Presence made clear

It's been over a month again.


It's that white-hot feeling of knowing that God is near,
Distance once gaping has been closed with tears,
But the dilemma is still pressing, though with only stillborn fears
Trying to tempt me to believe that the truth ain't clear.
But He's standing right here.

A best friend dead with sisters pleading in dirt,
O Master if you were here you could have prevented our hurt,
If only you were here, had been, or never left,
We wouldn't have had to put our brother into the rock's cleft.
But the Master wasn't deaf, He knew all that was occurring.
He even planned it to show the Father's glory, alluring.
They were murmuring, see how He loved him.
He loved them all so much they got to see how He loved them.
Bleed how He loved them.
On a tree till it was finished, the greatest deed done for them,

It's that white-hot feeling of knowing that God is near,
Distance once gaping has been closed with tears,
But the dilemma is still pressing, though with only stillborn fears
Trying to tempt me to believe that the truth ain't clear.
But He's standing right here.

Blind man waiting for a whole lifetime,
Never saw a thing, until it was the right time
And then, in a moment his eyes were opened,
When the Lord did a work so eyes would be opened
Dragged to the synagogue testifying of hoping
And how hope met grace after decades of groping
Seeking what he couldn't find, finally found him,
Testifying till it hurt, and then his eyes were opened again.
For Who he sought was standing right there,
And so he worshiped on the spot, the Lord's presence was clear.

It's that white-hot feeling of knowing that God is near,
Distance once gaping has been closed with tears,
But the dilemma is still pressing, though with only stillborn fears
Trying to tempt me to believe that the truth ain't clear.
But He's standing right here.

A Distraught woman with a stain-filled life,
Burdened by past relationships intensifying her inner-strife,
Until she met at man, at the well, a new acquaintance, see,
Another man who rubbed her wrong, pointing our her delinquency,
She fought back a bit with some quick quips,
He shared the greatest grace in silencing her lips
Showed her that the well wouldn't free her,
Showed her that He was the only One Who could see her.

It's that white-hot feeling of knowing that God is near,
Distance once gaping has been closed with tears,
But the dilemma is still pressing, though with only stillborn fears
Trying to tempt me to believe that the truth ain't clear.
But He's standing right here.

Angry --> Grateful

Lies increase the anger, and anger solidifies the lies.
Who ever thought that illusions could blind?
Anger says you were wronged,
But you've been so wrong.
You've believed you deserved differently.
What planet are you on?
What did you receive that wasn't given to you?
What didn't you receive that was surely your due?
What sacrifice was made to put the payment through?
And you think you deserve and so have a right to be angry?
You think you were wronged and are owed an apology?
Just remember that you were once an enemy,
And were only justified because God acts sovereignly,
Had you remained blind, you would have remained dead.
Because he opened your eyes, you could rightly dread.
Waked to truth, you repented instead,
Understanding your predicament, deserving Hell,
Understanding thankfulness is the only attitude that suits a man well.

faith in bleak times

No, it's another no, another silent walk home.
Another day, another day closed, in the same clothes
Another "we regret to inform you" over the phone,
So how am I to act, and react to this bad news?
It's been so long since I've felt glad, what am I to do?
A simple answer, a formula is just too trite,
I need a revelation of Jesus, filling this darkest night.
I need to see the cross He bore for me and what I was.
That nothing can separate us from the love of God's own Son.

And so in the darkness, in the sorrow, in the mourning song.
I'll trust in God and His power to finish what He's begun.
Only He can change this road and lead us to life and peace.
Only He heal our wounds as our King and God's High Priest.
So bless the Son Who knows our struggles and bore all our grief,
Give Him glory by trusting fully, enduring all with firm belief.

His ways are wisest and full of health, directing away from death.
From God the Father, to us, His children, has come all good, even life and breath.
Never pleased in the wicked's dying; He disciplines to bless,
Let none charge God with question as if God's intentions needed test.

Drawn in by the fine clothes, and the nice names,
Sweet sounding voices and the filled-frames.
Such is so smooth, and seems pleasing to the eyes,
Pulled in by the promise that if I had this I'd be satisfied.
But I don't feel satisfied and I'm told the same,
That if I follow that path, in the end I'll be slain.
I don't want to die, but I surely want life,
Find me that water, that will fill this well tonight.
From my heart the well-spring, what's contained
Is as only as good as the measure of fresh rain.
Or the water that comes from below that flows from beneath,
That saturates my soul and fills and my sieve.
Persevere and don't give in,
Remain in the boat when floating in waters of temptation.
Lies will call out, but don't heed the siren's voice.
Trust in the Lord, He's the only trustworthy choice.
Remain steadfast, and fast from doing evil,
Keep close the promise that He will,
Redeem you, when you will face death,
That the judgment you deserved, was born on His breast.
That He, the Righteous God, withstood God's full wrath for you and no less,
That He opened up Himself for you to enjoy and be blessed.
To know God, and live, to obtain His favor, full,
Wisdom to live and die by, to live again forevermore.

just practicing

Filling up on deeds iniquitous, not innocence, now we're in a bind, the kind you can witness,
Survival of the fittest, and twisted, no mercy for the devilish, no rest for the wicked,
Keep those deeds coming, keep running for cover, this is the day made for you to discover,
That the world was and will never be easy, cliches that are cheesy just made you believe me,
Before you couldn't even see me, because you were blind, see, I freed you from the darkness,
Mark this, that no one enters without a name on the list, not even the star-dressed,
For sure not the lawless, only the flawless, formerly the former, but no longer a goner,
Made into a treasure to treasure the true treasure, measure by measure to praise for gracious pleasure,
And then there's the hook, that you were hooked, a crook on death row,
And yet for your sorry soul he took the full blow.
Opened up His full treasury and sent His greatest prize, Whom you despised,
The only Son begotten, the apple of His Father's eyes,
Sent to show perfection, and then put death to death, by being put to death,
For His Father's honor and respect.
Not to gain from you, who were created by his very breath,
You have nothing good to offer Him that wasn't already secured in His death.
You couldn't do good if not attached to Him, just a limb, without a vine, bears no fruit,
Those kind are cast into the fire having no good root.


................................

1 month

It's been almost a month since my last post.

I'm now learning guitar.

Vengeance is mine. I will repay.

First man is innocent, second man guilty,
The first man is clean and the second man, filthy,
Mercy is given by the original, the sequel isn't equal,
He's fit for the prison cell, distilled evil.
But the second man is free, while the first serves sentence,
Living like hell, while the first contemplates vengeance,
But freedom doesn't come without pain,
Freedom doesn't come without the loss of great gain,
So the mind is strained as the first determines his game
To right all the wrongs that to him first came,
For he threw away faith during the thirteen ages,
Lived by the craving to give another man his wages.
Then the days arrived where it seemed as though his dreams would thrive,
And he reveled in the moments of his plan contrived.
It worked with precision, his complex vision,
To decimate the fool's gold, and fulfill his life's mission,
But in whose hands should be such a decision:
To make a man meet death in an eternal collision?
See, God would give him justice if he would listen with a heart's circumcision,
But the first took matters to himself,
And in the end, it seems he gained, but there was much wasted wealth.
And much wasted health, taking men's lives without fear,

You should never forget, son, that God is always near.
And even if you think you walk right,
Know this, even angels are not fit for His sight,
So if you claim to be walking in the light,
Be sure you do, and leave it to God to send back the night.