POEMS TEACHING ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

By Maurice Dyson

Freewill
The entrance of Thy words giveth light.
Psalm 119:130

Let us look at institutions
Vital for the human race
Guaranteed for our protection
As they fill their rightful place

Recognised by every nation
Exercised by every creed
Interlocking; self-sustaining
Reinforced by word and deed

First of all there is volition
Man’s accountability
As we make our daily choices
Now and for eternity

Man was told by his Creator
You may eat of every tree
But there was a prohibition
As a test of probity

Man became an unbeliever
When he chose to eat the fruit
Thus his soul was plunged in darkness
Impotent and destitute

Judgment fell upon the couple
As the sentence was decreed
Death for spirit, soul and body
For the man and for his seed

But another clause was added
For the hapless man and wife
Sin without a just solution
Carries on to endless strife

God Himself would be the victim
In submission to His plan
He would bear the consequences
Brought about by sinful man

Thus the curse was instituted
On the couple and the earth
Sin would now be carried over
To each offspring at its birth

Human will must now be centred
From a state of slavery
Not towards a tree of knowledge
But to one at Calvary

Now that man is lost and fallen
So another must be found
Not possessing sinful nature
Nor a spirit earthly bound

Someone who would by obedience
Pay the price of sin’s demand
With a life of love and virtue
Rescue us from Satan’s hand

So volition is the issue
Facing you and me today
Will we trust our Lord and Saviour
Taking all our sins away

Satan wants to take us with him
While he’s got us in his power
Faith in Christ alone can save us
From that dreadful judgment hour

 

Marriage
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man,
made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Genesis 2:22

Let us now consider marriage
Institution number two
Man the head and she the helper
For the roles that would ensue

For the man was first created
Then the woman from his side
Thus her role was complemental
As the bond was sanctified

So the pattern was established
Vested in the royal pair
Man was given full dominion
Of creation everywhere

Lord of every living creature
On the land and in the sea
Both depended on their Master
In their bonded liberty

All creation lived in concert
With the couple at the start
God had given clear instructions
Simple trust must be their part

Work would be a source of pleasure
As the earth brought forth its fruit
Light would be their outer clothing
With no need of mourning suit

But, alas, the woman stumbled
When confronted by the snake
While she listened not discerning
That his counsel was a fake

She consented with suggestions
That her God must be unfair
And the fruit looked so enticing
As it hung before her there

What was Adam occupied with
Had he not fulfilled his role
Should he not have been beside her
As protector of her soul

So she ate the fruit forbidden
By the Lord’s express command
And her husband followed after
When he took it from her hand

Woman now must suffer childbirth
And the pain of raising seed
Man, instead of tending gardens
Must contend with thorn and weed

Life would be a constant battle
Marked by worry, pain and woe
Rulership was delegated
To their sworn pernicious foe

What the Lord has instituted
Cannot fail or be destroyed
Every plot devised by Satan
Will one day be null and void

In the meantime he is busy
Undermining what he will
Using means at his disposal
To attack the marriage bill

God has planned another marriage
For a future day in store
It comprises church believers
Who are saved for evermore

God Himself will be the Bridegroom
In the Person of His Son
And the Church will be His consort
When this present age is done

 

Family
And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:
but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4

Part and parcel of a nation
Institution number three
As the basis for succession
God designed the family

It has been the sure foundation
By which nations may succeed
Once the home has lost importance
Fame and fortune soon recede

Families were made to function
By the law of love and grace
Every member of the unit
Has a role and proper place

There must be respect and honour
Help for parents growing old
Father has the solemn duty
As protector of the fold

He is leader of the household
In conjunction with his wife
Teaching wisdom, love and virtue
Fitting sons for future life

Wisdom is the golden virtue
All his children should acquire
Learning of their Lord and Saviour
Who can fill their soul’s desire

Mother has the unique honour
Having children at her breast
Fashioning their first responses
With a comfort warm and blessed

If she has a love relation
With the Saviour in her heart
Then His love can flow on through her
To her offspring from the start

