Tell me a story,
Tell me a story, And what I want to hear,
About a king in the Bible, of Saul and his spear;
He wanted to kill David, but David spared his life,
While Saul was asleep, David took the jug, spear, to show
Saul that he was near.
Please tell me a story, Of Esther the Jewish queen,
And of uncle mordecai, and Haman who was mean;
Wicked Haman hated, the Jews, and wanted them dead,
But he got his punishment, to be hung by his head.
Tell me another story, of Jonah and the whale,
When God said 'go to Ninevah, he needed a kick in his tale;
He ran the other way, then caught a large ship,
But; when a storm blew up, but he got the flip.
Tell me one more story, before I get off to bed,
How Jesus talked to a crowd, and food they were fed;
There were 5,000 people, and only 5 loaves, and two fish,
It was a miracle of Jesus, and not just an answer to a wish.
poem by Margaret Haig
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Bible Stories: Esther (Part VB)
Esther Brings About the Downfall of Haman:
The King and Haman dined with wine;
The happy King asked Queen Esther,
“Tell me your request, anything! ”
Esther replied, ‘Your majesty,
If I‘m your favorite truly,
O spare my life and my people! ’
“I’ve come to know that we’ve been sold;
Our people will be destroyed soon;
Their property will be seized too;
Our children will be taken slaves;
The foe’s a member of your court! ”
The king asked, “Who dared to do thus? ”
‘Dear King, that evil man’s Haman! ’
Said Esther Queen, in almost tears.
Haman was panic-stricken fast;
The King went into the garden;
Haman was begging for his life;
He threw himself on the Queen’s couch,
And pleaded to be forgiven.
The angry King then asked Haman,
“You want to rape my wife right here? ”
Haman was too shocked to reply.
Just then, a eunuch told the King,
Haman has set a pole ready
For Mordecai who saved your life;
The pole is seventy-five feet high,
And stands right in his very house.
The King said, ‘Hang Haman on it.’
Haman was hung upon that pole
He’d erected for Mordecai;
The King got over his anger!
Then Mordecai took Haman’s place
As Esther was his relative;
King’s signet ring was given him
And Haman’s wealth too went with it.
Then Esther begged the King again,
‘Cancel the order Haman wrote.’
The King replied, ‘How can I bear
To see my people mistreated?
Could I destroy my own people? ’
The King allowed a new order
To save the lives of every Jew!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-17-2007
poem by John Celes
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Bible Stories: Esther (Part IIIA)
Esther’s Problems:
Mordecai saw Haman’s order;
He walked through the city crying,
Just dressed in sack-cloth and ashes,
Until he reached the royal gates,
To tell Esther and seek her help.
Her eunuchs brought this news to her;
With anguished heart, she sent garments;
But Mordecai refused the clothes;
He gave Haman’s order to her:
‘All Jews would be killed in one day! ’
Haman was second to the king
And sentenced every Jew to death.
Mordecai explained to Hathach
The things that Esther was to do;
She was to pray to God before
She met the king and pleads with him,
To save the lives of all the Jews.
Esther sent the eunuch saying,
She had not been called by the king
For nearly thirty days till then;
One who saw him without summon,
Would be put to death by routine,
Unless the king held his scepter!
But Mordecai reminded her,
Her family will have to die,
And Esther too, a Jew, though queen!
There was no time to wait or plan;
Invoking God’s help, she must start.
Esther told all Jews in Susa
To fast for three days and three nights
And then she went to see the king,
Even if she had to perish!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-17-2007
poem by John Celes
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Saul A Ravenous Wolf After Stephen Was Martyred
Saul like a ravenous wolf after Stephen was martyred;
went door to door in Jerusalem finding Jews to arrest
who believed that Jesus was the Messiah prophesised.
Saul's mission was to seek out kill all followers;
of Jesus who Saul believed to be a false Messiah.
If this is true where is the Biblical evidence for this?
Saul dealt outrageously with the congregation;
invading one house after another dragging out
both men and women Saul put them in prison. Acts 8: 3.
