> POEMS

Too Good To Be True

All praise to You, my Father my Friend
Everlasting love sustains me.
A comforting Spirit dwells within;
A priceless gift for free.
Free to me, paid in full by Christ
No bills come in the mail.
So much I owe; beyond any price
How precious each stripe, each nail.
This is too good to be true. What's the catch?
There must be one, I know.
Some minimum score I have to match?
Some logo or brand name to show?
A blameless one died for all my sin
I'm not worthy of this fate.
Too good to be true. Better check it again
And look for that fine print I hate.
Father I read and I analyze
I study each word, each line
I pray to you and I realize
Why the gift of salvation is mine.
No strings attached. No hidden costs.
No late charge or postage due.
You're in control. You are the Boss.
You're much too good to be true

     Back to Top

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

Steel paperboys eat coins and belch bad news
Addictive electronics entertain and empty the pews.
So much to do. So much to divert us.
Where is the love that defeats what would hurt us?
Children killing children. Nineteen times each day.
Even Sodom and Gomorrah never had such a display.
We've grown accustomed to sin. We tolerate it well.
A seldom read love story took sixty-six books to tell.
Men and women at war. That's not part of God's plan.
Jesus preached love. Doesn't anyone understand?
Troubled marriages, families, congregations and nations.
Where is the love that settles confrontations?
Satan in pulpits. False prophets on the air.
Programs that don't work. Teachers that don't care.
People march and parade. They're proud of their sin.
Where is the love? Ask yourself again.
The King comes on a white horse. Satan's is pale.
Without love in your heart your vision may fail.
Obey God's truth. His wisdom. His Word.
Love is everywhere and it's about to be heard.

IN NAME ONLY

A small payoff to avoid the draft.
A little unreported income. A sly little laugh.
A patriot in name only.
Three hours at Christmas. One on the birthday.
No child support unless they garnish my pay.
A father in name only.
Giving out favors with well-attached strings.
Always anxious to gossip and say unkind things.
A friend in name only.
Six year old Bibles still smelling new.
Too hard to read Scripture. Too much to do.
Approved in name only.
A wandering eye. An impure thought.
I can do it this time. I won't get caught.
Faithful in name only.
One casino trip. One lottery ticket.
One more weekend to go out and kick it.
Born again in name only.
A rainy Sunday. Might as well stay in.
Using God's grace as a license to sin.
A Christian in name only.
Give all the praise to God and ask yourself again
Where would I be if Jesus had been
A Savior in name only?      Back to Top

WHO AM I?

I was created by God and apportioned equally to all.
Wisdom requires me. Love needs me. Faith can't grow without me.
God's judgment doesn't ignore me, yet many don't respect me.
Many will rejoice when I come to my end yet none seems ready.
No man is my master yet all can use me at will.
I rule no one yet all are subject to me.
I cannot be purchased, sold, exchanged, nor redeemed.
Once lost I cannot be recovered. Once wasted I cannot be reclaimed.
I am sometimes tight or short. I may be on your side or against you.
Millions kill me every day but I march on relentlessly.
Many people mark me, others serve me against their will.
People think about me during sermons, funerals, parties and sporting events.
I am at once abundant and precious.
I am understood by young and old alike.
I am invisible but I am constantly monitored, measured and watched.
I walk hand in hand with dedication and commitment.
I have no family though some call me Father.
I exist for every purpose yet I stand alone.
Am I a gift from God or only borrowed?
I may be priceless or worthless. Far off or at hand.
When I am out everything stops. When I am up it's all over.
My name is Time. At your service. 

USE ME

A tentmaker from Tarsus. A Pharisee to boot.
You replaced his sight with vision on the Damascus route.
Tax collectors and fishermen. They're all the same to You.
They say that You'll use anyone and I'm certain that it's true.
Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief.
A lesson learned from the words of a thief.
The Assyrians and Nebuchadnezzar are called"servants" by You.
When You have a purpose in mind the world becomes Your crew.
A bright fallen cherub caused Your heart to grieve
You use him to test those who claim to believe.
A stuttering man with no desire to lead
Was used for forty years because You felt the need.
A little shepherd boy was good with a sling
You used him to become Israel's King.
What I haven't been able to get over yet
Is how You used Your Son to pay off a debt.
Mother, father, sister, brother.
You'll use any of us to bless each other.
You're the ultimate user. Any fool can see.
The next time you need someone I pray You'll use me.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY

