Grace and Truth

…all the words of this life…

Category Archives: Poems


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In the Secret of His Presence

In the secret of His presence

Source: favim.com

Source: favim.com

  How my soul delights to hide!
Oh, how precious are the lessons
  Which I learn at Jesus’ side!
Earthly cares can never vex me,
  Neither trials lay me low;
For when Satan comes to tempt me,
  To the secret place I go

When my soul is faint and thirsty,
  ’Neath the shadow of His wing
There is cool and pleasant shelter,
  And a fresh and crystal spring;
And my Savior rests beside me,
  As we hold communion sweet;
If I tried, I could not utter
  What He says when thus we meet.

Only this I know: I tell Him
  All my doubts and griefs and fears;
Oh, how patiently He listens!
  And my drooping soul He cheers;
Do you think He ne’er reproves me?
  What a false friend He would be,
If He never, never told me
  Of the sins which He must see.

Would you like to know that sweetness
  Of the secret of the Lord?
Go and hide beneath His shadow;
  This shall then be your reward;
And whene’er you leave the silence
  Of that happy meeting-place,
By the Spirit bear the image
  Of the Master in your face.

Ellen Lakshmi Goreh, 1853


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Rousing the Bride

Now arise My precious Darling,sleeping woman

Wake up you sleepy-head.

It’s time to uncurl from these blankets

To get up out of bed.

 

My Bride, it is morning

The day is far spent

Come rise My love-

Away with Me-

For the time that is left.

 

Open your eyes,

And see the sun

Look – there it is arising

If you look

You will see

Just beyond the horizon

 

I want you to see My love

For whom it is

I came to die.

It is something that will wake you,

But you need to decide,

 

Will you open

Or keep closed shut

Those dear, drowsy eyes?

For to see

Is to share the pain

Of an intercessor’s sighs

 

Out there is a road

It is long and it is dusty

The people there are many

And on their way to destruction

 

All along that road are ones

For whom I go searching:

The lost,

The broken,

The abandoned,

The sinner

And the bloody

 

I came so that they have life

And I’m going to them now

My Bride, I want you with Me

Show them

To My Father’s house

 

Come with Me My love

Raise up that heavy head!

To the road I am going

Oh will you leave

This comfy bed?

 

Cold out there?

Yes it is, that’s for certain.

All along that wide road

You will be buffeted,

Perhaps even broken.

 

But child-

Don’t you see?

We’ll be together

Side-by-side,

You’ll be with Me

Where I am,

Together to abide.

 

Come now,

Beloved Bride,

Stick out your toe.

Those covers-

Will you toss them aside?

 

My Dove,

They’re waiting,

Let them see your beauty shine

For lo, I am with you always

Place your hand in Mine.

 

The Bride-groom is rousing His Bride from her comfortable bed of luxury.  Let us respond to His call and pray for an awakening.

May God bless my brothers and sisters in our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen

 


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A Call to Prayer – a Poem

It is the mark of a Christiangirl praying

The test of one’s inner strength

It is work

It is labour

Our wall of defense

 

It is the prevailing muscle

That moves the Almighty’s arm

It is a mighty weapon

To the enemy disarm

 

It is the place of communion

With a holy God above

The means of transforming

Us into His great love

 

It is sharing in His burdens

And being privy to His heart

It is being in Jesus’ presence

Kneeling before the holy Ark

 

Why then-

Is this the way we resist

More often than not?

Perhaps because the way

Of the flesh it is not

 

But now –

Put that flesh man down-

Tell him to submit!

Then fall upon your knees

Where the flesh

Can have no credit.

 

Yes, there is a price to pay

-the flesh-

For a hidden ministry.

You may not be a preacher

Nor a church celebrity,

 

But with Christ you will enter

The highest work of all.

It is the one of Prayer, where

Before God’s throne

You are called


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The Master’s Vessel

The Master was searching for a vessel to use; On the shelf there were many – which one would He choose? broken-vessel

“Take me”, cried the gold one, “I’m shiny and bright, I’m of great value and I do things just right. My beauty and luster will outshine the rest And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!”

The Master passed on with no word at all; He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;

“I’ll serve You, dear Master, I’ll pour out Your drink, and I’ll be at Your table whenever You dine, My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true, And my silver will always compliment You.”

Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass, It was wide mouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.

“Here! Here!” cried the vessel, “I know I will do, Place me on Your table for all men to view.”

“Look at me”, called the goblet of crystal so clear, “My transparency shows my contents so dear, Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride, And I’m sure I’ll be happy in Your house to abide.”

The Master came next to a vessel of wood, Polished and carved, it solidly stood.

“You may use me, dear Master”, the wooden bowl said, “But I’d rather You used me for fruit, not for Bread!”

hisloveThen the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay. Empty and broken it helplessly lay. No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose, To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

“Ah! This is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find, I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.” “I need not the vessel with pride of its self; Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf; Nor the one who is big mouthed and shallow and loud; Nor one who displays his contents so proud; Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right; But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.”

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay. Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day. Spoke to it kindly. “There’s work you must do, Just pour out to others as I pour into you.”

Author Unknown


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The Saviour’s Hands

When I look at the Saviour’s handshands1

What do I see?

I see hands that have

Worked hard

With wood in carpentry.

 

Hands that have known

A nick, a cut or two

As they moulded

And chipped away,

Making something of use

 

Callouses perhaps.