Split imaging from the poem ‘Transformation Inquisition Saul Into Paul Of Tarsus'.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Bible Stories: Esther (Part V, D)
The Jews Defend Themselves:
On thirteenth day of Adar month,
Jews carried out the King’s order;
Their enemies were killed that day;
The people were afraid of them.
The governors, princes and scribes
Feared Mordecai’s rising power;
The King too honored him greatly.
In Susa, five hundred were killed,
Including ten sons of Haman;
All foes of Jews were caught that day;
Such things happened throughout the land;
As per the wish of Queen Esther,
All ten sons of Haman were hung
On poles in Susa openly!
That day, fifteen thousand were killed;
Their properties were seized elsewhere.
Jews celebrated on next day;
The day was declared ‘holiday’;
They exchanged gifts, food and greetings!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-18-2007
poem by John Celes
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Bible Stories: David and Goliath
The Israelites with Saul as King were sad;
The Philistines with Goliath as head
Had challenged them at Socoh in Judah,
To send a warrior who dare defeat him.
For forty days, the king was in chaos;
They could not find a person for combat!
David, the shepherd lad was bringing food
For his older brothers daily by foot;
He heard the king’s promise to reward one,
Who would defeat Goliath in combat.
He went to Saul and told his desire;
He was undaunted and had great courage;
Saul had no choice but try him out at last;
David declined the armor from the king!
With just a sling upon his shoulder and
Five pebbles taken from the brook near-by,
He went to meet Goliath with his staff!
Oh, what a fearless lad, God had chosen!
In armor full, stood Goliath giant;
He cursed the puny David by his gods;
He told David, ‘you bring a staff to hit
A mighty warrior, like a dog! ’
But David said, ‘today, the Lord will give
You in my hands, and I will cut your head
Off, and throw your body to the birds, wild beasts!
The earth shall know that Israel has a God,
And Yahweh needs no sword or spear to kill,
And give the enemy into my hand! ’
Then David placed a pebble in his sling;
He swung it o’er his head and let it go!
The pebble found the giant’s temple fast;
The Philistine fell to the ground all dazed!
The Shepherd lad cut off the giant’s head,
Using his sword and showed it to his foes!
The Philistines fled, seeing leader killed!
They were pursued and fully defeated;
He took Goliath’s armor to his tent,
And head to Jerusalem for display!
When Saul had asked him whose son he was, then,
David said, ‘I’m your servant Jesse’s son! ’
A Shepherd lad had trounced, killed Goliath!
He was the future king of Israelites!
A pebble had surpassed the spear and shield!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-4-2008
poem by John Celes
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From Saul To Paul
Saul was a very zealous Pharisee, committed to The God of Eternity,
A circumcised Hebrew of Hebrews, opposed to Christ’s Good News,
Saul threatened to murder anyone, who avowed belief in God’s Son,
Fomenting great hatred and strife, against That Way of Jesus Christ.
Those believing in that time and day, were called people of The Way,
Saul then journeyed to Damascus, to arrest believers in Christ Jesus,
On his journey to destroy the Way, the Lord Jesus had words to say,
“Saul, Saul why do you persecute me”, said The Lord of the Pharisee.
This after Saul fell down in fright, all surrounded, by a Heavenly Light,
The men with Saul heard God’s Son, however, those men saw no one,
Telling Saul simply to continue into, Damascus, to be told what to do,
When Saul got up he could not see, and was led by hand into the city.
In the city Saul’s sight was restored, by Ananias a disciple of the Lord,
With hands scales fell from his eyes, through Christ, who he despised;
Yet some disciples were still afraid, because of havoc Saul had made,
But Barnabas a disciple of Christ, encourages Saul about his New Life.
God can save and change anyone, who comes to Christ, His Only Son,
Just as He changed Saul of Tarsus, to become an instrument of Jesus,
Christ’s Light, to the gentile world, as The Good News, he would herald,
No longer would he be called Saul, but now for Christ, the Apostle Paul.
(Copyright ©04/2011)
David (in answer to Johan Steyn)
When David felled Goliath
he stood there as a young man
putting his trust
in the almighty God.