No more bulls. No more goats. No need for sacrifice.
We watch two-dimensional pastors who all look so nice.
No more tumbling walls. No parting of seas.
We can do for ourselves with diplomas and degrees.
We've come a long way.
It's foolish to fast with so much to eat.
No time for prayer when you've got to compete.
Clothes, cars, careers. Such signs of success.
More people would tithe if they took American Express.
We've come a long way.
Plastic practitioners sell perfect physiques.
Trips around the world take hours, not weeks.
High-tech hospitals transplant and replace.
Hotlines and support groups to suit every taste.
We've come a long way.
Curious connections between churches and casinos.
We're under grace, not law. Everybody knows.
Too much violence to rely on a sword.
We buy the best security we can afford.
We've come a long way.
We've come so far. Things are so much better.
It occurs to me at the end of this letter.
We've made so much progress, it's hard to keep track.
With God's Word maybe we'll find our way back

WGOD - F.M.

No electrical cord. No batteries. No visible power supply.
The Faith and Mercy band airs from a tower most high.
They never change the top ten hits. They must be set in stone.
The same DJ around the clock. He can handle it all alone.
I used to seek and scan the dial with fine tuning on automatic.
Now none of the other stations come in. Just a bunch of static.
The announcer says "Brought to you by the power of prayer."
There are no commercials. How do they stay on the air?
No promotions. No contests. No cash giveaways.
Just songs of salvation, love, faith and praise.
No traffic or weather or late-breaking news.
No testimonials about how much weight you can lose.
It's more than the beat. I don't always want to dance.
But I check out G.O.D. whenever I get the chance.
Occasionally there's Aretha or even a little Sam Cooke.
Every song is inspired by a single perfect Book.
Beautiful songs of Zion, performed for God's great glory.
Each one forms another page in the Savior's sacred story.
The joy of salvation turns despair to a smile.
Tune your spirit to WGOD and give thanks that you're His child.

IS YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER?

If you die tomorrow what will they find?
What's in the safe deposit box you're leaving behind?
Will your funeral feature more than one grieving widow?
Will your children meet siblings they don't even know?
Your flesh has expired. There's nothing you can say.
Your earthly secrets are now subject to display.
The unmarked videos you had safely locked away.
Books and magazines from back in the day.
You forgot God could see everything you did.
He even read those cards and letters you hid.
A Deacon. A Trustee. Such a success.
God always knew your house was a mess.
Nothing in the papers but the neighbors all know.
School time for the kids but they don't want to go.
They're whispering around your family now.
Hotel bills in your desk were discovered somehow.
Because you weren't quite ready to die
No one in church looks your wife in the eye.
You had it all together. You were always discreet.
You left your family with bills they can't possibly meet.
The trumpet will sound. There's no time once you hear it.
Pray now for a clean heart and a renewal of spirit.
God's already searched your heart and your mind.
If you die tomorrow what will they find? 

GOD IS STILL GOD

The Soviet Union has met its demise.
Superman has fallen and is now paralyzed.
God is still God.
Colleges with six figure bachelor degrees.
New York City cabs driven by Ph.Ds.
God is still God.
A thirteen year old with a baby she planned.
The thirty year old father calls himself a man.
God is still God.
Not enough jails to hold the real crooks.
Corrupt cops have innocent names on the books.
God is still God.
A murdering Mom pleads temporarily insane.
Another sells her child to purchase cocaine.
God is still God.
School children more heavily armed than police.
Armies of destruction wage war to keep peace.
God is still God.
The roaring lion has no shortage of prey.
One simple truth provides joy for me each day.
God is still God

ASLEEP IN THE GARDEN

Be sober. Be vigilant. Watch and pray.
It's quiet and pleasant in the garden today.
Evil is afoot and suffering is at hand.
Betrayal is nigh, just as it was planned.
This time was promised in centuries past.
We must all prepare to weep, pray and fast.
In an earlier garden, an earthly paradise,
This cup was filled when sin exacted its price.
I've prayed twice already. Blood exits my pores.
Submit and obey. Not my will, but yours.
Golgotha's hill will wed Triumph with Trial.
But not before these loved ones experience denial.
They're asleep in the garden. The serpent is near.
One more prayer Father. Soon they'll be here.
They're fulfilling prophecy even though they don't know.
My disciples will scatter as I deal Satan's death blow.
Each one has promised to take up his cross.
I'll return in three days to soften their loss.
No reprieve. No way out. No last minute pardon.
Father protect them. They're asleep in the garden.

