False Doctrine

The enemy's intention

to separate God and man,

and mankind from each other.

Subtle turning of truth
to appear with authority,

but underneath
the usurping Edenic lies remain.

Hindering the Father's freedom
for His children,

glorious liberty constrained
by turgid tradition,

and aspiring arguments
sent to suffocate.

Contentions and

peace ripped harmony,

broken by bad behavior,

sanctioned by serpent cunning,

dishonoring close kindred,

and collapsing covenant.

Partial plausibility digs
false foundations in the heart,

tarnishing other truths
as they are filtered through.

There will come a day
when all false doctrine
with tears will be wiped away,

as we see God as He truly is,

and each other as we truly are.

Until then Lord
protect us from all that
would separate us,

from each other,

and from You.

Don't listen to his voice

 Don't listen to his voice,

the one who hates you and would see 

the destruction of your soul.

He is the father of lies, 

and no truth can come from him.

His very nature twists and turns.

He is serpentine in every way.

Don't listen to his voice when he puts you down,

or tells you that you'll fail,

you will never amount to anything,

you will not succeed, you have no hope, no future.

Don't listen to him or believe him.

Listen to My voice,

for I will show you your true worth,

your ability in Me to change the world around you.

Listen to My voice and I will speak words of life,

and hope, 

and Oh there is so much more to My Kingdom.

Listen to Me,

and I will show you how much I treasure you.

Be careful who you listen to,

your life depends on it.

Easter Sunday Morning

I can't see his face

through the tears.

It's blood stained, broken
I know.

I don't recognize my Lord and my friend.

I have no more tears.
I am spent, numb.

There is nothing left
of his life, or mine
except this ragged cloth
with which he wiped his face.

The blood has hardened,

the dirt dried,

but it has become my most precious treasure.

I hold it
and breathe in the memory
of the good times,
the healings,
and outrageous outpourings
of miraculous grace
that flowed out of him
those three full years.

Full of so much promise,
excitement, power, wonder,
compassion, love.

Love.

That is what I'm left with.

His love.

It made me complete,
healed, restored.

No longer judged and dirty,

a social leper, a society outcast.

He gave me dignity, purpose.

He restored my name to me,
who I really am.

I will go to the tomb today
to anoint his body.

My last act of love
given in return.

I will ask the gardener to help me
roll away the stone.

There he is.

God Be My Refuge

When troubled times befall,

and I can't do my all,

God be my refuge.

When the future looms ahead,

or illness confines to bed,

God be my refuge.

When responsibility seems too hard,

and my sense of strength is marred,

God be my refuge.

When others cause me pain,

or loss through dishonest gain,

God be my refuge.

When I forget I need to trust,

or I'm driven by should or must,

God be my refuge.

When the light is dim all day,

and memory fades away,

God be my refuge.


When I can't see the forward way,

and have lost the strength to pray,

God be my refuge.

When all I know is gone,

and I can no longer carry on,

God be my refuge.

What Time Is It?

It is time to count

with the measurement

of eternity,

and not with the short trapped gaze
of this passing age.

It is time to lay up heaven treasure,

so that we do not
with wistful tears,

wonder what our lives
might have been.

It is time to go into the
harvest fields,

and with word yoked actions
pull forth
weight of blessing into other lives.

It is time to talk with those
whose grief edged loneliness
smothers them,

allowing their fragile formed words
space and time.

It is time to refuse to judge
when help is needed,

and to not wait for thanks,

knowing recompense
will come in other ways.

It is time to run the race,

to fight the good fight,

and to hear the well done,

when this time comes to an end.

Destinations and Departures

As I wait to go

from this room to the next,

from this country to the next,

from this life to the next,

I want to connect 

with my correct destination.

Jesus said,

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,

and He meant it to give hope

to lost generations

and lost individuals,

looking for a compass

that has been mislaid.

Jesus said,

I am the door,

for us to enter through

into the presence of His glory and everlasting life.

In this so broken world,

we can hardly imagine such a place exists,

but Scripture points to it,

and with confidence we can reply to this invitation so graciously given.

We are not a collection of atoms

aimlessly floating through the universe.

We are precious,

created by God for purpose and blessing.

We make sure of our destination before departure

during this life.

We can also do the same for the next.

Devil's Wrath (Revelation 12:12)

"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!

For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
because he knows his time is short."

Time is running out,
almost gone,

the devil's wrath,

sin's last hurrah,

before our Savior's sighting.

The devil dumps
the final onslaught,

wrecking relationships,

ruining romance,
between covenant beloved.

Sowing stress
and stretching beyond breaking point,

parental bonds with child.

Disrespecting venom
vomited out
on humanity,

regardless of creed or color.

Kindred consumed with hatred
that is not their own.

Potent poisons
in plentiful supply,

unkindly offered
to drown more sorrows,

sourced from the accusers armory.

Rebellion first found in heaven,
courses condemned
through Eden and beyond,

tempting humanity
to follow him into forever darkness.

The ready remedy,
blood bought
with salvation sacrifice,

can be received right now,

but the eventual ending of evil
is yet to come.

But it will come,

and usher in a peace
and rest and joy,

so unimaginable as yet.

If we could glimpse catch it now,

we would never again wish
to align ourselves

with the devil's wrath.