No Ordinary Cross

From Romans 3:23-25:  “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith.”

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His Resurrection awakens a new pathway

Christ’s blood, painting it blazing white

Our Father remolds life, from a new clay

 

Pharisees claiming to be servants of God

Viewing our Lord as not worthy, a sinner

Walking with sinners makes Him a fraud

 

Son of Man, unblemished Lamb of God

No one but Jesus, can walk to the Cross

Humbled Christians kneel, totally flawed

 

Jesus’ blood ransomed for sinners, you and me

This executioner’s tool, a cruel criminal’s Cross

Darkest sins, all nailed to this old, rugged tree

 

Watching from a short distance, the Cross stands

God pours out His love through His faithful Son

Exchanging darkness for light, from His hands

 

Walking faithfully with Christ, never alone

Keeping the Cross, always front and center

Our Savior’s suffering, faith’s cornerstone

 

On an Easter morn, Christ defeats death

Leaving a darkened tomb empty, Alleluia!

Salvation and peace, with every breath

 

Moving closer to the Cross, forgiveness rings

Accepting Christ as Lord, filled with His mercy

Making a new covenant with Jesus, hearts sing

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From John 15:10-11:  “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

Journey to Jerusalem

From John 10:9-10:  “I am the gate.  Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,  I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

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Triumphantly

Jesus enters a joyous city

Jerusalem sings

Praising His name . . . Hosanna!

 

Witnessing

Emotional betrayal

Denying Christ

Then a rooster crows

 

Watching

Stunning procession fills the streets

Mocking with scorn

Would-be king, carrying our Cross

 

Hopes

Dashed by cruel Roman justice

Absent of sin

Son of Man, never to walk free

 

Numbness

With tears, seeing and hearing

Experiencing anguish

Horror at a blood-stained Cross

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Silence

Covering the land, Father weeps

Messiah suffers

Many rejecting our Holy God

 

Hearing

Good News on Easter morning

Our Savior

Defeating sin and death

 

Empty

Dark tomb proclaims God’s plan

Jesus Christ

Risen!  Reigning forevermore

 

Connecting

Dots between manger and Cross

Our Father

Love for us never wanes

 

Lingering

In the shadow of a criminal’s cross

Singing Alleluia!

To lasting, true meaning of the Cross

 

Glory

Residing forever in the Cross

Good Shepherd

Caring for His precious flock

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From Ephesians 2:8-10:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God–not the result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Living Hope

Reading through the last four entries in my journal, God brought inspiration to bring this praise to Him.  There entries provide the bulk of the this poem, along with a few selected writings of Apostle Peter.  I hope this poem sustains hope in you during your daily journey.  During Lenten season, we are reminded of the hope we receive through Jesus’ walk to an old rugged Cross.

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With God’s truth leading us

Our faith growing each day

Fueled by our Lord above

Hope responds, let us pray

 

God guides with steadiness

Navigating our ship

Through ever-present storms

Safe on our Lord’s flagship

 

Life-giving hearts may hide

Our emotional selves

Yet, other times we find

God’s Word within ourselves

 

Sometimes, life proclaims

Our “red badge of courage”

Straight into inner souls

Our faith will encourage

 

Much like a frigid wind

Freezing our tender face

Life challenges us to bear

Torment covered by grace

 

Through our Father’s mercy

A new birth, a living hope

Jesus . . . Resurrection

Life viewed through His new scope

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From 1 Peter 1:3-5:  “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

 

Total Surrender

From Romans 6:4:  “Therefore we have been buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

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Are we truly walking in Christ?

With a new life, born again

Follow Jesus, He paid our price

 

True sanctification will come

Only from burial of an old life

Known as “white funeral” to some

 

Baptized into Christ, the Holy Son

Baptized into His death

With His death, victory is won

 

Through the confirmed Resurrection

We humbly come to a Holy God

His defining purpose, brings reflection

 

God is leading, always out front

Facing trying times of adversity

Our duty shall be, always to confront

 

Come to almighty and loving God

Sanctify a promise with the Father

God’s will be done, by His rod

 

When Christ forever defeats the Cross

His lasting, living Resurrection offers

“Walking in newness of life,” without loss

 

To Jesus, surrender these sinful ways

Hear Him, accept Him, follow Him

Ask for His forgiveness, without delay

 

Mighty God of angel armies leads

His righteousness marches with us

Filling a hungry soul, His Word feeds

 

Freed from sin, obedient to God

Wages of sin only bring death

Accept Jesus, He overcomes all odds

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From the words of Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher Oswald Chambers:  “No one enters the experience of entire sanctification without going through a “white funeral”–the burial of the old life.”

 

 

Victorious Savior

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From Luke 24:1-3:  “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.”

A few believers stand in fear

God’s only Son dies a cruel way

Sorrow fills hearts so near

What will we now do and say?