CONVERSATION

They tell me I'm hard to talk to.
The waiter says "What would you like to order?"
I reply, "My steps."
If anybody asks me just who I am,
I tell them, "I am Redeemed."
When the doctor asks if I've been tested,
I can't help but say, "Constantly."
A man inquired, "Where did you get that suit?"
I truthfully told him, "From God."
Someone says, "What do you do for a living?"
I respond, "I pray."
The salesman phoned about life insurance.
I smiled and said, "I'm completely covered."
A stranger asks me for the time,
I automatically say, "It's almost midnight."
If you ever ask me where I'm going,
The answer is "Paradise."
They tell me I'm hard to talk to. So be it.

HELP ME UNDERSTAND

Even the angels are not to be worshipped.
Yet exalted humans abound.
No man can serve two masters,
But politician/pastors are all around.
Help me understand, Lord God.
We love to label each other.
People are losers or winners.
You're no respecter of persons,
Because even the saints are sinners.
Help me understand, Christ Jesus.
Tithes redirected every day
To satisfy some lust.
Sin procured with currency
Which reads, "In God We Trust."
Help me understand, Holy Spirit.
Once-a-week Christians populate pews.
Itching ears enjoy what they've heard.
Making salvation payments on a regular basis
To vendors and benders of Your Word.
Help me understand, Most High.
You're Alpha and Omega, the first and the last
Your Word is everlasting and true.
You're Creator and Master of all that is,
What can I possibly do for You?
Help me understand, my Father.   

CHILDREN OF THE KING

We are all unique, but not totally so.
There's a God we all share that only some of us know.
Fearfully and wonderfully made are we.
With ears for to hear and eyes meant to see.
Marvelous works of the Potter, formed from dust.
Each called to obedience, love, truth and trust.
Born innocent of woman, conceived in Adam's sin.
We are more than conquerors; predestinated to win.
Humble and meek, yet confident and bold.
Gospel-armored warriors wearing crowns of gold.
Edifying the body and harvesting souls.
United together to reach heavenly goals.
Heads held high without a trace of pride
Well-ordered steps with a sure, steady stride.
Souls without darkness, allowing our lights to shine.
Blessed by a foretaste of glory divine.
The precious blood of Jesus washes us clean.
We walk by faith, believing things unseen.
Rejoicing evermore with thanks for every thing.
Sharing the joy of being children of the King.   

GOD IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD

God Is PURE
God Is HOLY
God Is VAST
God Is DEEP
God Is SURE
God Is ABLE
God Is CALM
God Is REST
God Is JUST
God Is FAIR
God Is KIND
God Is KING
God Is GOOD
God Is WISE
God Is COOL
God Is WARM
God Is LIFE
God Is MINE
God Is HELP
God Is REAL
God Is HERE
God Is NEAR
God Is DEAR
God Is LOVE

THIS WORLD


Surrounded by the images of God which test us

 In the midst of so many others which bless us.

 Called to love, but inclined to sin

 Knowing where to start but not how to begin.

 Yearning for knowledge with no desire to learn,

 Dedicated to being cool; destined to burn.

 A blessing from God labeled "unwanted birth".

 Pursuit of treasure that has no worth.

 Well-meaning people with a terminal condition.

 Unseen blindness caused by the son of perdition.

 Seeking cures for cancer instead of medicine for souls

 While unsuspecting players star in dead men's roles.

 A relentless race for wealth, fame and dreams

 Ignoring the shepherds that no one esteems.

 Who will count the sheep after the wolf has attacked?

 How many will moan when the sky has been cracked?

 No time of jubilee to redeem the poor.

 The prince of this world fuels a hunger for more.

 He masquerades as the one who is Faithful and True.

 Wishing to serve his sentence with me and you.

