In our flesh, we were wicked and perverse. In Christ, we are holy and perfected as He is.
In sin, we ran from the bad news. In Christ, we run with the Good News.
In sin, we were lost. In Christ, we are found.
In sin, we sank in the miry clay. In Christ, we have been raised to sit in the heavenly places.
In the flesh, we were lame and paralyzed. In Christ, we dance in praise and march in triumph.
In our flesh, we were deaf. In Christ, we hear the voice of the good Shepherd and obey.
In our flesh, we were mute. In Christ, we praise the Lord with every breath for His majesty.
In our flesh, we were blind. In Christ, we see God’s glory in the face of Jesus.
In sin, we were broken and divided. In Christ, we are one and whole.
In our flesh, there was no good thing. In Christ we are made new made new and made a heritage.
In sin, we fall short of God’s glory. In Christ, we are the righteousness of God.
In sin, we were tormented beggars and debtors. In Christ, we are forgiven and redeemed with treasure.
In our flesh, we were in bondage and slavery. In Christ, we are liberated and adopted as children of God.
In the world, we were outside the gate. In Christ, we are welcomed into the Father’s house.
In sin, we were forgotten. In Christ, we are remembered before the throne of grace.
In haste, we had sold our birthright. In Christ, we have every blessing in heavenly places.
In sin, we were defiled and dirty. In Christ, we are cleansed by his blood and sanctified by His Spirit.
In sin we were abandoned and forsaken. In Christ, we have been loved with an everlasting love.
In our sin, we were ignorant. In Christ, we know the truth, are freed, and worship in the Spirit & Truth.
In the world, we were distressed and dispirited. In Christ, we have peace in the Holy Spirit.
In sin, we were open to satan’s attack. In Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
In the flesh, we were bare and unprotected. In Christ, we have been clothed with garments of salvation.
In violations, we were dead. In Christ, we are made alive.
In the world, we were without hope and without God. In Christ, God has given us an enduring hope
Poem
In Sin vs. In Christ
Fear Not
Fear not, o child, be not afraid.
Though parents one another chided,
Though brother falls upon your flesh in rages,
Though rest bares his drunken chest,
Fear not, o child, be not afraid.
Though cousin tongues and tribes are divided,
Though your heirs shall stuck in foreign cages,
Though father gives you up as his very best,
Fear not, o child, be not afraid–
You shall yet see the light of day.
Fear not, bold lamb, be not afraid.
When you go out to roam in fields,
When you drift from the gathered fold,
When the hirelings take their pay and run,
Fear not, bold lamb, be not afraid.
When you are taken for your woolen yields,
When you face the wolf or bear and go in shock,
When at last the Lion roars, the Shepherd’s won.
Fear not, bold lamb, be not afraid–
God will yet guide your wayward way.
Fear not, sent one, be not afraid.
While your learn to bed and ask and pray,
While you are sent to distant, hostile towns,
While you cast out demons and heal the sick,
Fear not, sent one, be not afraid.
While you hear what governors and kings might say,
While you walk among crucifying crowds,
While you face a grave stone, however thick,
Fear not, sent one, be not afraid–
I’ll return, just as you heard Me say.
Peace is Broken: for Emily D.
The one my King loves is shattered in a thousand pieces.
Lying on the ground,
unable to stand against the waves.
Sea glass washed upon the shores of heart & mind,
crushed strength & shattered soul.
I look beyond the shores of time
beyond the farthest stars
upon a Light I can’t yet see,
beyond the universe’s mars.
The stains shall fade.
The Light shall brightly shine.
And on that day the King of glory whole,
I’ll be wholly Thine.
For now I face the pain of
burdened back, aching feet, pained heart, humbled soul, & loneliness in crowds
I look this way and that,
Yet my blankets are but nightly shrouds
to shield me from the chill of winter
and the pain of frigid death.
Alone, I cower back, while marching forward
Hurting all around and deep within.
The songs of saints a comfort,
Their sayings distant memories.
A release from captivity shall come,
Though now I see it far,
Though now my heart is harmed.
One day my hope shall be won!
Now mere promise then.
Even less, the hint
of any sort of sin.
“Hail King!” I shall be with Him.
Prayer of Abandonment
Loving Father,
I offer you my pain
and trust you for healing.
I offer you my tears
and trust you for comfort.
I offer you my darkness
and trust you for light.
I offer you my loneliness
and trust you for companionship.
I offer you my despair
and trust you for eternal hope.
I offer you my death
and trust you for new life.
I offer you all that I have in this world
and trust you for a new heaven and new earth.
I offer you nothing
and trust you for all.
Mental Illness & the Message of God
Dedicated to all my friends & family with “mental health challenges,” myself included.
The beginning was once a mere mystery,
Now it is revealed history.
Wanting the very best, I find my self broken.
Being broken, I offer something more precious than treasure from within.
I pour out grace & wisdom that can’t be measured.
My stigma a sign:
Though curses cross my path, I fear no wrath.
Though you call me crazy, we have Christ’s mind.
With that, let the Word of God be spoken:
“Reorient your life, since the kingdom of God is at work.”
I’m honored to be loosely associated with Jesus, the Son of Man,
humbled to have my prayers answered eventually
in the name of the Son of God.
with a simple heart and much learning in store,
I’m a fool for Christ, though a fool no more.
Ridiculed for following the law that leads to the deep well of freedom.
Crazy enough to believe the truth is personal, universal, and tangible.
Mocked for telling others that life is eternal,
and also light and love in the Father’s family.
Though my faith was a flickering wick,
now the light of Christ is well lit.
Glad to be called a moron for the Messiah.
Happy to be treated as the local village idiot.
Rejoicing to be regarded as demonized
as they regarded the Christ, (John 8:48)
Blessed with the Holy Spirit.
Angry at sin, yet seeking not to.
Care free in the world, yet caring for you.
Liberated by the friend of sinners, I regard weak souls as winners.
The strong shall be shattered the voices mere clatter,
but all that will matter is that the Lord shall appear,
Yes, the One who came as our ultimate Peer,
Yes, the Lord, He is near.
So let love be your bond, and life be your banner.
Let the music go on as the fizzles grow flatter.
May our meds do no harm;
May the angels be our morning alarm.
Yet peculiar people need not fear,
for yes, the Lord, He is near.
Loss & Love
Why am I so afraid?
A loss of love is a terrifying thing.
Losing the ability to love is worse.
The pain of the process of loss is terrifying.
Where do old folks go when they leave the old folk’s home?
Do they go on to glory?
Or do they merely live on in stories?
Where does love go when I am left alone?
Does my Love cause my heart to groan?
Or does my heart merely turn into stone?
What happens to me when I die to self?
Do I fear less and love more?
Or am I near less and shove more?
Who am I and who are you?
How will I know your answer’s true?
Let us come apart and chat a while …
Before the nation comes apart and we march in single file into a dark inferno.
The Process of Salvation
Jesus is Jesus, for the Lord is our Salvation.
Jesus is predicted throughout the Scriptures, for He our Predestination.
Jesus was conceived in the virgin Mary, for He is our New Creation.
Jesus was greeted by John in the womb, for He is the Father’s Salutation.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, for He would bring Regeneration.
Jesus and Mary were cared for by Joseph because He is our Adoption by our Father in Heaven.
Jesus was circumcised and later dedicated in the temple, for He is our Sanctification.
Jesus was worshipped by the Magi, for He is the Focus of our Adoration.
Jesus was immersed in water, so we would know Him as our Initiation.
Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil, He brought our Liberation.
Jesus called people to turn from sin, for He is our Correction.
Jesus announced the Kingdom of God, for He is the Lord of all hosts and our Invitation.
Jesus invites us to humble ourselves under His yoke so He can grant us honor, for He is our Instruction.
Jesus showed people the pattern of service before success, for He is our Vocation.
Jesus sent out the disciples on mission trips as He brought Redemption.
When Jesus led groups of His disciples up the mountain, we became His Congregation.
When Jesus raised the dead in Israel, He proved to be our Resurrection.
As Jesus had his last Passover, He offered Himself as our Libation.
When Jesus laid down His Life on the cross, He became our Sure Foundation.
When the sun was darkened, the earth shook & the veil was torn, Jesus proved to be God’s Revelation.
Jesus’s body was laid in the tomb over the Sabbath, for He is our Restoration.
Jesus rose from the grave, for He is our Justification.
Jesus appeared to the missionaries, so He became our Proclamation.
Jesus ascended on high to sit at the right hand of the Father, He for is our Intercession.
When Jesus baptized the Church with the Spirit so we could preach with power from on High, thus He is our Vindication.
When Jesus joined foreigners to the family of Abraham, both Jew & Gentile,
we became a new and true and holy nation.
He will come again to judge the living at the dead, for the Lord is the Source of our ultimate Glorification.
Coming to the End of Myself, Again.
It’s too much, too, too much.
I long to fly to the desert and escape,
to hide in a cave, far, far away.
I dream of healing a heart that is broken, my own.
of hearing a Voice that touches my deepest wounds.
Broken legs, walk again.
Broken hands, serve again.
Broken mind, think again.
Broken heart, love again.
Chained tongue, speak, be free!
Chained ears, hear, listen!
Shackled mind, explore, discover!
Shackled heart, expand, express!
Closed eyes, see, gaze into glory!
Closed mind, ask, seek!
Closed fist, knock, open wide!
Closed door, open, let the King of Glory enter in!!
Do you see that crown of life?
It shall rest upon your head.
Do you see the Lamb upon the throne?
He is all and enough for you, risen from the dead!
Do you see the book of citizens who live?
The Lord will redeem you just as He said!!
If God is able to save the worst,
then He can save me.
If Jesus can love the least,
then He wlll also love you.
If the Lord can heal to the last,
then He defines eternity!
If the Father is calling,
then He will also listen to you.
Come & rest awhile in His arms.
Trusting in One not Myself
I want to trust that I am honest, but I too often break my word.
I want to trust , but when all is broken, I begin to hurt.
I want to trust, but when I hurt, I fear.
I want to trust, but when I fear, I feel alone.
I want to trust, but when I am alone, I lust for companionship.
I want to trust, but when I yearn for intimacy, I start to groan.
I want to trust, but when I groan, I start to whine.
I want to trust, but I come to the end of myself, I look beyond the dirt.
That’s where I stop, I trust in the One who left the earth:
I must simply admit that I am only Mert.
The Work & Ways of Jesus.
Jesus gently, faithfully, sov’reignly helps:
drawing us unto Himself.
Jesus gladly, lovingly, graciously saves,
lifting us out of the waves.
Jesus freely, powerfully, joyfully heals
as long as His name is revealed.
Jesus rose again yesterday and always lives:
this is the life that He gives.
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