In a future dispensation
When this present age is done
God will bring about His purpose
Which He destined in His Son

Every son and every daughter
Every child He calls His own
Will be gathered in the heavens
There to worship at His throne

 

Government
And she brought forth a man child,
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
Revelation 12:5

God designed for every nation
Institution number four
To ensure the role of freedom
And uphold the rule of law

From the days of Noah’s rescue
Sole authority is wrought
By the arm of ruling bodies
And the judgment of the court

Government was not intended
To displace the other roles
Nor to interfere with freedom
God ordained for human souls

Every bit of legislation
Every bill devised by man
Which ignores divine instruction
Constitutes an empty plan

Man, because he has departed
From the truth that is revealed
Comes up with his panaceas
Improvised for every field

But instead of bringing safety
Crime increases year by year
For the brains of legislators
Are no match for godly fear

Government will be invested
In a Person qualified
Justice will at last be rendered
For the sin of homicide

Every law that God has written
Every code that He ordains
Will one day be implemented
By the Saviour when He reigns

 

 

Absolutes
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8

We speak of relativity
As setting up a measure
With everyday validity
In politics or pleasure

Yet in the sphere of absolutes
There is no such distinction
For anything with human roots
Is destined for extinction

As men debate events today
They say in their perceptions
Our standards are in disarray
With very few exceptions

For human laws are formalised
By endless legislation
Yet they are never normalised
With so much agitation

The absolutes are not of man
They predate his existence
His rudiments since time began
Betray his inconsistence

The absolute is in the Word
The written and the living
The word of Christ is where it’s heard
The Saviour all-forgiving

We must embrace the absolutes
As oracles have stated
There are no valid substitutes
In what is circulated

Philosophy is glorified
In every street location
And yet it will be set aside
At God’s evaluation

 

Accountability
Truly, these times of ignorance
God overlooked, but now commands
all men everywhere to repent,
Acts 17:30

The God who made the world we see
And everything therein
Is known by His identity
When once we enter in

He has no need of anything
Since He is LORD of all
He gives the breath by which we sing
As creatures great and small

He made all nations of one blood
And set their boundaries
That men should seek Him for their good
And all necessities

He now commands men everywhere
That they should all repent
A day appointed in His care
Is now most imminent

For He will judge in righteousness
By One He has ordained
According to His holiness
In every part contained

With full assurance satisfied
Just as the LORD has said
The One who came and duly died
Is risen from the dead

 

Another Day
Choose you this day whom ye will serve;
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

Another day comes after dawn
A night is near without a morn
A time of joy for sinners saved
A wailing time for souls enslaved

Before today has passed away
Be sure you listen while you may
Behind we leave the dead to die
Before us heaven, while they cry

Choose you today whom you will trust
Can we depend on men of dust
Could you imagine what it cost
Christ Jesus dying for the lost

Does being dumb commend you well
Do you suppose there is no hell
Don’t be deceived with Satan’s ploy
Depend on Christ, our hope and joy

Each one of us will see the Lord
End times will reap their due reward
Eternity will ever be
Eternal joy or misery

Forget all things you’ve ever done
Fix every thought upon the Son
For you’ll discover He is pure
Forever will His love endure

God’s Word is our authority
Golgotha’s Cross His victory
Great is our Saviour, Lord of all
Go bow before Him, great and small

He is the One you’ll stand before
He stands now waiting at the door
He only wants to set you free
His very own eternally

Immutable He stays the same
Impeccable and without blame
In glory higher than the sky
Incarnate once He came to die

Jesus our Lord, Redeemer, Friend
Jesus our Hope unto the end
Jesus the Lamb for sinners slain
Jesus who bore our sin and shame

King of all kings and Potentate
Kneel down before Him, it is late
Know that the hour is drawing near
Kingdoms of men will disappear

Let preconceptions pass away
Latch onto things which don’t decay
Look unto Jesus and His wealth
Love only wisdom, truth and health

Make every day a prayerful one
Meet every morning with the Son
More are the heartaches we may bear
Many the blessings we can share