 Satellites send us false prophets "live".

 Golden calves are available with four-wheel drive.

 Even fertile soil requires cultivation.

 Spiritual terrorists try to bring down our nation.

 The courage to witness is ever harder to detect,

 Ministers in fear of being politically incorrect.

 The work in the fields requires overtime today.             Back to Top


YES, YOU CAN

Spend a fortune in feelings on a love that won't last.

Spend a fortune in feelings on a love that won't last.
Worship heroes who hit homers or run real fast.
Treasure fine jewelry or collect rare antiques.
Hang on every word when some movie star speaks.
Yes, you can.
Forsake all to work on an election campaign.
Watch three hours a day in case he pleads insane.
Hide the hole in your arm where all your money goes.
Forget your child's education. It disappeared up your nose.
Yes, you can.
Remember the One who gave his firstborn for you.
The One who tells the wind and sea what to do.
Stand up and confess, kneel down and repent.
Be cleansed by the blood which Calvary spent.
Yes, you can.
Savor the sweetness of Solomon's Song.
Do all things through Christ who makes you strong.
O taste and see that the Lord is good.
Respect the holy ground where Moses once stood.
Yes, you can.
Glean abundant grace and gird yourself with gladness.
Throw off the old creation and reject the world's madness.
Inhabit a city that has no night.
Walk by the Spirit. Walk in the light.
Yes, you can. 

SEVENTEEN HOURS A WEEK

I received twenty-four hours from the Lord yesterday.
One hundred and sixty-eight this week past.
As I submitted the tithe I so cheerfully pay,
God's word convicted me at long last.
One tenth of the blessings that I've received
Never included the things I can't see.
Sunday service and some cash is what I believed
Acknowledged God's grace toward me.
Time fills life's storehouse for everyone.
The firstfruits are what I owe.
When a week's arithmetic is all said and done,
It comes to seventeen hours or so.
The job God gave me gets forty or more.
I contribute fifty to sleep when I can.
I spend twenty-eight on the TV that sits on my floor.
I spill the gift I can't grasp with my hand.
The river of Grace continues to flow
Long after weekly sermons cease.
As the mountain of hours continues to grow,
From now on, I'll carve out a peace.
Through a joy surpassing all understanding.
Beyond any words my tongue can speak.
I hear the voice of my heart demanding
At least seventeen hours a week.

A LOVE YOU CAN COUNT ON

My mother loved me unconditionally.
God's truth has the power to make me free.
I once took money from my mother's purse.
God's forgiven me for doing even worse.
My brother has always been there for me.
God sent me Jesus to be hung on a tree.
I lied to my brother and he said, "It's okay."
God purges my sin by confession every single day.
My friends stick by me through thick and thin.
God can deliver me from a lion's den.
My best friend forgave me for taking his girl.
God protects me from the prince of this world.
My sister is there whenever I call.
God volunteered his son to pay for it all.
My sister sent money when I was unemployed.
God restored the life I almost destroyed.
My wife once professed her undying love.
God reserved a place for me in heaven above.
She hardened her heart and chose to move out.
God's perfect love casts out all fear and doubt.
Life has ups and downs as a matter of course.
When I count my blessings I honor the source.
God gave his only begotten child for me.
That's love you can count on eternally.

WONDERS

An eagle. An ostrich. Two birds. One soars. The other can't fly.
A virgin bears the Son of God.
A blade of grass nudges aside a hunk of concrete.
An aged chunk of coal becomes a diamond.
An olive tree flourishes in parched, rocky soil.
A persecutor of Christians becomes an apostle.
A mindless oyster creates a pearl from a grain of sand.
A nuclear reactor supplies light and heat from 93 million miles away.
A heart beats 70 times a minute for 100 years without repairs.
An eyelid blinks even before danger is recognized.
A man with no IQ plays a piano by ear.
A Venus flytrap hunts without movement, sight, or hearing.
A perfect book is written by 40 authors over a span of 1500 years.
A burned out forest resurrects more fertile than before.
A crawling caterpillar transforms into a flutter-by.
A trickle of water carves out a grand canyon.
A locust with no calendar returns every 17 years.
A chameleon changes its skin color to survive.
A salmon fights upstream to preserve its kind.
A tornado blows through leaving one house untouched.
A cloud holding tons of rain suspends itself over the earth.
A terminal patient leaves the hospital free of disease.
A sinner pens a psalm.

