©06/2010)
More Than Just Life
I’m truly alive this very day, through The Truth, The Life and Way,
For today I’m alive in Jesus Christ, the Author of my Eternal Life.
I was alive but spiritually dead, with the certainty of death ahead,
But in The Spirit, Christ came to me, giving me new life Eternally.
I lived all of my days at a loss, in the shadow of Calvary’s Cross,
But then Christ pierced that night, with The Blessed Gospel Light.
On the cross, through His pain, I received from God eternal gain,
And now this life, I live for Him, The Lord who died for all my sin.
I no longer strive in emptiness, but live in Christ’s Righteousness,
A righteousness bestowed on me, from on that cross of Calvary.
A gift of God’s Awesome Grace, when His Son died in my place,
When this gift to me He did impart, He came to dwell in my heart.
Now I don’t live just to survive, but through The Lord I truly thrive,
Living for God an abundant life, through my Savior Jesus Christ.
With The Holy Spirit’s Power, Christ helps me every waking hour,
To live a special life for God, while on this mundane earthly sod.
My life doesn’t end down here, as the end of all is drawing near,
For I will be in a mansion sublime, to continue on for all of time,
And the life I’ve lived on earth, won’t compare to heaven’s worth,
Where we will live in perfect unity, with our Savior for all Eternity.
Vigilant
To pluck more men from the fire, on this day, is my heart’s desire,
To lead men to the light of Truth, so they won’t see God’s reproof,
Not a small rebuke my friend, as eternal darkness will be their end,
In those eternal flames of wrath, should they stay the present path.
I know this day my Redeemer lives, while new life to men He gives,
To all who call on Jesus Christ, God shall give to them Eternal Life.
All who’ve been deceived by men, who by God, stand condemned,
Must be reached with salvation, that comes from God’s Revelation.
Holding forth the Word of God, to spare men from God’s iron Rod,
The judging rod of God’s own Son, to judge the heart of everyone,
According to His Word we herald, not to some, but to all the world,
For when Christ returns again, His Judgment shall fall upon all men.
We need to reach men’s hearts, before the soul from earth departs,
Reach all men for Christ our Lord, helping the stray, to be restored,
Back, to The Rock of all Ages, through the Holy Scripture’s pages,
Where we find the only True Light, to lead lost souls from the night.
By The Savior I have been sent, with the Gospel, and to be vigilant,
To reach souls, as time is short, and soon all souls, Christ will sort,
And all men in the Book of Life, will enter eternity with Jesus Christ,
But, souls of those missing names, will be cast into eternal flames.
God’s Word
Living out the Truths we’ve heard, comes in obeying God’s Holy Word,
As the Word of God dwells in us, when we live our life for Christ Jesus.
We can live our lives in Christ’s Love, as we focus on our Savior above,
In this world, to live our life higher, God’s Word needs to be our desire,
Through the Word of God’s Wisdom, we’re fit to serve in His Kingdom.
All men will wither to fall like grass, but, God’s Word shall forever last,
God’s Word will last forevermore, with Truth eternally certain and sure.
The Lord’s promises will fail never, as His Holy Word shall last forever,
The Word of God will empower, the life of believers each day and hour,
Power that’s been revealed by God, to guide us upon this earthly sod.
Only God’s Word can fill your soul, to make one’s life pure and whole,
God’s Holy Word can purify the lives, of every believer in Jesus Christ.
It is God’s Word that changes men, filling hearts and cleansing them,
With Living Water from the Lord, while blessing in our heart is poured,
To keep our life on this earth pure, from a source that’ll forever endure.
Following men we falter and fail, but, living God’s Word we will prevail,
To live for God’s Kingdom friend; a new life in Christ which has no end.
The Word of God is available to all, who’ve been freed from man’s fall,
For one to begin a New Life in Him, Christ, who saved us from our sin,
To live according to God’s Word, those eternal Truths that we’ve heard.
(Copyright ©08/2008)
He Dwelleth in You
Saviour, I thy word believe,
My unbelief remove;
Now thy quick'ning Spirit give,
The unction from above;
Shew me, Lord, how good thou art,
My soul with all thy fulness fill:
Send the witness in my heart
The Holy Ghost reveal.