Never again are we alone
No more to dread His awesome Throne
Nearer to Him who bore our shame
Now do we own His blessed Name

Only for sinners did He die
Our fathers shouted, Crucify
Of all the lost He loved each one
O blessed Saviour, it is done

Perhaps for some who read this word
Presume that such have not occurred
Possessing neither lot nor part
Procrastinating in your heart

Remember you were in His mind
Redressing wrong for all mankind
Repent while there is time to choose
Renouncing all ungodly views

Salvation is our foremost need
Secured by David’s holy Seed
Selected in the Father’s plan
Sealed up for us ere time began

To every soul there is a place
Then everyone will see His face
That all may know our God is fair
The righteous verdict waiting there

Unless we see our lifelong need
Until we seek His Word to read
Unfaithful though our life may be
Unswerving His fidelity

Victoriously the day will dawn
Vast is the brightness of that morn
Voices will ring in sheer delight
Volumes of praises bathed in light

We wait as every passing day
Winds up our brief and mortal stay
With warning signs that time is near
When our dear Saviour shall appear

You should be well aware by this
Your choice is heaven or abyss
Yes you must trust Him while you may
You may not see another day

 

Apathy
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children
of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy
with the inhabitants of the land,
Hosea 4:1

Hear the word of God indicted
Earnestly He speaks
Always in His words united
Righteousness He seeks

Though His sheep are small in number
Hope is ever clear
Ears must not repine in slumber
With each passing year

On this theme with applications
Rests our daily walk
Do we ply our inclinations,
Or are they just talk

Furthermore with full assurance
Treasures are in sight
Hope is reached through much endurance
Etched on tablets bright

Let His word that He has spoken
Open wide the door
Resting on this faithful token
Death shall reign no more

 

 

Appearances
Judge not according to the appearance,
but judge righteous judgment.
John 7:24

Appearances or how we look
Don’t always tell the story
Just as the cover on a book
May hide its inner glory

The soul is what we really are
According to tradition
Yet moral codes cannot go far
Without a new condition

A soul is lost without the Lord
And heading for destruction
Unless it heeds the gospel word
To save it from seduction

We cannot understand the ploy
Without illumination
We are by nature Satan’s toy
Beneath his domination

Attractiveness is prominent
Among the schemes he uses
To get our eyes off that event
Which should in fact enthuse us

Our Lord appeared when it was time
To seal up our salvation
He’ll reappear in robes sublime
With highest acclamation

 

A Sound Mind
For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

Mentality or how we think
May call for introspection
Discernment is a vital link
For having true direction

We need to have the absolutes
To give a true foundation
They furnish us with solid roots
For any conversation

It is not in philosophy
Or higher education
That makes a man of high degree
In terms of maturation

The value of a godly mind
Begins at his salvation
When human views are left behind
Devoid of revelation

We need to have the mind of Christ
This only for believers
The gospel must be trusted first
That sin no more deceive us

Then knowledge grows progressively
With truth assimilated
And life becomes successively
A path negotiated

 

Attitudes
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on Thee:
because he trusteth in Thee.
Isaiah 26:3

Everyone has got a point of view
Standpoints and opinions, not a few
Any mode of thought
Not divinely taught
Cannot see the spiritual as true

Viewpoint must be patterned on the Word
Otherwise our vision will be blurred
Philosophic views
Are of little use
Inasmuch as they have sadly erred

Attitudes can change from day to day
More so when they have a wider play
Faith and constant prayer
Need our utmost care
In the daily round that we assay

Attitudes are formed within the soul
Where the spirit plays a leading role
If the soul is fed
With God's daily bread
Godliness and truth will be the goal

 

Authority
But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name.
John 1:12

Authority must be respected
By those to whom it is directed
God’s perfect design
Applies down the line
We never must be disconnected

Authority stems from creation
The Lord God has sealed its formation
The order He made
And duly conveyed
Is not subject to speculation

Authority’s claim is essential
Possessing a certain credential
We must recognise
If we would be wise
Compliance is most providential