THE CHRISTIAN DICTIONARY

(A Blessed Seller)

It's not in your local library.
It's a rare and unusual book.
The cover says "Christian Dictionary."
I suggest you give it a look.
Goodness and mercy are everywhere.
Anxiety cannot be found.
Humility comes before honor.
Iniquity is nowhere around.
I encountered sin before salvation
The meaning of love was quite odd.
Imagine my consternation.
The definition was simply, "God."
I discovered that failure was also left out.
Faith was written in its place.
There was no fear, worry or doubt
They were erased and replaced with grace.
I couldn't find the words forsake or alone
Nor idolatry, envy and lust.
Forgiveness had a page all its own.
Likewise obedience and trust.
I slept like a baby that night
With all the knowledge I earned.
Moving one step closer to the light
Guided by every new word I learned. 

THANK YOU, FATHER

I have yet to complete a sinless day
I can't quite manage to get it right.
Some word or thought always gets in the way,
Even when my deeds are pure in your sight.
I've far exceeded seven times seventy,
But I continue to press toward the mark.
The prize of your high calling beckons me
To a promised city which never gets dark.
I pray for the wisdom only you can bestow
To separate guilt from repentance.
So I can confess what you already know
And receive forgiveness in each instance.
In the solitude and peace and quiet of night
Sometimes a tear of joy will start.
I pick up my pen and begin to write
As your matchless love fills my heart.
My life is the very definition of grace.
I remember who I used to be.
You set me on a rock up in a high place.
Your truth has made me free.
From the womb you've provided protection
It was for me that the Savior bled.
You've removed all fear and rejection.
It's long past time that I said,
Thank you, Father.            

MY SALVATION'S ON CREDIT

Every breath is a blessing. Every heartbeat a gift.
Satan seeks my soul as wheat to sift.
I'm shielded by armor supplied by you.
My salvation's on credit. No payment due.
When I'm weak and I stumble you show me the way.
The Destroyer wants to tempt me and lead me astray.
I find peace and protection when I read your good news.
My salvation's on credit. No interest accrues.
I give thanks for the new man the Spirit has built.
The Accuser will work to wrack me with guilt.
Your light is too bright for any sin to dim it.
My salvation's on credit. I have no limit.
The Advocate urges me to rely on repentance.
The Adversary claims that I deserve a death sentence.
According to the law, that should be my fate.
My salvation's on credit. No annual rate.
The Comforter clothes me with spiritual power.
The lion roars and hungers for my life to devour.
Through the blood of Jesus my execution has been stayed.
My salvation's on credit. The bill is marked "Paid." 

PAPER MIRROR

Words on a paper mirror reflect my soul.
I battle to yield to the Spirit's control.
My heart has taught my mouth to praise you.
Echoes of truth remind me what to do.
My sword of anger is now a plowshare of peace.
Solitude without loneliness causes pain to cease.
With you as my rock, I will never be waitless.
You pronounce me "Not Guilty". After I confess.
Incurable, but not deadly, is the common cold.
Sin is just the opposite, so I've been told.
With no optometry, my vision is corrected.
Mercy is medicine for a soul that's infected.
I marvel at your Creation every night and day.
You made everything beautiful in its own way.
This jar of clay fashioned by your hands,
Has found a peace that no one understands.
Now I can see why you formed me from dust.
To supply you with love, obedience and trust.
Understanding your love has lifted me higher.
Your word is in my bones like burning fire.
Sometimes in church I quietly sit and smile.
My greatest praise to you is a Christian lifestyle.
You're always with me but I never need space.
I'm washed by the blood and dressed in Grace.         

NO SECRETS

The One who watches over me watches me too.
I have no secrets. God knows all that I do.
When you help someone you really dislike,
God knows.
When you really dislike helping someone,
God knows.
The One who watches over you watches you too.
You have no secrets. God knows all that you do.
When you do the right thing for the wrong reason,
God knows.
When you have no reason for doing the wrong thing,
God knows.
The One who watches over us watches us too.
We have no secrets. God knows all that we do.
This lack of privacy begets loving correction.
There is no sin that escapes detection.
In the fullness of creation, there is nothing God missed.
Omniscience means "no secrets". With God they don't exist.