Dead in sin 'till then I lie,
Bereft of power to rise;
Till thy Spirit inwardly
Thy saving blood applies:
Now the mighty gift impart,
My sin erase, my pardon seal:
Send the witness, in my heart
The Holy Ghost reveal.
Blessed Comforter, come down,
And live and move in me;
Make my every deed thy own,
In all things led by thee:
Bid my every lust depart,
And with me O vouchsafe to dwell;
Faithful witness, in my heart
Thy perfect light reveal.
Let me in thy love rejoice,
Thy shrine, thy pure abode;
Tell me, by thine inward voice,
That I'm a child of God:
Lord, I choose the better part,
Jesus, I wait thy peace to feel;
Send the witness in my heart
The Holy Ghost reveal.
Whom the world cannot receive,
O manifest in me:
Son of God, I cease to live,
Unless I live in thee
Now impute thy whole desert,
Restore the joy from which I fell:
Breathe the witness, in my heart
The Holy Ghost reveal.
poem by Augustus Montague Toplady
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Have Been Saved
I have been saved; I have been saved, truly by a Holy Righteous God,
Given a new heart and a new life, to leave the path I once had trod.
For I was born with a heart of flesh that was truly tainted with sin,
But The Lord in His Mercy reached down and changed me from within.
When The Gracious Holy Lord chose to touch and circumcise my heart,
He also chose to leave me in the world but He also set my life apart.
Now I no longer have my old desire to continue my life of wicked sin,
For as a new creature found in Christ I began a new life sure in Him.
The Lord also set me upon a new path and gave me a brand new start,
And the only way to please my Lord is to seek Him with all my heart.
The Word of God tells me to seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness,
This path leads me to gain His Wisdom, so for Him I can be a witness.
If we truly believe in Christ a definite change will be in our heart,
As this is a sign to unbelievers and a witness of a brand new start.
This change that occurs is manifested by The Spirit we can not see,
It's The Holy Spirit Who sealed me with a New Life that set me free.
For the change to my life took place the very moment of my Salvation,
And this new work was fully accomplished by The Lord of all Creation.
Although it only took a brief moment to accept The Lord's Salvation,
A Sanctified Life to be used by The Lord is my lifelong obligation.
(Copyright © 06/2002)
Eternal Truths
In God’s Word you will hear, Eternal Truths, all men should fear,
A fear that comes as you heed, the Truths of God that you read,
Eternal Truths for all us to see, revealed by God to you and me,
A Divinely inspired Revelation, by God to lead men to salvation.
Revealing His Truth, for us to tell, others about Heaven and Hell,
Through the Holy Spirit of Christ, He shows eternal truths of life,
And He, who gave all men breath, speaks to all of eternal death,
God sets right before everyone, death or Eternal Life in His Son.
The fear God puts in me and you, is reverence to see us through,
To Guide us on this temporal earth, to that place of eternal worth,
As God moves upon our heart, with a Love, which will not depart,
And a fear that makes men wise, as His Spirit opens up our eyes.
They just say we have no proof, about God’s Word we call Truth,
And so God’s Truth they deny, embracing instead, the Devil’s lie;
Although you will die my friend, the eternal soul will have no end,
Your body in the ground may rot, but, your eternal soul shall not.
Some may read and simply say, that all men will just die anyway,
With no care at all, when or why, or where they go when they die,
But, every soul at its last breath, will face God and eternal death,
Unless a soul knows Jesus Christ, then he enters into eternal life.
(Copyright ©02/2008)
It's Amazing
It’s amazing, that a sinner like me, can talk to The God of Eternity,
When I walk with Him each day, through fellowship, to God I pray,
The Lord God entered into my life, through His Son, Jesus Christ,
Who died at Calvary for my sin, so I could share my life with Him.
It’s amazing, that for me He died, as on a cross He was crucified,
Becoming a curse on that tree, to save this soul and set me free,
Freeing me from sin and death, as He breathed in me new breath,
From the New Life available to men, who in Christ are Born Again.
It’s amazing, how God uses us, if we surrender to His Son Jesus,
Mere mortals only made of dust, when in Christ we place all trust,
Helping to proclaim His Word, until all upon this earth have heard,
Life saving Truth of the Cross, and how He came for sinners lost.