As a soldier totally incompetent
he could not even walk
in Saul’s armour,
did not even take along his own sword
but with a slingshot
he defied the giant champion of the Philistines
slinging a stone at a precise angle into the air
and with the giant’s sword chopped off his head.
When David cut a piece from the cloak
of king Saul, it wasn’t meant as a joke
but to show that the life of Saul
was in David’s hands.
That David was attracted to women,
nobody can deny, the ancestor of Christ
Bathsheba is a witness of it
and his love for Jonathan
was no carnal thing,
they were friends, who were comrades,
nearer than brothers to each other
and many men
who went with each other through battles
against deadly enemies
know this type of thing
when you have to leave your life
in someone else’s hands.
That the psalm poet David
was also a soldier
does not make him a mass murderer,
or do you want to fit
every man who once was a soldier
and now write poems
into this distorted picture?
So as if soldiers are not also Christians,
also serve God, also pray
cannot have a relationship
with Him?
Go and read what the Bible says
about people who add words,
or leave words out of it,
maybe it also pertains
to when you twist the Bible stories,
to fit to
your own impressions of life.
[Reference: Dawid (David) by Johan Steyn.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Bible Stories: Esther (Part IIA)
In reward for his great service,
Haman, son of Hammedatha,
Was raised to the highest rank,
Second to just the King himself;
All servants and all officials
Would kneel and bow their head to him
As per the royal order then;
But Mordecai would ne’er do this;
All wondered why he thus behaved;
Being a Jew was his excuse.
When servants told Haman of this,
He was much angered by the news;
He planned to punish Mordecai,
And destroy every Jew that lived!
All Jews would be killed in one day-
The thirteenth day of Adar month,
In the twelfth year of the King’s reign.
Haman brain-washed the king and said:
“Scattered among your kingdom, Sir,
Are certain people with own laws,
Who do not obey King’s orders.
Haman would pay a heavy sum
In silver to the treasury,
If King issued a new decree
To have them destroyed in one day.
They were a hurdle to progress;
The king handed his signet ring
To Haman, as he impressed him;
He empowered him to act fast;
Calling all scribes, then Haman wrote
An order on the King’s behalf
And sealed it with the royal ring:
“All Jews in all the provinces
Both young and old, of both sexes
Would face mass annihilation;
Their goods would be confiscated! ”
The king’s decree was sent to all
The Governors of his kingdom,
To make forthwith preparations.
poem by John Celes
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Bible Stories: Esther (PartVII)
What Message Does The Story Convey?
God chooses Mordacai, an upright Jew,
Who brings up Esther, related by blood;
God gives a dream to Mordacai, one day,
Of things that happen later in his life!
The man gets chance to serve in King’s courtyard;
And saves the King from being killed by plot;
The King remembers what the man has done,
Rewarding him when opportune time comes!
God makes a Jewish girl of beauty rare,
The Queen and wife of Artaxerxes King,
Who rules a kingdom from Ind to Sudan,
And through her saves the entire Jewish race.
The wicked Haman gets punished by King;
Because his arrogance had gone too far;
God never spares an evil-hearted man,
Who schemes to destroy God’s beloved people.
The fervent prayers of the Jewish race
Evokes the sympathy and grace of God;
The Lord never abandons righteous souls;
The innocents are protected by Him!
God transforms rulers’ hearts to change for good;
Good Emperors are blessed by Providence;
The scattered Jews are ‘shepherded’ so well;
These are some points that Bible stories tell.
God has a special plan for everyone;
Our piety and fortitude will help;
No evil minds can destroy God’s people;
The wicked get punished even on earth.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-20-2007
poem by John Celes
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Where Is David, the Next King of Israel?
Where is David? . . . O God's people,
Saul has passed, the good and great.
Mourn for Saul the first-anointed —
Head and shoulders o'er the state.
He was found among the Prophets:
Judge and monarch, merged in one.
But the wars of Saul are ended
And the works of Saul are done.
Where is David, ruddy shepherd,
God's boy-king for Israel?
Mystic, ardent, dowered with beauty,
Singing where still waters dwell?