  GLASS OF WATER

Living water. Theologians and scholars discuss it. Pastors preach about it.
The Trinity. Papers are written about it. Denominations are based on its existence or denial. The concept is explained and taught in hundreds of ways.
Romans 1:20 says that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen. I saw it all in a glass of water.
The solid rock-like cubes. The clear liquid conforming itself to any conceivable shape or nuance. The invisible vapor of evaporation. All one substance. Simultaneously in three forms.
Is not God more than a glass of water? Do his capabilities not exceed those of a cold drink? Is living water somehow less than tap water?
Avoid strife, arguments and pointless debate. If someone refuses to accept the existence of the Holy Spirit, simply smile and offer them a glass of water.
"...clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." 

THINGS OF VALUE

The loan application read: "List Your Assets." So I wrote:
1 - Shield of Faith
1 - Belt of Truth
1 - Sword of Spirit
1 - Breastplate of Righteousness
1 - Helmet of Salvation
1 - Rock
1 - Refuge
1 - Light
1 - Shepherd
1 - Redeemer
1 - Comforter
1 - Mediator
1 - Lord
1 - Faith
1 - Baptism
1 - Savior
I was turned down for the loan, but I did receive a free gift. 

WANTING

Skinny young men sampling steroids.
Plump people pondering waist disposal.
All wanting to be someone else.
Eager executives backstabbing co-workers.
Weary workers phoning travel agents.
All wanting to be somewhere else.
Former star athletes selling fax machines.
Ex-prom queens purchasing Pampers.
All wanting to do something else.
Commuters on buses saving up for cars.
Rush hour drivers dreaming of limousines.
All wanting to have something else.
The world will only tease and not satisfy.
The solution is to give God a try.
Kneel down and pray when things seem daunting.
Those who know Christ are never found wanting.     

BUT.....

My cup runneth over.
But sometimes I thirst.
A table is prepared before me.
But sometimes I hunger.
He leads me beside the still waters.
But sometimes I'm restless.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness.
But sometimes I stray.
His rod and staff comfort me.
But sometimes I feel lost.
He restores my soul.
But sometimes I grow weary.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
But sometimes the grass is brown.
Goodness and mercy shall follow me all my days.
But sometimes I forget.

DEAR GOD

The closer I get to You, the more I find,
I love with my soul, not body or mind.
Understanding this has been hard to see,
Why this love never asks, "What about me?"
This articulate tongue becomes bone dry.
These hands start to shake and I don't know why.
My visage is calm as my heart starts to pound.
My ears become much more sensitive to sound.
There is a purity to all that comes from You.
What man has marred, You replace and make new.
You are a friend who wants to be needed.
Things done in your will have always succeeded.
I thought I'd write while You were on my mind.
I keep reading your love letter all the time.
There's so much more for me to learn and do.
I'm looking forward to hearing from You.  

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Laziness is waiting for someone else to do it.
Patience is waiting for God to do it.
A smart man outwits his enemies.
A wise man prays for his enemies.
Living results from breathing.
Life results from faith.
Feeling pity makes us think we care.
Showing mercy proves we care.
A boy collects girls.
A man treasures women.
A house is a building.
A home is a sanctuary.
A religious person hates sinners.
A righteous person hates sin.
Lifting weights makes you strong.
Lifting up Jesus makes you immortal.
Happiness is an emotion.
Joy is a state of being.
Knowing about God requires study.
Knowing God requires submission. 

HOMEGOING

When You call me home, someone will cry.
That's what happens when people die.
When You call me home, someone will mourn.
Somebody celebrated on the day I was born.
When You call me home, there will be flowers.
They'll hold a service for a couple of hours.
When You call me home, my child will feel pain.
With Your grace and time, he'll be normal again.
When You call me home, the music will cease.
The sound of silence will announce perfect peace.
When You call me home, someone will smile.
Evidence that I lived my life as Your child.
When You call me home, my love will live on.
Continuing on through the new heaven's dawn.
When You call me home, my work will be done.
I'll trade in this body for a much better one.
When You call me home some wise person will say,
I know where he is, and I'll join him someday.  