 

Hope dies on a barren hill

Spotlighting a bloody cross

What happens—can’t be God’s will

Witnessing a life, now lost

 

Darkness fills a burial room

Feeling cold and forlorn

Sitting as an empty tomb

From here, hope is reborn

 

The sun rises on Easter morn

God’s Son fulfills His promise

Glorious Resurrection sets the norm

Even for a single, doubting Thomas

 

The greatest story ever told

We drop to a knee and pray

God’s action, never so bold

Victorious Christ, the final say

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Choose His Path

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We have a clear path to choose

Anything else, we definitely lose

 

A godless enemy brings emptiness

He prowls and waits, eager to strike

His path only leads to unhappiness

Our lives feel like a bursting dike

 

We see the good life in front of us

But the light comes with false hopes

Glamour and riches without the fuss

Darkness clouds over life’s periscope

 

Gloomy doom brings promises, so empty

A champion bears our guilt and shame

There is a better way, filled with plenty

Life truly means more than just a game

 

The Light of Salvation chases away the dark

Christ bears our wounds at a bloody cross

The enemy slithers away, gone is his spark

Jesus’ Holy righteousness reaches across

 

Our loving Father sacrifices His only Son

His shed blood atones for our sinful ways

An empty tomb declares, Christ has won

Accept me and follow, He proudly says

 

We have a clear path to choose

Anything else, we definitely lose

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Living to Give

Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:14:  “But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Christ comes to the world

Bringing God’s love to us

 

Jesus sets the bar high

Higher than we can reach

 

Christ delivers two true teachings

To a sinful, unsaved world

 

Love your God, the Father

Love others more than yourself

 

Jesus does more than preach

He teaches us God’s truth

 

His hands heal the sick

Later pierced with sharpened nails

 

He raises up the dead

Just as He will rise

 

Christ, the Messiah, brings hope

He is Savior to mankind

 

Wearing a crown of thorns

Humbles himself on the Cross

 

Rising from a dark tomb

Christ forever defeats our sins

 

Christ serves His Holy Father

His sacrifice continues to give

 

He lives

The Resurrection lives

Eternal life lives

 

Respond to Christ in prayer

Humble, grateful—on our knees

Honor and praise Jesus Christ

Our eternal Savior and protector

His love lights the way

Accepting Jesus as our Savior

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Christ Prevails

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From 1 Peter 2:24:  “He himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”

Chosen and precious in God’s sight

To believers, Christ’s Spirit brings Salvation

Jesus Christ turns darkness into light

 

Our faith’s chosen and precious cornerstone

Christ comes forward to redeem us

We can live by His bread alone

 

Jesus becomes our Holy, High Priest

Believe and never put to shame

God’s own Son takes His seat

 

Nonbelievers reject God’s Holy, chosen one

Christ prevails to become our Rock

Salvation goes through God’s Holy Son

 

Christ suffers mightily for His flock

Yet, He never commits any sin

Following God’s steps around the clock

 

Christ never waivers, He follows through

Entrusting Himself to His Heavenly Father

Bearing our sins, Resurrection’s glorious view

 

Our lives feel threatened with gloom

Jesus never ceases caring for us

Standing by, Christ prevents our doom

 

Jesus at our side, always a friend

Loving us with passion and intensity

Our opportunity for Salvation, God sends

 

Christ, the Good Shepherd, beckons us

No longer gone astray and lost

Christ’s body and blood heal us

 

The old, rugged cross stands tall

Freeing us from our endless sins

Washing us white, Salvation calls all

 

Living in bondage, forever in sin

Emancipation by Christ, paying the ransom

Accepting Christ, brings all believers in

From Luke 24:6:  “Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

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Resurrection Hope

Our Lord’s Resurrection

Brings forth Salvation

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His Father guides Abraham to faithfully pray

Allowing acts of devotion with richness to say

King David speaks of the coming Messiah

Just as images emanate forth from Isaiah

Skeptics scoff, declare Resurrection is untrue

Christ proclaims He has indeed risen—so true!

The Father’s fulfills His grace-filled plan

Reaching out to us with His paternal hand

God generates hope for a darkness-filled land

All witness the piercings on His son’s hands

Christ’s blood is spilled for your sins and mine

Bringing the Cross front and center for all time

God carries forth His amazing grace

Making Resurrection a genuine place

Christ comes alive to witness and call

I am the Resurrection and life for all

Jesus brings Salvation to the righteous

Offering hope to even the unrighteous

Being saved by red blood shed for thee

Humbling ourselves and taking a knee

Many believers arrive to proudly proclaim

Christ’s Resurrection is more than a game

Each and every day all should always say

Christ offers His shed blood to fully pay

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Our Lord’s Resurrection

Brings forth Salvation

 

If you are looking for more Christian-based poetry, here are links to some of Big Sky Buckeye’s past publications.