Religious Poems #2

1 Corinthians 1:1-3; 3:1-7,21-23; 2 Cor. 4:5-7

Dear church of God at Corinth.
I send this letter to you Christians cleaned up by Jesus
and set apart for a God-filled life.
I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus.
He's their Master as well as ours!

I find myself speaking to you as to carnal and non-spiritual.
For there are envy, strife, and divisions among you.
Who do you think Paul is, anyway?
Or Apollos, for that matter?

Servants, both of us—servants
who waited on you as you gradually learned
to entrust your lives to our mutual Master - Jesus.
We each carried out our servant assignment.
I planted the seed of the gospel of the kingdom,
Apollos watered the plants (which you are),
but God Himself made you grow.

It's not the one who plants or the one who waters
who is at the center of this process but
God Himself, who makes things grow.
There is only one foundation, the one already laid:
Jesus Christ who is the Rock Foundation.

You realize, don't you, that you—
you yourselves—are the temple of God,
and that the Holy Spirit of God Himself is present in you?
I don't want to hear any of you bragging
about yourself or anyone else.

Everything is already yours as a gift—
Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world,
life, death, the present, the future—
all of it is yours, and you are privileged
to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.

Remember, our Gospel is not about ourselves;
we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
It started when God Himself said,
"Light up the darkness!"
and our lives filled up with light
as we saw and understood God
in the face of Jesus Christ,
the glory of God, shining
all bright and beautiful.


HE FIRST LOVED US!

John 8:1-12
Jesus returned to First Temple.
Some preachers and elders led in a lady.
"Rabbi, this lady was caught in the act."
"Our Bible says that she should be stoned to death."
"What do You say about it?"
[They were trying to frame Him.]

Jesus looked down and wrote in the sand.
When they kept pestering Him, He looked up.
"Okay. Let the man without sin
throw the first stone."
He looked down again and continued writing.

They got the point, and first the elders
and then the rest sneaked away.
"Where did they all go, ma'am?"
"Didn't anybody condemn you?"
"Not a soul, Sir," she said.

"Well, I surely don't condemn you."
"Run along now, and don't do it again."
Jesus said: "I am the light of the world.
He who lets Me lead him will never stumble,
but will have life's light."


Philippians 4:6-7 (Petersen's Version)
Don't fret or worry.
Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises
shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns.

Before you know it, a sense of
God's wholeness, of everything
coming together for good,
will come and settle you down.
It's wonderful what happens
when Christ displaces worry
at the center of your life."
(compare Romans 8:28.)


Rev. 1:17-19
His right hand pulled me upright,
His voice reassured me:
Don't fear: I am First, I am Last, I am Alive.
I died, but I came to life,
and My life is now forever.

See these keys in my hand?
They open and lock Death's doors,
they open and lock Hell's gates.
Now write down everything you see:
both things that are now,
and things about to be.


Elijah the Prophet
"I've been working my heart out
for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
The people of Israel have abandoned
Your covenant, destroyed the places of worship,
and murdered Your prophets.
I'm the only one left,
and now they're trying to kill me."

"Elijah! Go, stand on the mountain at attention.
and God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains
and shattered the rocks before God,
but God wasn't to be found in the wind;
then after the wind an earthquake shook the mountains,
but God wasn't in the earthquake;
and then after the earthquake - roaring fire,
but God wasn't in the fire;
and after the fire a still-small quiet whisper.

When Elijah heard the quiet voice,
he muffled his face with his great cloak,
went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there.

"So Elijah, now tell Me, what are you doing here?"
Elijah said it all over again.
"I've been working my heart out for God,
the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
because the people of Israel
have abandoned Your covenant,
destroyed Your places of worship,
and murdered Your prophets.
I'm the only one left,
and now they're trying to kill me."

Can we see ourselves in Elijah?
Didn't you just win a great victory, Elijah?
God sent FIRE down to burn up the sarifice.
The priests of Baal were defeated!
But we too need God's encouragement.
We too are weak and doubtful.
Thank You Lord! Don't give up on us!


Look to the Rainbow
God spoke to Noah:
"Leave the ark, you and your wife
and your sons and your sons' wives."

Then the LORD said in His heart:
"For as long as the Earth lasts,
planting and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night
will never stop." (Genesis 8:22)

"I God am setting up My covenant with you.
Never again will everything living
be destroyed by floodwaters;
no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth."