Authority is our assurance
Because of the Saviour’s endurance
His utmost respect
For what is correct
Achieved His objective pursuance

We all have His authorisation
To enter His finished salvation
Receiving His gift
Will banish the rift
Without it we face condemnation

 

Awareness
The master of that servant will come
on a day when he is not looking for
 him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
Matthew 24:50

Awareness of something foreboding
Bespeaks of a climate eroding
Cry out as we will
Distresses are still
Exacting a weight overloading

For those who are in such conditions
Good-natured without inhibitions
Heart-seeking the true
In what they pursue
Judicially bypass traditions

Known widely are stories propounded
Latched onto by people ungrounded
Mixed often with views
Named falsely as news
On close scrutiny are ill-founded

Presentiment ever draws nearer
Quick-wittedness makes a thing clearer
Resolve like a sword
Secures its reward
The prize that we all count as dearer

Until we have tried every theory
Voracious or maybe just eerie
When time has expired
Young days long retired
Zeal God-ward will never grow weary

 

Balancing
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,
even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14

A balancing act in a circus
Is quite a remarkable feat
A one-sided matter may irk us
If issues are left incomplete

We balance the bills in the budget
And check with our savings and pay
There is no good reason to fudge it
If figures are simply astray

A concept occurs in our thinking
The problem of evil and good
The principles that we are linking
Are not anymore understood

When Adam partook of the fruit tree
Our freedom was taken away
The devil made off with the booty
And still has significant sway

The Lord God Almighty has spoken
Our conscience cannot tell a lie
The gospel is not just a token
We either believe it or die

Benevolence
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest  of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 13:13

True love is a token
As oft as it’s spoken
A pledge that is meant from the heart
In practical matters
It may be in tatters
If not born of God from the start

To see it more clearly
Or know it more really
We look to a cross on a hill
When love by its action
Had no good attraction
Yet wrought every good for the ill

Believers can know it
As well do they show it
God’s love is forever their own
For Christ in His beauty
Has captured the booty
Bright jewels encrusting His crown

 

Books
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not,
that the spirits are subject unto you;
but rather rejoice, because your names
are written in heaven.
Luke 10:20

Are you in the book of life
Is your name recorded
Are you torn with daily strife
Is your life disordered

Maybe you are doing well
Healthy and progressing
Good works cannot save from hell
Nor can window-dressing

There will be a book of works
Not of grades or prizes
Where the real disclosure lurks
Without any guises

Jesus has a book of grace
Filled with names of sinners
People who were in disgrace
Till He made them winners

Also an instruction book
Written for the sickly
We should take a closer look
Acting on it quickly

Then a book with seven seals
Having wrath and thunder
As the prophecy reveals
It will burst asunder

Only Christ can make us clean
Hope for the dejected
When the Lord comes on the scene
All will be corrected

 

Cognisance
And Abel was a keeper of sheep,
 but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Genesis 4:2

Abel was a keeper
Not an idle sleeper
Diligent, he offered up his stock
As the time proceeded
Blessedness he heeded
Even to the firstlings of his flock

Lessons can’t be clearer
Winsome or much dearer
Attitudes determine our regard
So do our decisions
Aggravate divisions
Knocking out the conscience till it’s hard

Ever since it started
Elegance departed
Populations sank till they were gone
Every generation
Reared with education
Ought to pass on wisdom to their son

Faith is always central
Sure and elemental
Having its direction to the King
Even so the measure
Empathy or pleasure
Plots the end conclusion it will bring

 

Conscience
And they which heard it, being convicted
by their own conscience, went out one by one,
beginning at the eldest, even unto the last…
John 8:9

The witness around in creation
Provides an objective narration
Its story is told
To young and to old
Whatever their race or location

Creation must have a Creator
A Person inherently greater
The ones who disclaim
His glorious name
Are bound by a cruel dictator

We all have a conscience alerted
Responsive within the converted
Whereas the unsaved
Deceived and depraved
Discredit the message asserted

Our conscience bears witness within us
That we are inveterate sinners
We all miss the mark
And stay in the dark
Unless revelation can win us

God-consciousness has been provided
We cannot remain undecided
It marks out the gate
As Scriptures relate
To hell or a bliss undivided

The conscience and will are connected
As options are thereby selected
The gospel of grace
Determines our place
As Christ is received or rejected

 

 

Decorum
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him.
Psalm 33:18

Beginners and winners
Elect among sinners
Have Fatherly care from on high
On earth for a season
Left here for a reason
Declared in the courts by and by

The children who fear Him
Hallow and revere Him
Endeavour to walk in His ways
Equipped for the warfare
Young men like their forbear
Enhancing the end of their days

Of all that we’ve spoken
Frames only a token
The picture is seen anywhere
Health-seeking and binding
Employed in path-finding
Located with partners in prayer

Ordained and elected
Reserved and respected
Divested of worldly pursuit
Ingrained with good teaching
Set firm in outreaching
Unmoved by a difficult route

Polite in their bearing
On guard and yet daring
Near always to God in their thoughts
Thus Christians should savour
Heartsomely behaviour
Extended to folk out of sorts

Mild-mannered, well-pleasing
Tough talk calls for easing
Hard questions are not out of place
A person unsteady
Thus might be unready
For such we should give the more grace

Endearment expresses
Adornment in stresses
Restoring a soul who is down
Hands on where there’s danger
In-laws or a stranger
Make sure that we don’t leave a frown

 

Destination
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Luke 3:6

As mortals we stay
Not heeding the way
Determined by royal decree
Awareness and sight
Lulled deep in the night
Lasts only till we bend the knee

For those of a kind
Likeminded not blind
Estrangement is what they must shun
Sufficient for all
Held out since the fall
Salvation is Christ once begun

He only the key
Accounting us free
Long-lasting, abundant and fair
Let any complaint
Setback or restraint
Escape with all doubt or despair

Each soul faces death
Till there is no breath
Help nowhere is found among men
Each soul that departs
Should speak to our hearts
Afflicted if not born again

Let’s now be concise
Vain words are like ice
Attractive but lacking in whole
There’s only one path
Instead of God’s wrath
One gospel for each living soul

Now this is the hour
Outstanding in power
Fulfilling, sustaining, engraved
God’s kingdom is great
O come, don’t be late
Decide for the Lord and be saved

 

Origin
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made;
Psalm 33:6

Beyond the farthest star
Yet little though we are
The heavens were created as commanded
Heart-stopping is the sight
Exhibited by night
Where every star befits the royal standard

Our view of stellar space
Requires we have a place
Depending how we think of our Creator
Of every fact revealed
Far-reaching in its field
Together can’t be less but even greater

Has anyone surveyed
Each atom God has made
Laboratories are built with undertaking
On every front they find
Reports that blow the mind
Discovering the God who does the making

When doctors disagree
Exchanging what they see
Remarks about the cosmos breed illusion
Effective is God’s word
Triumphant, never blurred
His Spirit does ensure there’s no confusion

Experimental schools
Have furnished us with rules
Enabling us to see things more distinctly
A modern telescope
Views heaven without hope
Elected saints can see the Lord succinctly

Now what do we conclude
Soft answers we exclude
More meaningful are facts that are explicit
A perfect universe
Devoid of any curse
Eventually will come, so do not miss it

 

Illumination
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light
He opened my eyes
Exposing the glory that dwells in the skies
Love gave me new sight
Old things passed away
Renewing the mind in the course of the day

Distinctions appeared
Ignored or unknown
Such things as surrounding the LORD on His throne
More perils I feared
Yet not with distress
Let not me be carnal but clean, nonetheless

Infractions may come
Gigantic or small
High mountains of Satan are never too tall
The LORD knows the sum
Aware of our need
New life is the answer by word and by deed

Decisions we make
Must always be thought
Yet in our cognisance we do what we ought
Secure is our stake
Appointed at birth
Linked now to the LORD and not tied to the earth

Vitality thrives
Among the elect
The saints who are walking the way they have checked
In spirit our lives
Ordained by decree
Negotiate paths of the ransomed and free