It’s amazing, how He fills us first, with spiritual hunger and a thirst,
For The Eternal Word of God, as He leads us with a staff and rod,
As Christ teaches us to abide, by The Holy Spirit who lives inside,
Helping all believers to impart, The Truth God puts within our heart.
It’s truly amazing, that God above, would send to us, by His Love,
His One and Only Begotten Son, as God’s Sacrifice for everyone,
And all we have to do is believe, The Gospel Message we receive,
And accept the love of Jesus Christ, to gain from Him Eternal Life.
(Copyright ©03/2008)
Before I Knew
My whole life is ordained by, The Lord God, Who reigns on high,
Not knowing Christ at infancy, but, as for The Lord, He knew me,
Knitting me in my mother's womb, while my life began to bloom,
Born a sinful soul, but, I would find, my Holy Lord, in God's time.
Creating me through love and care, also, even before I was there,
My Lord plotted out my destiny, for all my life before my infancy,
With God's plan, from my birth, to be used by God, on this earth,
My life, for His honor and glory, this from His writing of my story.
My whole life is know by the One, Who sent for me His Only Son,
Sending Christ, before I knew, my Savior, who loves me and you,
Although I didn't seek God's face, God, poured on me His Grace,
His grace brought to my life, love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Eternal Author of my salvation, filled my heart with Revelation.
From the creation upon earth's sod, into The Eternal Word of God,
Filling me with the knowledge of, God, Who leads me from above,
Leading me to witness and herald, His Eternal Truth to a lost world.
Right from that womb to the grave, it was Christ, Who would pave,
That journey, which would save me, and guide me to Life Eternally,
As I was redeemed by Jesus Christ, The Author of my Eternal Life,
All ordained, well before I knew, God, Who sees all things through.
(Copyright ©11/2012)
Worship
The Pagan's myths through marble lips are spoken,
And ghosts of old Beliefs still flit and moan
Round fane and altar overthrown and broken,
O'er tree-grown barrow and gray ring of stone.
Blind Faith had martyrs in those old high places,
The Syrian hill grove and the Druid's wood,
With mother's offering, to the Fiend's embraces,
Bone of their bone, and blood of their own blood.
Red altars, kindling through that night of error,
Smoked with warm blood beneath the cruel eye
Of lawless Power and sanguinary Terror,
Throned on the circle of a pitiless sky;
Beneath whose baleful shadow, overcasting
All heaven above, and blighting earth below,
The scourge grew red, the lip grew pale with fasting,
And man's oblation was his fear and woe!
Then through great temples swelled the dismal moaning
Of dirge-like music and sepulchral prayer;
Pale wizard priests, o'er occult symbols droning,
Swung their white censers in the burdened air
As if the pomp of rituals, and the savor
Of gums and spices could the Unseen One please;
As if His ear could bend, with childish favor,
To the poor flattery of the organ keys!
Feet red from war-fields trod the church aisles holy,
With trembling reverence: and the oppressor there,
Kneeling before his priest, abased and lowly,
Crushed human hearts beneath his knee of prayer.
Not such the service the benignant Father
Requireth at His earthly children's hands
Not the poor offering of vain rites, but rather
The simple duty man from man demands.
For Earth He asks it: the full joy of heaven
Knoweth no change of waning or increase;
The great heart of the Infinite beats even,
Untroubled flows the river of His peace.
He asks no taper lights, on high surrounding
The priestly altar and the saintly grave,
No dolorous chant nor organ music sounding,
Nor incense clouding tip the twilight nave.
For he whom Jesus loved hath truly spoken
The holier worship which he deigns to bless
Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken,
And feeds the widow and the fatherless!
Types of our human weakness and our sorrow!
Who lives unhaunted by his loved ones dead?
Who, with vain longing, seeketh not to borrow
From stranger eyes the home lights which have fled?
O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother;
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.
Follow with reverent steps the great example
Of Him whose holy work was 'doing good;'
So shall the wide earth seem our Father's temple,
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.
Then shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangor
Of wild war music o'er the earth shall cease;
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace!
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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