Monday Memories: From Death to Life

From Isaiah 64:6: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

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Coming into this harsh world

Born spiritually dead

Ruled by darkest deceptions

Sinful nature fills life’s thread

 

Do we deserve God’s goodness?

Facing our Holy Lord’s wrath

Separated by our sins

Satan lights a wayward path

 

Our lives resemble darkness

Righteous acts, thin and meager

Offering nothing of value

Father’s true love, remains eager

 

Calling upon the Lord’s name

Deliver us from our sins

God, the Potter, molding us

Transforming the clay, He wins

 

Once living under the flesh

Filled with darkest death and sin

By Holy Grace, saved through faith

Walking with Christ, life’s linchpin

 

Placing virgin faith in Christ

In spirit, alive through Him

Body and blood, Cross vanquished

Sins pardoned, new life in Him

 

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From Ephesians 2:4-6:  “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Originally published November, 2020.

Freedom’s Eternal Road

From Isaiah 42:6-7:  “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

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Blindness to Gospel’s light

Following enemy’s false word

Nonbelievers walk in darkness

Tomorrow remains blurred

 

Alone in wilderness

Searching for trusted pathway home

God sends His righteous light to guide

Where Spirit always roams

 

Sheep never forgotten

Coming to Shepherd’s open gate

Mercy’s always forgiving light

Witness tomorrow’s fate

 

Vision no longer blind

Finding light’s genuine code

Faithful covenant sealed with love

Freedom’s eternal road

 

Savior’s voice heard from high

Shining through darkness, Heaven’s light

God’s glory seen in face of Christ

Salvation dressed in white

 

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From 2 Corinthians 4:6:  “For it is the God who said, ‘Light will shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Savior’s Light (Elfchen Series #255)

Trusted

Hearing

False promises

Enemy in darkness

Truth no longer hidden

Jesus

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Committed

Embracing

Faithful whisper

Leaving transgression’s darkness

Showered with daily grace

Jesus

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Engaged

Witnessing

Mercy’s forgiveness

Redemption’s Holy covenant

Hope transforms all darkness

Jesus

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This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

Mercy’s Steady Hand (Elfchen Series #250)

United

Standing

With Jesus

Encouraged to forgive

Making peace with past

Together

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Revitalized

Nourishing

Faith’s strengths

Capacity to forgive

Maturing in spiritual waters

Growth

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Trusted

Receiving

Father’s counsel

Acts of forgiveness

Filling with His light

Grace

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Lewis B. Smedes Quote

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Forgiving does not erase the bitter past.  A healed memory is not a deleted memory.  Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember.  We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.

From Ephesians 4:32:  “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

Lewis B. Smedes (1921-2002) was an American author and Christian theologian.  

Cleansed Heart

From Psalm 119:1-2:  “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LordHappy are those who keep His decrees, who seek Him with their whole heart.”

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Faith’s steady journey

Walking in God’s way

Keeping His decrees

Spirit sings each day

 

Glories of God’s law

Marking path ahead

Embracing His Word

Faithful, daily bread

 

Righteousness leading

Grasping trusted rope

Fixing eyes on God

Faith seals promised hope

 

God remains steadfast

Sharing divine love

Treasuring His flock

Grace flows from above

 

Commandments followed

Running to God’s light

Forgiving man’s sin

Cleansed heart taking flight

 

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From Psalm 119:14-16:  “I delight in the way of Your decrees as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways.  I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”

Faith’s Clean Heart

From Psalm 51:1-2:  “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

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Heart feeling empty of faith

Crushing embers of hope

Wilderness of transgressions

Walking next slippery slope

 

Born into journey of sin

Following darkest road

Thorns of guilt penetrate soul

Stumbling under burden’s load

 

Year after year, without joy

Lowering head in shame

Chained to enemy’s false words

Searching emptiness in flames

 

Light shines upon Calvary

Breathing with Savior’s grace

Forgiven steps fill with hope

Ending sin’s unfruitful race

 

Deliverance filled with truth

Witnessing faith’s clean heart

Every sunrise guarantees

Elevating life’s fresh start

 

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From Psalm 51:10-12:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your holy spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

Charles Stanley Quote

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Unseen by human eyes, a great exchange took place as Jesus hung on the cross.  He took all our sin upon Him and bore the wrath of every single one . . . past, present, and future.

From Romans 8:38-39:  “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Charles Stanley (1932-2023) was an American pastor and Christian writer.  He was dedicated to leading a teaching ministry.

Passion for Deliverance

From Psalm 32:6-7:  “Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to You; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.  You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with glad cries of deliverance.”

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Journey’s faith seeking tomorrow

With every step, walking upright

God’s promises shall be fulfilled

Wilderness left, following light

 

Prayer’s faithfulness fills each day

Steadfast grace flowing from above

God’s mercy liberates each heart

Mission finished through Savior’s love

 

Darkness exits, righteousness leads

Passion for deliverance formed

Peace found in Savior’s forgiveness

Every breath of transgression transformed

 

God’s renewal of creation

Invitation to sinners each

Reconciled through Savior’s body

His blood flows, repairing faith’s breach

 

Mankind divided no longer

Each barrier crushed by love’s weight

Freedom’s light borne on Calvary

Redemption’s now visible gate

 

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From 2 Corinthians 5:17-19:  “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation:  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.”

Craig Groeschel Quote

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There is no sin too great for God’s grace.  There is no habit too big for His healing.  There is no label too strong for His love.

From Ephesians 2:8:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Craig Groeschel (born 1967) is an America pastor and Christian author.