TWO HEARTS, ONE FLESH

Silver voices and a golden band.
Minds on fast forward, hand in hand.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Promises planted as down payment for peace.
Partners in a prayer that will never cease.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Mutually submitting, one to the other.
Closer than parent, child, or brother.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Withholding nothing except by consent.
Agreeing on how time and money are spent.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Seeking Godly counsel in time of strife.
A Christlike husband willing to lay down his life.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Cheerfully discarding friends and things of the past.
Focused on God's will that love should last.
Two hearts, one flesh.
Much more than romance, flowers and rings.
Marriage is one of God's supernatural things.
Two hearts, one flesh.   

  DRAMA QUEEN

She testifies with tears flooding her eyes,
Oh, how she loves Jesus.
You realize how often one of her relatives dies.
She's in church just to hug and squeeze us.
She seems to speak from her deathbed each week.
Oh yes, but her God is able.
You can't help thinkin' as she parks her Lincoln.
She must be allergic to the offering table.
Her song makes her shout, stomp and pass out.
Oh, what a God-fearing woman!
You fight the doubt and wonder what it's about,
She nods off when the sermon starts comin'.
She returns from retreat with her spirit so sweet,
Oh, so committed to what she's heard.
She gets up from her seat and prays on her feet.
By now you've memorized every word.
In holy hat and heels from '40s movie reels,
Oh, always praying and fasting.
The Spirit reveals what Satan conceals.
A Christian from Central Casting. 

NO DARKNESS IN THE NIGHT

Light preceded the sun and the moon
My Bible tells me so.
The brightness of righteousness in the soul.
Faith has its own subtle glow.
The sightless appreciate true beauty
The Blind keep the lights down low.
Love has shining eyes and a radiant smile.
Bright blessings are His to bestow.
Sin hides its shame in a corner.
Judgment stages a show.
Nothing is hidden from Omniscient God,
No heart that He doesn't know.
Secrets and mysteries revealed by the Spirit.
No fear when daylight must go.
True darkness abides in the imaginations of man.
Light lives in the seeds that we sow.
Embrace the peaceful blackness of midnight
Commune and feel Love's flow.
There is no darkness in the night,
When Light shed abroad starts to grow.

THE TEACHER'S PRAYER

You've taught me more than there is to know.
A terrible burden to bear.
It's overwhelming to carry it all alone.
I can't do it without You there.
You've set me on watch over Your towering Word.
I'm bent by the weight of Your trust.
The greater condemnation awaits those who fall.
Studying for approval is a must.
No intellect enclosed in a jar of clay
Can contain Your wisdom and truth.
I reach out for the hand of my Father
As I did in the days of my youth.
Chapters are read and lessons are written.
Dictated and organized by You.
It is by faith alone that I dare to teach.
My flesh cannot see me through.
I stand with the confidence of Divine authority,
Immune to conflict with tradition.
Held accountable to serve unadulterated food.
Unencumbered by my physical condition.
Completely surrendered to Your will in my life.
Clothed by the honor of Your call.
Humbled by the choice of Almighty God
To use someone so small.  

  GRACE HAS NO COLOR

If FAITH is footless, how does it accompany me each day?
If it has no heart, how does it nurture me?
If it has no brain, how does it guide my decisions?
If it possesses no eyes, how does it provide such vision?
If MERCY has no knowledge, how can it ease all pain?
If it has no arms, how can it cradle and comfort?
If it has no lips, how can it whisper to my soul?
If it has no legs, how can it always pursue me?
If PEACE has no ears, why does it respond when I call?
If it has no skin, why is it so warm to the touch?
If it has no weight, how does it anchor me?
If it has no tongue, how does it sing Salvation’s song?
If GRACE has no color, why is it so beautiful?
If it has no throat, why does it swallow sin?
If it has no shoulders, why does it bear my burdens?
If it has no fingers, why does it caress my spirit?
If GRACE has no color, why is it so beautiful?

