A verse that I connected with this poem is Romans 6:5-7; having been freed in Christ, we should pursue the new path He opened to us instead of retracing the old one.

“Freedom from the Addiction of Sin” (#52)

Oh Lord, how do we often miss the fact that we are free
From the sin we were addicted to; that, when commanded in Your name, must flee?
How many believers have turned away from You, and gone back to their old lust
For their fleshly desires, not realizing that from You they have removed their trust?
While under the rule of sin, our only nature was evil, and we could only do evil, day and night.
But now, having accepted Your sacrifice on the cross and surrendered, we are now free to do what is right.
Through Your strength, we need no longer bow to the idols of the world as we once did.
You are our God, and we should shy away from any evil thing that You forbid.
We pray that You would use us, O Lord, for Your awesome and mighty glory.
That, in the end, the shining path of faith that we walked would be, in Heaven, evident in every life story.

Looking back at this poem, I thought about the concept of living on borrowed time, and how our true (and original) purpose is to bring glory to God. That is impossible, however, if we choose to remain fallen and live for our own pleasure instead of His. It reminds me of Susan’s fate at the end of the Narnia series; she chooses to live in the shallow party life instead of keeping Aslan and Narnia close to heart.

“God’s schedule, not our own” (#51)

So many people today just want to have fun-all the time, always on the go.
So, when they hear of following God and His plan, often, their answer is “No.”
It’s hard to follow what someone else wants-it’s part of our human nature.
However, we lose this desire as our walk with the Lord does mature.
As a Christian, you must learn to go at the pace of having God in the lead.
Trust that He will work all for the good and satisfy our every need.

Desiring to be used in the Lord’s Work (#50)

Oh Lord, forgive me, for I have become lukewarm.
My limbs are all atremble, like a ship’s beams in a storm.
I realize what my purpose is-the reason I was born.
I pray that You would heal my heart from its state of being torn
Between You and the world. Let Your Spirit through me flow;
Give me the words to say to others, so that You they may come to know.
Use me, oh Lord my God, and give me a heart after Your own.
I pray that my trust in You would be as solid as stone.
Make me a witness, Lord, and may Your Light through me shine.
Open the eyes of others around, that they may see through me the One Divine.

Two things inspired the thoughts behind this poem. The first was a radio promo, illustrating the Christian lifestyle as a baseball game; the punchline was, the only thing(s) that follow you “home” are people. The second was a statement during a sermon – “you never see U-hauls in a funeral procession.” Both are reminders that God’s purpose for us here is not to gather stuff, but to bring people and Jesus together.

“What really matters in Life” (#49)

There is one question that, at some point, enters every human being’s mind-
“When I pass away and leave this world, what reputation will I leave behind?”
We all wish to show in our lives what really matters in our hearts.
Because, after all, we cannot take our possessions with us to our graves in carts.
But what really matters in this world, beyond anything else-what makes a real mark on history?
Is it a great position of power, all the money we can earn, or does the answer lie with the things we cannot see?
That is where it really matters-what kind of life we live in the spiritual realm of life.
Some choose to live for Jesus and find everlasting life; others choose to reject Him and cut their hope for eternity as with a knife.
Decide today what in life really matters to you-the temporary values, or the eternal;
Please choose with caution-whatever choice you make, be sure that for what you live for, you will be held accountable.

Just recently, my place of fellowship (Resilient Life Church) was going through a series on Nehemiah. The events of the book are a reflection of our lives as believers, and should be an encouragement to us in the present.

“Building and Defending the Faith” (#48)

We have a job to do for God, like Nehemiah did on the wall
Of Jerusalem-building and adding to the Church of Christ, that like a mountain stands tall.
We cannot remain passive in life like stones set with mortar, hardened into place;
When man raises challenges against what God is building, we should always be taking up the case.
We never need to be afraid-for our Refuge and strength is the Lord;
We should remain vigilant for any attack, but continue working in one accord.
We should never let opposition stop us from doing what is pleasing to God.
Whether fighting or working, we should glorify Him in every step that we trod.
So let us continue in the work we are in, following Jesus wherever He may go;
Whether easy or hard be the path, let us follow
And pray that His Spirit through us would flow.

For me, this was/is a prayer for renewal in my walk with Jesus.