 

Open-Mindedness
For to be carnally minded is death;
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:6

To those who are spiritually minded
Opposed to the carnal in thought
By being disposed
End times are disclosed
Sustaining the soul at each port

Perchance there may be an objector
In light of this biblical view
Respect for the Lord
In line with His word
Translates to a life that is true

Unusual events may astound us
As many have happened before
Let any who deem
Last days are a dream
Yardsticks are at hand in the store

Maybe all this rhyme is conjecture
Imagined or formed in the head
No humanist form
Determines the norm
Eclectics belong with the dead

Decide for yourself if you’re able
Investigate truth at its source
Salvation begins
Loosed there from our sins
Inducted into a new course

For those who are still open-minded
Eschewing a ploy or a lie
Assurance is free
Not hid by decree
Disclosed till the moment we die

Philosophy rules in the nations
Establishing laws that are base
All that has been said
Christ rose from the dead
Each soul will go on to its place

 

Nourishment
I am that bread of life:
John 6:48

In times of need
As when we plead
More so when undernourished
There’s always grace
His resting place
Availed as faith has flourished

Though times are lean
Beams intervene
Refreshing our composure
Effectively
And solidly
Depressions meet their closure

 

 

Duties
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
Revelation 22:17

A lasting invitation
Noteworthy for the soul
Devoid of fear
Totally clear
Heads off the fateful goal

End times are getting shorter
Sufficient for the day
Procrastinate
It’s all too late
Root every fear away

Inside our very being
There is God-consciousness
As every thought
Not truly taught
Distracts us, nonetheless

The only clear solution
Historical and true
Encased in time
Bestowed, sublime
Reserved for me and you

In matters confidential
Direct with true intent
Examine well
Since Adam fell
All legends lack content

Yet this is our conclusion
Christ suffered in our stead
Our confidence
Makes every sense
Entrusted in the Head

 

Nearness
O God, be not far from me:
O my God, make haste for my help.
Psalm 71:12

Old and weary
Grey and dreary
On a winding road we tread
Distant singing
Bells are ringing
Entrance to a goal ahead

Never leaving
Others grieving
Trekking as we travel on
Future fancies
All romances
Real for mortals till they’re gone

Forward reaching
Reared with teaching
Onward as we march along
Moulded dearly
Marked out clearly
Evermore our evensong

 

Watching
Behold, the eye of the LORD
is upon them that fear him,
upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psalm 33:18

Belaboured saints
Endure restraints
Hemmed in on foreign courses
Outposts afar
Last till they are
Derailed by godly forces

Tremendous feats
High-sounding beats
Emancipate our standing
Excesses too
Yield much to-do
Enslavement is their branding

Outstanding cures
Forever lures
Temptation never ceases
Hard-working souls
Enjoy their goals
Lived on as time decreases

One small mistake
Roads that we make
Determine our progression
In point of fact
Something we lacked
Undoes a sound profession

Perhaps we ought
On afterthought
Notate our rhyme more clearly
True providence
Has no pretence
Expounding truth more dearly

Man’s goal is high
Though we may sigh
Humanity is favoured
A point was reached
The gap was breached
Forgiveness we have savoured

Ensuing days
Alive with praise
Revive our aspirations
Heraldic news
Ignites the fuse
Messiah rules the nations

 

Coming
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they  also which pierced him:
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 1:7

Behold, the Lord is coming
Each every eye shall see
His busy bees are humming
Orchestral and in key
Light-fingered notes are strumming
Declaring victory

He’s coming in His glory
Enthroned, the Coming King
Completing every story
Our record does He bring
More noble than the hoary
Extensive as the spring

The time for His returning
His saints are waiting here
With lanterns brightly burning
Imbued with joyful cheer
To satisfy our yearning
Held out from year to year

Come gather all ye nations
Let all your fears be gone
Outpour your celebrations
United all as one
Display your love relations
Salute the Chosen Son

 

Doers
But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22

By hearing and not doing
Essentials fall apart
Yet they can be
Effectively
Designed to build the heart

Our intake is essential
Employed at work or play
Responsive souls
Seek out the goals
Outworking every day

For him who listens only
To hear: not follow through
Has not applied
Each as a guide
Which he should always do

Our conscience is the umpire
Regarding what we are
Debased from birth
As of the earth
Not shining like a star

Despondency entraps us
Non-starters lead astray
Ostensibly
Time out is free
Here only for today

End time is getting nearer
Along the daily road
Redeem the time
Enjoy the rhyme
Remove that heavy load

So what is our conclusion
Or what should be our aim
No more excuse
Let limbs be loose
Yet doing in God’s name

 

Alerted
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for,
my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord,
my dearly beloved.
Philippians 4:1

Stand fast, the Lord is calling
Take up thy holy shield
Although the world is falling
No warrior must yield
Defeat can be appalling
Fought on the battlefield

Awaken to the contest
Spend time in open prayer
The warfare is a conquest
In hearts and in the air
No soldier can avoid rest
Trust only in God’s care

Hear now the drums are sounding
Each man must be in rank
Let faith have solid grounding
Our wealth in heaven’s bank
Relapses oft rebounding
Defences never lank

 

Enlisted
For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

In God we dwell
That we may tell
Informed and simple stories
So they might be
Good company
Ordained for coming glories

Does not each day
With all its pay
Have many such encounters
If that’s the case
Could not we face
Hard issues that surmount us

When times are dim
Or on the rim
Resources must be harnessed
Kinetic skills
Exclude the ills
Tenaciously, not garnished

Hasteful are we
Imperfectly
Not least in our probation
Years cannot hide
Our onward stride
Upheld by God’s salvation

 

 

Perfection
And God saw every thing that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good.
Genesis 1:31

A perfect creation
Not having a flaw
Declared very good at completion
Gave every occasion
Of grandeur and awe
Designed with a total cohesion

Such splendour and beauty
As came from God’s hand
Was fitly constructed as stated
Each part had its duty
Virtuously grand
Embodied with things correlated

Respective achievements
Yet not into view
The man and his wife consecrated
Heartrending bereavements
In time nothing new
Now brought on an outlook ill-fated

Gone soon was the splendour
That Adam possessed
His wife had succumbed to deception
An outright offender
That demons know best
Had veiled his abrupt interception

Extensive the squalor
Held now by the race
As history shows by narration
Delinquents that holler
Mud stains that deface
Are simply from degeneration

Direct intervention
Eventually came
A Saviour the Man God appointed
No man or convention
Distinguished by name
By might cannot thwart the Anointed

Events have since followed
Horrendous in part
Our planet is under deception
Love making once hallowed
Direct from the heart
Is passed off as only affection

There is a bright dawning
We never should blight
Although it is hardly debated
Set firm as the morning
Vanguard of the light
Eternal as Jesus has stated

Repentance and turning
Your option and mine
God’s judgment is one of inspection
Old rags fit for burning
Or works that will shine
Decisions will fit resurrection

 

Reverence
Let all the earth fear the LORD:
let all the inhabitants of the world
stand in awe of him.
Psalm 33:8

Let all the earth of human birth
Explicit from creation
Tread carefully
And holily
Love God with veneration

Let joyful song as days prolong
Transcribe to thankful living
Hold steadfastly
Each liberty
Endowed that God is giving

Account that He the Lord we see
Regards our situation
There is no one
He counts undone
For He has brought salvation

Exclusively states His decree
All sins will not be stated
Repentance brings
Truth on its wings
Hearts free, invigorated

Earthbound we stand like moving sand
Let’s not trust our composures
Our time is short
Redemption taught
Decide before it closes

 

Apparentness
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22

Failure of our parenthood
Outlaws any human good
Reparations
Altercations
Saturate our daily food

If we have no absolutes
Nothing sure with solid roots
All our labours
Done for neighbours
Are the fruit of our pursuits

Many people come and go
Able-bodied even so
Lasting pressures
Lead to stresses
Downcast is the state we know

In God’s word we duly read
Every verse speaks of our need
Empty-headed
Vainly threaded
Endlessly our lives proceed

Now the scriptures are the key
Stating truth for us to see
Obligations
Invitations
New life with its sanctity

Christ has taken all our woes
Hanging through its dreadful throes
Restorations
Implications
So the Saviour’s claims propose

Teaching in the spirit sphere
Seems like speech that is not clear
Hearts receptive
And perceptive
Lead to life that’s pure and dear

Let us now consider this
Attitudes can be amiss
Legislation
Lacking station
Brings no joy or any bliss

Everyone is given light
Many have their eyes shut tight
Aberrations
Deviations
Energise yet have no sight

At the final judgment hall
Logic will be heard by all
Information
Valuation
Enemies of God will fall

 

Separation
Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
2 Corinthians 6:17

Separation is a godly calling
As is taught throughout the holy word
It upholds a standard without falling
Since our Christian service has occurred

Separation follows from discernment
Holding life in balance is the key
It is not the seeking of preferment
Only God promotes as He can see

It should not be pompous or exclusive
It is always there to give a hand
Nor should it be questioned as intrusive
There is never need to take a stand

Jesus did not separate from sinners
For He came that they might live above
As He knew the vacuum deep within us
So He offered hope and light and love

Separation carries on forever
We are set aside from evil ways
No one can our tie with Jesus sever
He is storing up our countless days

 

Resurrection
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22

Everyone receives their resurrection
In a body case that cannot die
It is not a matter of correction
It will be applied to you and I

Resurrection first belonged to Jesus
He has pride of place before us all
In His ministry He daily feeds us
Till the voice is heard, the final call

Resurrected saints will live forever
As the final stage of what precedes
As they meet in Paradise together
Having been rewarded for their deeds

Unbelievers also get their portion
Counterparts to those who have believed
It is not the time for a precaution
Unbelievers cannot be reprieved

Resurrection splits the race forever
Their allotted places have been set
There is no revival or endeavour
To reverse the portion that we get

 

The Christian Life
He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 John 5:12 

The life begins by trusting Christ the Saviour
Our noble deeds can never claim His favour
His lone vicarious death
Is our eternal breath
And fruitful works will follow with a flavour

The Christian life by lawful definition
Must demonstrate its absolute precision
Distinctions that proceed
Are vital as decreed
And must be recognised with no addition

A baptism occurs that never falters
Eternally assured that no one alters
A union secure
Forever will endure
No matter how the devil may assault us

The Spirit first descended as they waited
The evidence was clearly demonstrated
For God’s almighty power
Was manifest that hour
With messages sublime articulated

A one unique baptism is inherent
The new life that it brings is soon apparent
Relationships we knew
Come sharper into view
And so the love of God is more transparent

Our Spirit-filled abode is oft repeated
Because the curse of sin is now defeated
For sin is reckoned dead
By Christ our risen Head
Although we know this fact is not well treated

The Spirit now forevermore indwelling
Cannot abide with those who are rebelling
We must our sins confess
The greater or the less
God’s will for us is then the more compelling

The Spirit also guides and He enables
Distinguishing the doctrine from the fables
No matter how we try
Objectives are so high
They can become unreachable like labels

Discernment is a fruitage of the Spirit
Imparted in the grace that we inherit
The skill we thus acquire
Leads on to concepts higher
With goals that are beyond all human limit

The Holy Spirit settles our composure
Whenever there’s a devious exposure
His providential rest
Is there for every test
Assuring we are safe in His enclosure

The gifts that we received at our salvation
Are ministries we share in our vocation
A body so are we
Constructed like a tree
With branches reaching out to every nation

We cannot do our service single-handed
Good partnerships display a godly standard
An attitude of grace
Does always set the pace
And fellowship will follow rightly banded

We never need to be intimidated
Our service is a joy not underrated
The Spirit-minded fruit
Is always our pursuit
Misgivings if they come are thus placated

The Spirit-life is all of God’s desiring
Although the times will come when we are tiring
His promises prevail
Through stormy clouds or gale
And serve to keep our ammunition firing

 

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