Voices

From Psalm 4:8:  “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.”

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

Lying awake in night’s darkness

Hearing promises from voices

Most too good to really be true

Filled with countless, empty choices

 

Tackling another stressful day

Witnessing contrasting voices

Thoughts quite overwhelming again

Faltered in making best choices

 

Retreating into quiet place

Searching, listening to voices

Father’s Word opens mind and heart

Found at last, His trusted choices

 

Hearing each righteous cry for help

Nurturing Father’s faithful voice

Enemy’s plan reduced to dust

Raised His Son, salvation’s sole choice

 

Harvesting empty void no more

Walking in step with Savior’s voice

Jesus cries out, journey finished

Saved man with mercy’s final choice

 

Seeing truth in these promises

Extending Father’s righteous voice

Grace deepens His Son’s love for thee

Accepting Christ, life’s blessed choice

 

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Pexels.com

From John 19:29-30:  “A jar full of sour wine was standing there.  So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to His mouth.  When Jesus had received the wine, He said, ‘It is finished.’  Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Releasing Mercy

From John 12:12-13:  “The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!'”

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Son of Man enters city

Making final human walk

Fulfilling Father’s design

Ignoring others who mock

 

Many celebrate Jesus

Thinking He shall be their king

Throwing off Roman rulers

Ignoring grace, set to spring

 

Enemy sees victory

Overlooking supreme God

Forgetting Christ’s destiny

Ignoring his evil fraud

 

Calvary’s lonely Cross weeps

Covering in Savior’s blood

Setting up love to conquer

Releasing mercy to flood

 

Resurrection breathes forever

Proclaiming lasting Good News

Building bridge to salvation

Raising faith’s redemptive view

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

From Ephesians 1:7-9:  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us.  With all wisdom and insight He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ.”

Mercy Conquers

From Psalm 69:14:  “Rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.”

Photo by Maruxa Lomoljo Koren on Pexels.com

Watching man’s plight

God takes human form

Breathing Scripture’s cues

Mercy conquers storm

 

Stumbling in faith

God sees lack of trust

Sending His own Son

Evil becomes dust

 

Breaking sin’s chains

Calvary’s blood flows

Kneeling in prayer

Light enters shadows

 

Walking through fire

Grace making descent

Pulsing with courage

God always present

 

Witnessing cross

Spirit opens eyes

Accepting Jesus

God, more than life-size

 

Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels.com

From 1 Corinthians 6:11:  “And this is what some of you used to be.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

God of Rescue

From Colossians 1:13-14:  “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Looking down from Heaven

Observing broken world

Father, Son, and Spirit

Designing rescue’s lifeline

 

Dispatching Son to earth

Walking among sinners

Light’s rescue comes to save

Taking perfect human form

 

Witnessing Father’s love

Executing rescue

Journey to bloody Cross

Rebuilding faith’s cornerstone

 

Voiding enemy’s lies

Saving flawed humanity

God’s rescue overcomes

Replacing darkness with light

 

Paying man’s debts in full

Bearing each transgression

Through Son’s body and blood

Raising salvation’s rescue

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

From Acts 2:37-39:  “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’  Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Him.'”

Monday Memories: 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.”

black and white cemetery christ church

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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

pexels-photo-2868224.jpeg

Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

Originally published October, 2019.

Charles Swindoll Quote

Courtesy of Pinterest.

When you find yourself slumping in shame or giving way to guilt, remind yourself of this:  You have been chosen by the Good Shepherd.  He wants you in His flock.

From John 15:16:  “You did not choose me, but I chose you.  And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My name.”

Charles Stanley Quote

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

When we view life from God’s perspective, every hardship becomes an opportunity to trust His good purpose, fully depend on Him, and respond in a manner that glorifies and exalts Christ.

From Philippians 1:27-28:  “Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel and in no way frightened by those opposing you.  For them, this is evidence of their destruction but of your salvation.  And this is God’s doing.”

Welcoming Savior

From Luke 2:10-11:  “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'”

Photo by Mike B on Pexels.com

Fling wide each window

Open every gate

God walks among us

Welcoming Savior

 

Choir of angels sing

From heavens above

City of David

Salvation’s bright light

 

Answer to prayers

Shepherds witness birth

Praise this King of Kings

Called Emmanuel

 

Trust God’s divine plan

Faith’s most Holy Rock

Fill hearts with gladness

Redemption paid for

 

Father’s act of grace

Eternity’s gift

Hope, peace, joy, and love

Welcoming Savior

Photo by Mike B on Pexels.com

From Galatians 5:22-24:  “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against such things.  And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Gracious and Merciful

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

Always remember

Recounting gracious deeds

Breathing trust into faith

Life’s every tender reed

 

Lord fulfills great acts

Praising each, filled with love

Witnessing mighty hand

Angels sing from above

 

Never-ending grace

Sending His Son to build

Lasting bond with Father

Redemption shall be filled

 

Merciful journey

Gathering at one cross

Shedding His blood for all

Evil swallows his loss

 

New covenant calls

Forgiving sinful ways

Creating hope’s new life

Salvation’s hands now raise

Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

Monday Memories: God’s Team

pexels-photo-3184431.jpeg

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

Jesus gathers up His apostles from humble ground

Making up God’s team, their witness shall abound

 

God’s Word oversees the performance of this team

Standing as chief executive, seeing holiest theme

 

The Holy Spirit earmarks the hearts and brains

Serving as the binding glue, better than chains

 

Returning to the beginning of God’s creative time

Transforming a land, His Word continues to climb

 

The Creator conceives of a perfect place for man

Placing Adam and Eve in Eden, always His plan

 

But, Adam and Eve journey on a sin-filled path

Leaving the ample garden, under God’s wrath

 

From this moment, God’s team stumbles and wanders

Facing estrangement from God, His people squander

 

Jesus comes to bridge what separates us from God

Sitting at the right hand, coaching a humbled squad

 

God establishes His expectations, perfectly high

Faltering and imperfect mortals, will never satisfy

 

The team continues to collapse over and over again

Forgetting God’s Commandments, sin seems to win

 

Many teams measure success by the flashy show

Works by themselves, will never add much glow

 

But, Jesus shepherds His team on a brand new track

Following by faith alone, Jesus always has their back

 

He reminds us to always love our God in Heaven’s seat

Loving each other as you have loved Me, always repeat

 

A bloody, criminal’s Cross summons all to take a knee

Accepting Jesus as Savior, teammates look up to see

 

Our Father orchestrates, with infinite patience and love

Creating and molding, the Great I Am looks from above

 

Jesus remains alert at the Creator’s side

Carrying keys to eternal life, all bona fide

 

As team members, we must trust, follow, and abide

Playing for Jesus, His coaching is forever our guide

 

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Originally published January, 2020.