“A Heart desiring to be Cleansed” (#47)

Oh Lord, though I try to honor you,
And obey your commands in all that I do,
Yet, there is sin still plaguing my heart;
A lust that has been with me since the start
Of my life. It beckons me-and I willingly comply
To its temptation and promise to satisfy
Me and fill the void in my heart of stone.
And yet, when the thrill runs out, I feel guilt to the bone.
Lord, I cannot defeat what lies within,
The change, oh Jesus, only You can begin.
Lord Jesus, I pray that You would for me intervene-
Please enter my heart, cut out what is unclean,
And, afterwards, fill me up with Your Spirit,
So that, when You call my name, I will hear it.
I pray, also, Lord, that I would be thankful in all things
For your guidance and providing, no matter what hardship life brings.
Lord Jesus, I pray that You would make me whole-
Come into my heart-fill up my soul.
I pray that You would come and cleanse my life,
That I may more ably serve You,
And that Your hand would warn me about
Every worldly temptation that says what is not true.

This was written in 2004/2005, long before The Newsroom ever came to be. I was reflecting then on something one of my teachers drew on the board in Bible class – a chart/graph that shows how the world (and Christians in America) have degraded over the decades. I thought back to the Founding Fathers and the dream they established in the United States, and I reflected on how much the nation has changed in the span of years from then to now, and what that entails for our country.

“In America Today” (#46)

Long ago, back in the day, when America began,
The Founding Fathers founded the liberties that today enjoy we can.
They built the principles of our freedom on God’s Holy Word;
Yet today, people walk away from God, based on what they’ve seen and heard.
They believe that Christians are hypocrites, stuck-up and uncool;
To stay popular in today’s society, staying away from Christians is a rule.
Many today live in what is not truly real;
They stay there, however, because that-to their senses-is an appeal.
They are spiritually blind-they cannot see what God wants to do in and through them
They limit themselves to the physical view, and so fail to see every spiritual gem
That are placed in the crowns of those who live for the Lord-
People who follow Jesus with one accord.
These are few and far between in America today
Those who know that living for God is a lifestyle, not something you work or play.
America has turned away from the God who made her great;
If we persist in our rebellion, we can only expect one fate-
We will be cast out of the presence of the Lord,
And be forever separated from Him with nothing to look forward
To, except suffering, sorrow and gnashing of teeth.
Which choice will you take-the empty life without God,
Or will you submit to Him, have His peace, and, through your life, bring Him laud?

“In His Steps” (#45)

Jesus came to Earth and showed us the way to live for God in our time here;
In thirty-three years, He gave the ultimate example of living for God in your life every year.
We are called as believers to follow in His steps, and honor God in everything we do.
We are to be imitators of Christ, and become more like Him, as we learn to live what is right and true.
We should be willing to lay down our lives as Jesus did when He died on the cross.
As He submitted to the Father, so we should submit to Him; in our lives as Christians, He should be the boss.
By humbling ourselves before Him, and giving up what we want here and now,
We will receive honor and glory from Him in Heaven, but it all depends on what we do now.
If you do not truly acknowledge in your heart that Jesus is your Savior and Lord,
You will never be able to truly live for Him; He knows every one of His followers, every loop in the cord.
So decide today which steps you will follow, those of Christ or your own;
I pray that you would follow the Lord, who created your spirit, flesh and bone.

“Don’t be left behind” (#44)

Do you know how close we are to the end?
The closing of history is just around the bend.
Before it comes, the Rapture will occur, an event that could happen any year.
What will happen? All followers of Jesus shall, in the space of a moment, disappear.
Yes, they will all vanish from the face of the Earth and go to be with the Lord forevermore.
Others will become Christians after they leave, but they will have to face the persecution and gore
Of the period of Tribulation. It is better to accept Jesus now, and avoid having to endure the strife
And deception that will become widespread before the end of the universe’s life.
If you wait to accept Jesus, there is no telling whether you will follow or be deceived
By the lies of the Antichrist-he will deceive many, and, when the time comes, all who follow him judgment will receive.
So ponder and decide today whether you will follow Christ, and, as you think, please keep in mind-
If Jesus were to take the Church tomorrow, would you want to be left behind?

“You just can’t do it” (#43)

No matter what you might do or how hard you may try,
To think that you can live the Christian life all alone is a lie.
You need Jesus Christ to cover your sin, and enable you to do good.
You also need to have fellowship with fellow believers in your neighborhood.
To attempt the journey alone is impossible-all those who attempt it WILL fail;
If it were possible to do solo, then the cross and every single nail
Driven into Jesus’ flesh would have absolutely no point.
The Christian walk is NOT possible alone; the effort must be joint.
Only with God in your heart and others by your side can this journey be possible at all.
After all, there is no true army of one-united we stand, but divided we fall.