ACROSS FROM MIDNIGHT (9/11/01)

We watched a concrete mountain melt.
We saw smoke erase the sky.
Some screamed and cried while others died.
Through it all, the question was "Why?"
I sat across from midnight
In the middle of the day.
People too busy to consider God
Tried to figure out how to pray.
The newscasters had no answers,
Just talking heads on a screen.
A parade of religious leaders appeared
Trying to answer "What does it mean?"
A divine opportunity to witness and teach
Was relegated to rhetoric.
Platitudes and political correctness
Made my spirit begin to feel sick.
I sat across from midnight
And waited for light to shine.
Those in the spiritual forefront
Sent themselves to the back of the line. 

It's time to say...

When things seem so bad that you can't even spell JOY,
When people have beaten you down and you feel so SMALL,
When people have lifted you up and your head gets BIG,
When you read 2 Chapters of Scripture and can't remember ANYTHING,
When you've stood in that wedding gown for 3 hours, and he's not there,
When you're at the hospital watching your baby girl take her last breath,
When the people who party with the boss get promoted and you don't,
When you accidentally call your wife by the name of the new girl at work,
When love is all around, but pain is all you feel,
When you want to use your tithe to hang out with your friends,
When you have to take that late-night subway ride,
When the engine sputters in the middle of nowhere,
When you think God owes you something.
When you're praying in the Garden and everyone else is asleep,
When your mother is watching you get beaten, whipped and crucified,
When you choose to be obedient unto death,
It's time to say...     "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

The LYIN’ King

The father of lies is crowned with darkness,
The pretender who would be king.
Corrupting his own beauty and wisdom.
Seeking souls for his scorpion’s sting.
 
He seeks lost sheep to devour
With a lion’s roar and a serpent’s hiss.
Outfitting his ministers as angels of light,
Convincing fools that he doesn’t exist.
 
The lyin’ king claims a fictitious throne.
The locust army is at his command.
Exalting himself above all called God,
He’s been promised a lake - no land.
 
With melodious tones and a dragon’s lyrics
He appeals to the eyes and ears,
Propositioning with pleasures for a season
But paying eternal torment and tears.
 
The lyin’ king is a supernatural beast
Whose best effort ultimately fails.
He bragged of victory at Calvary’s cross
But to God they were press-on nails.  

NO STAGE IN HEAVEN

There will be no stage in heaven.
No more auditions will be held.
No more scripts will be written.
No makeup, props or costumes.
No director's chair. Just a Throne.
 
There will be no stage in heaven.
No actors. Hypocrites will be banned.
No emcees. Just a heavenly host.
No critics. The reviews are pre-written.
No accountants. The books will be closed.
 
There will be no stage in heaven.
Opening day will never end.
Unlimited seating will be souled out.
The spotlights will be extinguished.
The aisles will be carpeted with pure gold.
 
There will be no stage in heaven.
There will be no stage in heaven.
There will be no stage in heaven. 

JOHN Q.  LEGG - PREACHER

Mama calls you Johnny. God calls you Jack.
Your wife sits in the front pew. Your girlfriend's in the back.
Twelve years ago you answered God's call.
You vowed that day to give your all.
Your light shone bright. You had no shame.
Your worship was true. Now it's only a game.
Your old King James seldom gets a look.
Your new Bible is the latest ratings book.
The love of money has destroyed your fruit.
Rottenness is wrapped in a tailor-made suit.
Your heart began to shrink as your head began to swell.
Not much time for saving souls. Too many books to sell.
Your ministry exploded. You were an overnight sensation.
Your limo cruises the road to greater condemnation.
You're the Microwave Messenger. The Master of the Game.
When God begins at His sanctuary He's sure to call your name.
Mama calls you Johnny. God calls you Jack.  

AUTO

Born a genius, but never really smart.
No light in my eyes. No Jesus in my heart.
A dozen jobs without a career.
God’s plan for me was waiting here.
 
I cherished my hours with music and dance.
The blues in my life revealed God’s chance.
 
An eleven year storm finally cast me ashore.
Contrite and broken, I crawled to the Door.
 
Losing my life and receiving much more.
A portion of locust food labeled “Restored”.
 
Being alone is fine. I’ve counted the cost.
The ache in my heart is for those who are lost.
 
All that God gives I’m willing to share.
So many hardened hearts don’t seem to care.
 
No clock to punch. Labor is 24 - 7.
Just like the Joy imparted from heaven.
 
It took 40 years for my life to begin.
Now this biography has no end.

Share by: