CHRISTIAN POEMS ABOUT WISDOM

By Maurice Dyson

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Alertness
Be watchful, and strengthen
the things which remain…
Revelation 3:2

We’re living in times of pretensions,
By people with evil intentions;
Pursuing a goal,
Not ethically whole,
Opposed to accepted conventions.

The further we move from the standard,
That God our Creator commanded,
The more we shall see
His righteous decree
Has not been annulled nor disbanded.

The wars that befell our ancestors
Are part of the host that contest us;
These angelic foes
Will add to our woes
If biblical truths don’t arrest us.

The Lord our Redeemer is calling,
Before His decree will be falling;
His judgment is near;
Pronouncement is clear;
The prospect of hell is appalling.

 

Boundaries
You have set all the borders of the earth.
Psalm 74:17.

It came to pass by God’s decree,
When creatures were created,
Their boundaries would always be
Exactly as He stated.

The freedom that we all possess
Must have a limitation;
If He allowed its full excess,
There would be consternation.

The image into which we’re born
Is fashioned on its Maker;
Although it has been largely torn,
It’s not beyond the breaker.

The Lord above became a Man,
With boundaries He ordered;
And thus fulfilled His perfect plan
Within the laws it bordered.

He’s given us a single choice:
Believe Him or reject Him;
We must obey His gracious voice,
Revere Him and respect Him.

The boundary we all must face
Is life or death so weighted;
When Jesus allocates our place,
It goes on unabated.

 

Civilisations
A little while longer the light is with you.
 Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you;
he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
While you have light, believe in the light,
that you may become sons of light.
John 12:35, 36

The record of earth’s populations,
Can best be described as gradations;
They each have a start
With faith in the heart,
Yet fade with some dire implications.

The couple that God had created,
With perfect provision as stated,
Gave birth to a race
That flourished apace,
Till evil broke out unabated.

The end of this civilisation,
Brought judgment upon every station;
Yet eight did survive,
To flourish and thrive,
And furnish today’s habitation.

This present diverse population
Is heading towards decimation;
When judgment again
Has fallen on men,
It signals a new revelation.

This third population awaited,
As God’s holy word has narrated,
Will see the release
Of justice and peace,
And righteous decrees delegated.

But when this great kingdom has ended,
And truth with its laws well defended,
A riot breaks out
With devilish shout,
And time will expire as intended.

So as goes this third population,
It signals the last separation:
Believers will share
The Lord’s loving care,
While others will go to damnation.

 

Derivatives
Your word is truth.
John 17:17

There are truths we derive that are vital;
There are facts it is needful to know;
They are not just a formal recital;
They are absolutes set long ago.

First of all there is Christ’s full atonement;
Having died for the sin of mankind;
For the devil it meant his dethronement;
But for sinners, the ransom assigned.

There is baptism that we should mention;
Of the Spirit is what we should tell;
It is never a human invention;
It is needful to save us from hell.

Now the church needs a clear explanation;
It is those who have had a new birth;
It exists in a home or a nation;
It’s the body of Christ on the earth.

Any death is a matter of sadness;
As the subject is rightly referred;
But a loss will be turned into gladness,
If a Christ-centred faith has occurred.

For election there has to be foresight;
It’s the destiny of the elect;
As the Lord is all-knowing and forthright,
His decree is the one we respect.

As forgiveness is needed by sinners,
There’s a conscience that has to be clear;
It depends on the heart that is in us,
And the freedom to choose we revere.

Now a truth that is fragrant with beauty;
Emanating from regions above,
Is the grace that goes far beyond duty,
Manifested in God’s holy love.

Hypostasis is something we ponder;
How that God became Man in the womb;
Such efficacy fills us with wonder,
And a hope that dispels any gloom.

We should talk about what is indwelling;
It is sin that produced Adam’s fall;
The effects go beyond human telling;
Yet salvation is offered to all.

There is judgment when law has been broken;
For without it there would be no peace;
So the Cross is God’s visible token
Which secures the believer’s release.

Now the kingdom of Christ is impending;
It is certain as night follows day;
When we see the Lord Jesus descending,
He will rule everyone in His sway.

Many laws have been made by the nations;
They are needful for orderly care;
But the law that outlasts generations
Is belief in the God who is there.

Now the doctrine of man is prevailing;
It is basic to knowing our need;
Though the kingdoms of men keep on failing,
There is one that will truly succeed.

There’s a name that is far above others;
There’s a Person that nations shall see;
He’ll divide between sisters and brothers;
On a day that is destined to be.

Now obedience demands our attention;
For the gospel of God is so clear;
It is not just a common convention;
It is truth we should cherish or fear.

Perseverance is seen by its merit;
It is recognised as it proceeds;
Not a natural trait we inherit,
But the fruit of our spiritual deeds.

We could mention the quietist behaviour;
As a mystic with spirit withdrawn;
Yet pursuit of a Spirit-filled labour
Is a truth we should always adorn.

Revelation is truth as recorded;
It is God’s holy word that He spake;
To obey it will be well rewarded;
To live in it will keep us awake.

As salvation is binding upon us;
As a factor of life or of death;
Everyone has a God-given onus,
To believe while there’s spirit and breath.