Prophet, find that destined minstrel
Wandering on the range to-day,
Driving sheep and crooning softly
Psalms that cannot pass away.
"David waits," the prophet answers,
"In a black notorious den,
In a cave upon the border
With four hundred outlaw men.
"He is fair, and loved of women,
Mighty-hearted, born to sing:
Thieving, weeping, erring, praying,
Radiant royal rebel-king.
"He will come with harp and psaltry,
Quell his troop of convict swine,
Quell his mad-dog roaring rascals,
Witching them with words divine —
"They will ram the walls of Zion!
They will win us Salem hill,
All for David, Shepherd David —
Singing like a mountain rill!"
poem by Vachel Lindsay
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Norwood
Lovely friend,
What can I say to you now
That wasn’t said
When we sat together
On the sunlit shore of friendship?
What tenderness of affection
Can I offer you?
What words of understanding
Written in the poetry of my heart
Can I convey to you?
Does God give your eyes in heaven
Earthly vision to see my tears?
Does God reassure you
There is nothing between us but love,
There is no judgment,
Only love, only understanding,
Only longing to hear your voice
In pleasant conversation.
Car rides to concert venues,
Sacred time at the zoo
Talking soul language of hope,
Summer sunlight listening to music
And walking avenues of midnight college streets
Of laughter and dreams,
I’ll never forget your smile
Or as Dylan says, “Your gentleness now,
Which you just can't help but show.”
What has time taken from us
Except the ability to express how we feel
In that repetition that is truth and friendship
And undeniable love,
But there was nothing about your existence
And beautiful humanity
That I ever experienced
As anything less than genuine
And from the heart.
We often talked of spirituality
And the returning of souls,
And I know, we’ll meet again
In a different place
And in a different incarnation,
Nothing will be forgotten
Nor erased
Until we continue
Our prayer-like conversation,
But tonight, lovely friend,
I’m reading the Bible,
Reading my poet hero King David,
He was hunted like an animal
By King Saul,
He thought surely Saul
Would kill him,
But David wept
When King Saul
And his son Jonathan
Perished together in battle,
And King David sang
Of his friend Jonathan,
“Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.”
2 Samuel 1: 17—27.
poem by Uriah Hamilton
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The Story Of Life
The story of jesus
So easy to explain
After they crucified him,
A woman, she claimed his name
The story of jesus
The whole Bible knows
Went all across the desert
And in the middle, he found a rose
There should be no questions
There should be no lies
He was married ever happily after
All the tears we cry
No use in arguing
All the use to the man that moans
When each man falls in battle
His soul it has to roam
Angles of heaven
Flying saucers to some,
Made easter sunday
The name of the rising sun
The story is written
By so many people who dared,
To lay down the truth
To so very many who cared
To carry the cross
Of jesus and beyond
We will guide the light
This time with a woman in our arms
We as men
Cant explain the reason why
The womans always mentioned
At the moment that we die
All we know
Is God is by our side,
And he says the word
So easy yet so hard
I wish not to be alone,
So I must respect my other heart
Oh, the story
Of jesus is the story
Of you and me
No use in feeling lonely,
I am searching to be free
The story
Of life is quicker
Than the wink of an eye
The story of love
Is hello and goodbye
Until we meet again
song performed by by Jimi Hendrix
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Saul Exercised Power Like A FBI Or CIA Agent?
It is said a leopard cannot change its spots.
Saul like an ancient homeland security official
exercised power like a modern FBI or CIA agent?
Please examine the evidence of Saul's extensive power.
Saul was present and sanctioned Stephen's execution. Acts 7.57-8: 1.
Saul went door-to-door looking for Christian felons. Acts 8: 3.
Saul was issued Christians arrest warrants. Acts 22: 4-5.
Saul believed he was serving God (the President and Nation) :
by enforcing the law and carrying out the orders
of the Jewish Sanhedrin (the Supreme Court) . Acts 22: 3.
Saul obviously had studied the laws of the Sanhedrin;
and received extensive 'field training' for those duties.