Scars on His fingers,

Maybe.

My Lord was not afraid

To live in reality.

 

Hands tanned brown

From being out of doors.

Town to town

He Walked

Calling sinners to

“Repent!

(For the Kingdom of Heaven

Is at hand)”

 

Hands that were used to

Cushion His precious head.

Sleeping rough at night,

Seeking the lost sheep,

He had no bed.

 

Hands that were raised upcropped-jesus.jpg

In prayer before dawn.

Tears splashed down

On those hands

As the Father’s will

Sought.

 

Hands used to touching

What others would not dare

Lepers, the demon-possessed –

Our true condition

Before Him laid bare.

 

Hands that were warm,helping-hand-1

Always giving

Never idle,

Full of holy life,

And truly living.

 

Hands that pointed to Truth

That held not back.

These hands were unafraid

To be attacked.

 

Hands that took

The nails –

He could have resisted.

Hard, cold, real nails

But He, for the Father’s will,

Persisted.

 

OH Lord, if the Church could only see

How far we are

From being,

Truly being

Your hands and Your feet.

 

How cold and limphands2

And lifeless our hands hang down

Too afraid of men now

To Call them to repent

From town to town.

 

Hands white from fear

Of speaking out the Truth.

Hands cold-

Keeping them safe

And aloof.

 

Hands that feel not

A tear drop in prayer

Hands that are only raised

At concerts

Or in the sporting sphere

 

And scars?

No.

Hands kept neatly manicured

We dare not break a nail.

In the Master’s service,

They tremble and flail.

 

Hands that are neatly folded

Asleep on our comfy beds

Hands that hide and cower

When opposition is met

 

Wake Up Church!

Stand up.

Raise your hands,th

Heavenward!

For if not us His Body –

Then, WHO WOULD?

 

It is time

It is time

To Speak the Truth again.

Don’t let the devil your hands bind.

Stand in His strength

And point to the Saviour

For all men to find.

 

Will you let your hands go brown?

Will you let them be of use?

Will you get a nick or two for Him,

Just like Jesus did for you?


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Of Worth and Esteem

I will praise the Lordjoyful4.jpg

Because He is worthy to be praised.

 

Oh Lord I lift up Your Name

Oh Lord I praise the Name of Jesus

 

Help me to remember

Help me to remember

Help me to remember

 

To lift my eyes UP-

From myself

From my circumstances-

Up to You (from whence my help comes)

 

You are worthy of all praise

My feelings and emotions have no place

Nor is it of any consequence whether

My life is good

Nor whether it is difficult

It is all about YOU

You are worthy

 

Self and its esteem (self-esteem) become irrelevant in the face of Jesus Christ

Christ and our esteem of Him (Christ-esteem) is that which determines the course of our lives.

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

 

 


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Love Looks Like Something

We can talk about Lovehelping-hand-1

all we want,

Philosophize,

Discuss and reason

 

Talk about how it should feel

Until it becomes so high and lofty

that it is almost un-real.

 

But Love, real Love, looks like something

It is practical

Down-to-earth

 

Love looks like:

Taking food to your neighbour

For their needs to be met,

Or welcoming an outcast

into your precious home

(Would you use your best tea-set?)

 

 

Love looks like:

Becoming a friend to someone unlikely

Or calling with encouragement

on the telephone

 

Love looks like:

Going to the streets

And searching out the lost

to find that one missing sheep

Whatever the cost

 

Love looks like:

Cold metal nails

Driven into pure hands,

One crying out

“Father, forgive them!”

While His blood pours

To the ground

 

Love doesn’t always look tidy

Love doesn’t always smell good

Love is not convenient

But Love we should

 

True Love propels to action,

It is faith in its outworking.

True love is not afraid

To get its hands a little dirty.

 

If we could just look past

the quasi-“love” that we’ve been sold

We would find that it is the most real thing

In this earth

It’s effects untold…

 

 


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Let God Arise

“LET GOD ARISE

Let His enemies be scattered”  Psalm 68:1

 

It is time for You to act O Lord,

Your law is being broken,

 

It is not time for a weak faith

that is shaken at every turn.

It is not time for our hands to hang down

And for our shoulders to shrug

“What can we do?”

 

NO

 

It is time to raise our heads

And our hands

It is time to “extol Him who rides on clouds

By His name YAH”

 

It is time for soldiers to rise up

Who will not shrink back

It is time to be as bold as a lion,

To take our courage by both hands.

It is time to advance

 

It is time to be filled with the Spirit

Of Almighty God.

 

It is time to trust Him

And have faith

That will not waver

Even in the face of a fearsome enemy

 

WHO WILL STAND?


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Hold Onto Your Joy

Written by the Holy Spirit, 12 Sept 2013

We have this inheritance

Incorruptible and undefiled

To which God

Has begotten us

Through our faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Though now, for a little while,

You’ve been grieved

Through various trials

Know that your faith is being tested-

Refined through fire.

 

No matter how the enemy comes

To try to kill, steal and destroy-

Make sure of one thing through it all-

That you hold onto your joy

 

When the fire burns hottest,

When the trials come thick and fast,

The joy of the Lord will be your strength

And soon it will be past.

 

But our living hope in Christ remains

For we will receive our faith’s end –

With joy unspeakable-

The salvation of our souls

To this we must contend.

 

Amen and amen.

1 Peter 1:3-9