"I'm putting My rainbow in the clouds,
a sign of the Covenant
between Me and the Earth.
When the rainbow appears in the cloud,
I'll see it and remember the eternal Covenant
between Me - God - and everything living,
every last living creature on the Earth."


God's Open Door Policy - John 6:37
Jesus said: "I'll take all My Father gives Me,
and will by no means cast aside anyone
who comes running to Me!
He doesn't want any to slip through My fingers,
but that I should give them life
and make them new in the final hour.

The Father leaves the door open and the lights on,
waiting for the prodigal to come home.
"For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17


What is going on in our world?
Note Paul in Acts 17:26-28.
Starting from scratch, God
made the entire human race
and made the earth hospitable,
with plenty of time and space for living -
so we could seek after God,
and not just grope around in the dark
but to actually find Him.

He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us.
God is not unreachable, not far from us.
We live and move and exist in Him!
We're the God-created.


God has the future in His Hands!
Note the angel's message in Daniel 10:9-12.
"'Daniel,' the angel said, 'man of quality,
listen carefully to my message.
And get up on your feet. Stand at attention.
I've been sent to bring you news.

From the moment you decided to
humble yourself to receive understanding,
your prayer was heard,
and I set out to come to you.'"

God is present with us! Eph. 6:10-20
God is strong, and He wants you strong.
So take everything the Master has set out for you,
well-made weapons of the best materials.
And put them to use so you will be able to stand up
to everything the Devil throws your way.

This is no afternoon athletic contest that
we'll walk away from and forget about
in a couple of hours.
This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish
against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You're up against far more
than you can handle on your own.
Take all the help you can get,
every weapon God has issued,
so that when it's all over but the shouting
you'll still be on your feet.

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation
are more than words.
Learn how to apply them.
You'll need them throughout your life.
God's Word is an indispensable weapon.


The blessedness of trust in God. Psalm 73:23-26
I'm still in Your presence, O God,
but You've taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then You bless me.

You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!
But I'm here in the very presence of God—
and oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made the Lord God my home.
God, I'm telling the world what You do!


Matthew 24 — Jesus said.
Watch out for doomsday deceivers.
When reports come in of wars and rumored wars,
keep your head and don't panic.
This is routine history;
this is no sign of the end.

Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler.
Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places.
And then, going from bad to worse,
it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat,
everyone hating each other.

For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil
will do them in—nothing left of their love
but a mound of ashes.
Staying with it—faithful unto death—
that's what God requires.
Stay with it to the end!

You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved.
All during this time, the good news—
the Gospel of the Kingdom—will be preached—
a witness to Jesus staked out in every country.

And then the end will come when HE Returns.
Keep a tight grip on what you have so that
no one distracts you and steals your crown.
Jesus says: "I'm on my way; I'll be there soon."

God is greater than our heart
"For if our heart condemn us,
God is greater than our heart
and knows all things." (1 John 3:20.)
There are many things in life
that work against the believer
to destroy hope and assurance.

Satan is surely behind all these things.
But keep on believing and hoping.
We are saved by hope. (Rom. 8:24.)
Abraham against hope believed in hope. (Rom. 4:17-18.)
Remember, if your heart condemns you
due to human failings,
God is greater than your heart.

But if we face up to it,
admit to God that we've messed up,
then He sticks by us and His rules,
He wipes our slate clean and
refines us all pure and clean again. (1 John 1:9)


Matthew 21:42-44; Phil. 2:9-11
You can read it in your Bibles:
The Stone the masons threw out
is now the Cornerstone.
This is God's work;
we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!

Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered;
whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed."
So that all created beings in heaven and on earth
—even those long ago dead and buried—
will bow in worship before this Jesus the Christ,
and call out in praise that He Is
the Lord & Master of all,
to the glorious honor of God the Father.


Revelation 1:12-16
I saw a gold menorah candlestick
with seven branches,
And in the center, the Son of Man,
in the robe of a High Priest
and the gold breastplate of a King.

His hair was a blizzard of white,
symbolic of heavenly glory.
His Eyes pouring fire-blaze,
penetrating like torches,
both feet glistening like
polished furnace-fired bronze,
showing His power and authority.