The very name Saul struck terror into first converted Christians.
Split imaging from the poem ‘Transformation Inquisition Saul Into Paul Of Tarsus'.
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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David & Goliath
Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament)
They described him as a Giant!
But this Goliath is a very skinny person
In his sixties and an orphan.
He seeks a relative in the World
And he met David the gravedigger in an old Bakery.
But not that David The King of future Israel.
They came to know each other
And lived together.
Goliath helps David in his diggings.
And one morning David didn't wake up
And Goliath completed his job.
The story tells that Goliath died in his Centinarian!
*[ My Grandson grumbles to make a story using the name David who brings bread in his bicycle for them.]
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
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What Power On Earth Changes Saul?
What miracle of transformation
what power on earth in heaven changes
Saul into amazing Apostle Paul?
Saul of Tarsus changed his name, became widely known,
as Apostle Paul, wrote about 25% of New Testament;
devoted next 32 years, witnessing Jesus as the Messiah.
Yes Apostle Paul was martyred;
for his faith in Jesus as Messiah
a man chosen personally by God;
Paul's written words;
are the testimony of a man
that violently persecuted;
as many early Christians
as he could arrest seize execute;
then became a Christian
due to a supernatural spiritual experience;
God assigns Saul a unique transformation Acts 22: 6-11
as Apostle Paul he will preach to gentiles.
Split imaging from the poem ‘Transformation Inquisition Saul Into Paul Of Tarsus'.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Saul's Impassioned Testimony Purposes
'I too was convinced that I ought
to do all that was possible to oppose
the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.
On the authority of the chief priests
I put many of the saints in prison,
and when they were put to death,
I cast my vote against them.
Many a time I went from one
synagogue to another to have them punished,
and I tried to force them to blaspheme.
In my obsession against them, I even went
to foreign cities to persecute them.' Acts 26: 9-11.
Saul like a Nazi fanatic executing final solution;
in his own private holocaust is zeal determined
to stamp out kill all followers of target perceived;
false messiah according to strict standards;
of Jewish Sanhedrin laws enforced ruthlessly.
Saul was said to be responsible for the deaths;
of 300 early followers of Jesus;
burned alive in their own homes
this fanatic cannot change spots.
Winston Churchill said 'A fanatic is one
who can't change his mind and won't
change the subject'. Yet Saul changes
becomes exemplified all he previously persecuted.
Split imaging from the poem ‘Transformation Inquisition Saul Into Paul Of Tarsus'.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Less traveled
Ruth followed Naomi into poverty. She stayed even though her sisters in law left. On the road less traveled. David became a young king. He almost got killed by king Saul. Who was jealous. David was Gods chosen one. On the road less traveled. Jesus was rejected by all even his own. Yet he died on a tree to save sinners and rose again so any one who repents can be immortal. On the road less traveled. Job had a lot of horrible things happen to him all around the same time. Yet he did not curse God and die. On the road less traveled. God helped Esther save all of her people. She is the living proof that God has a time for everything. On the road less traveled.
Saul's Goal For All Followers Of Jesus
Infamous Saul of Tarsus;
had one crazed goal
for all followers of Jesus.
To capture then bring to public trial execution;
all Christians he could lay his hands on.
Saul an elite member of the Sanhedrin even
instigated approved ancient equivalent;
of vigilante mob lynchings public stonings.
Saul promoted stoning to death of Stephen. Acts 7: 57-60.
Split imaging from the poem ‘Transformation Inquisition Saul Into Paul Of Tarsus'.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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I think we've broken story after story that the rest of the media refused to break even when they had the story because they were scared of the story, or they just didn't think it was appropriate.
quote by David Talbot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Tell Me A Story
Tell me a story that isn't gory
tell me a story that isn't fake
tell me a story where you made a mistake
tell me a story where the cows come home
tell me a story I want to know
tell me a story where the princess finds herself
not a prince who is more like an elf.
Tell me a story that I can laugh out loud
tell me a story where storm makes lighting clouds.
For in the end we only have our stories to tell
what make them funny, give them hell.
poem by Suzae Chevalier
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