His voice a cataract, deep and resonant,
that sounded like a huge choir of voices.
His right hand holding the Seven Stars,
which are the Angels of the seven churches;
His mouth a sharp-biting sword, the Word of God,
His face the brightness of the noonday sun.

Once - the Babe born in Bethlehem.
Once - the Christ nailed to the Cross.
Now - KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!!!
Coming Again!!! At the Right Time—absolutely—
for the Redeemed of all ages!!! (Hebrews 11:39-40)



A Curse that carries a Blessing Genesis 3:17-19
God told the Man:
"Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree
That I commanded you not to eat from,
'Don't eat from this tree,' I said.
The very ground is cursed because of you;
getting food from the ground
Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife;
you'll be working in pain all your life long.

The ground will sprout thorns and weeds,
you'll get your food the hard way,
Planting and tilling and harvesting,
sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk,
Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried;
you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."

Genesis 3:23-24 (MsgB)
So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden
and sent them to work the ground,
the same dirt out of which they'd been made.
He threw them out of the garden
and stationed angel-cherubim
and a revolving sword of fire east of it,
guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.


John 7:37-39; 12:16
Jesus took His stand and He cried out:
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
Rivers of living water will brim and spill
out of the depths of anyone who believes in Me,
just as the Scripture says" (Isaiah 44:3; 55:1).
(He said this in regard to The Spirit,
whom those who believed in Him
were about to receive.

The Spirit had not yet been given
because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
But like the brazen serpent Jesus
was lifted up from the earth on the cross.
And He came out of the tomb - ALIVE!
He has been GLORIFIED!
And Pentecost happened!
And Another Helper to be with us forever!


Isaiah 55:1-13
"Ho! Hey there! All who are thirsty,
come to the water!
Are you penniless? Come anyway!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
Buy without money—everything's free!

Why do you spend your money on junk food?
Listen to Me, listen well: Eat only the best,
fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
listen carefully to My life-giving,
life-nourishing words.

I'm making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
the same that I made with David:
sure, solid, enduring love.

I set him up as a witness to the nations,
made him a prince and leader of the nations,
And now I'm doing it to you:
You'll summon nations you've never heard of,
and nations who've never heard of you
will come running to you
Because of Me, your God,
because The Holy One of Israel has honored you."

Seek God while He's here to be found,
pray to Him while He's close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

He doesn't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way He works.
For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way GOD works surpasses the way you work,
and the way GOD thinks is beyond the way you think.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So the words that come out of My - God's - mouth
will not come back to Me empty-handed.

I - God - SPOKE WORDS.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

So you'll go out in joy, and with peace,
you'll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
exuberant with applause.

No more thistles, but giant fir trees,
no more thornbushes, but stately myrtle trees—
Monuments to Me, to God,
living and lasting evidence of God.

Isaiah 55:6-9
Search for God while He's around.
Evil people: Quit your dark stuff!
Cancel your evil schemes!
Turn round and face God.

He won't treat you as you deserve.
He'll throw out every charge against you.
Because God makes you clean as glass.
Rain and snow don't drain and melt
without watering theground.
Neither does a word leave My lips
without it having the impact I want.
Nature will sing along with your song.


God's Providence
When I look back at my life,
I am amazed at the times God has helped me!
By a book sent to me by someone.
By an article read at the right time.
By a note from someone.
By a phone call from a long lost friend.
By a visit from a total stranger.

God is still - today - working in His world.
But as Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene
in the garden that resurrection morning,
we cannot always recognize Him
in the form in which He appears.
But He IS there! in each one of life's details!
And the more faith grows, the more
I am able to see HIM in my life!



David’s Song of Victory
Psalm 18 (2 Samuel 22:1-51)
In my trouble I called to the LORD;
I called to my God for help.
In His temple He heard my voice;
He listened to my cry for help.
Then the earth trembled and shook;
the foundations of the mountains
rocked and quivered
because God was angry.
Smoke poured out of His nostrils,
a consuming flame and burning coals
came from His mouth.

He tore the sky open and came down
with a dark cloud under His feet.
Thick clouds, full of water surrounded Him.
Hailstones and flashes of fire
came from the lightning before Him
and broke through the dark clouds.

The LORD lives! Praise my Defender!
Proclaim the greatness of the GOD
who saves me and gives me victory!
I praise Him among the nations;
I will sing praises to my LORD!