Now the Trinity must be respected,
As the Godhead is clearly revealed;
By the cults it is largely rejected;
They will suffer the fate they have sealed.

There is union with God for the seeker;
They are linked by a holy decree;
For the steadfast as well as the weaker,
When the will of both parties agree.

There is only one Victor exalted;
There is only one victory won;
It could not be satanically halted;
As the Saviour cried out, It is done!

There’s a will, there’s a walk, there’s a witness;
For they each have a definite place;
First the will sets the walk by its fitness,
Then the witness is seen by its grace.

 

Distinctions
Behold, I show you a mystery.
1 Corinthians 15:51

The Scripture has distinctions,
That everyone should learn;
They keep us so we do not go
Astray at any turn;
Its teachings and predictions
Must tally with the whole;
We must define this study line,
And keep it as our goal.

There is a sad confusion
About the Christian church;
It did not dwell in Israel,
For such we vainly search;
It is a clear illusion
To correlate the two;
So earnest men should think again,
If this is what they do.

The Jewish state or nation
Has always been unique;
Its history has been to free
The Gentile or the Greek;
Its heritage, salvation,
Was settled in the past,
For prophecy could then foresee
The Saviour as He’s cast.

The Church is made of Gentiles;
Comprising also Jews;
It penetrates through all the states,
Proclaiming gospel news;
Apostles as they went miles,
Sent out by God’s command,
Evangelised the circumcised,
And men in every land.

When times have been completed,
And all the Church is called;
The Lord will come and take it home;
By which it is enthralled;
It never is depleted;
It cannot be curtailed;
The Lord will build until He’s filled
The temple He unveiled.

The nation will continue,
With restoration near;
It must go through a purging too;
A testing time severe;
So let this truth dwell in you,
If you should be perplexed;
The next event will represent
A well known Bible text.

The Church will have been taken
To its eternal rest;
Then Israel will know too well
Its long-awaited test;
This era will awaken
With promises of peace
But it will be a falsity,
As ravages increase.

The Church will be returning,
But first it must be tried;
The faithful work of judge or clerk,
That can’t be falsified;
Whatever is for burning
Will nowhere find a place,
But as sapphire endures a fire,
Rewards will be of grace.

 

Figures
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in,
he shall be saved…
John 10:9

Similes and metaphors
Are figures that we use,
Whether in our speech or in our writing;
Phrases such as open doors
Can spread the gospel news,
Making life attractive and exciting.

Scripture uses all of these
In setting matters clear,
Symbolising objects in a figure;
When we’re feeling ill-at-ease,
Or faith gives way to fear,
Love can be a motivating trigger.

Heaven is a far-off place,
Described in graphic terms,
Language fails in telling of its glory;
Grave has got a cold embrace
Inhabited by worms,
Hell will write its own infernal story.

Jesus said, I am the door;
There is no other way;
Time is running out for every sinner;
Do not tarry anymore;
Believe in Him today;

He can make a miscreant a winner.

Freedom
Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed Him,
If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31,32

Freedom is something we care for;
View with the highest accord;
And we should know what it’s there for:
Always to trust in the Lord.

God has imparted volition,
From which we cannot detract;
And with it goes a tradition,
Based on historical fact.

Freedom considers the other;
Limits are set within bounds;
Love between sister and brother,
Profits on mutual grounds.

Man cannot claim any glory;
He is conceived under sin;
Ongoing wars tell the story;
Enmity lingers within.

Freedom will be universal
In a millennial peace;
Justice will see no reversal;
Wars and aggression will cease.

Prior to this reconstruction,
Jesus the Saviour must rule;
Rebels will suffer destruction;
Scoffers will be as a fool.

Now is the golden occasion:
Freedom to trust in the Lord;
If we believe by persuasion,
Conscience and mind will applaud.

But if dissension continues,
Till we are stifled for breath,
Life will depart from our sinews;
Freedom will perish in death.

 

 

From Legacy to Liberty
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and
translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Colossians 1:13

As foolish unbelievers,
Without eternal life,
We did as it was natural to do;
The devil did deceive us
With issues that were rife,
Because we didn’t know they were untrue.

Among our formal teachers,
We learned a civil code:
The rudiments of life that we would need;
Yet being fallen creatures
Upon a sinful road,
We needed something more than just a creed.

We had a guilty conscience,
Like every other soul,
No matter if we own up or deny;
What some consider nonsense,
Or foolish as a whole,
Is something we must recognise or die.

The death we will be facing
Goes further than the grave;
It will go on forever in a fire;
The line that we are tracing
Is not just for the brave,
It is a choice before we must expire.

We must become believers,
As we are called to be:
Accepting Jesus Christ as God the Son;
No other can relieve us
For all eternity,
He will forgive for all the wrong we’ve done.

 

Illumination
I am the light of the world.
John 8:12

When there’s nothing to relieve us,
As inherent unbelievers,
We articulate a life that offers vain security;
But our rational decisions,
With their optimistic visions,
Cannot satisfy the longings in our private reverie.

As the Light is always shining,
Though our days may be declining,
It’s the only satisfaction that can meet our every need;
We shall meet our Lord Creator,
Very soon or sometime later,
When we recognise His Person and His all-redeeming deed.

If we do not heed or hearken,
As the days begin to darken,
To the voice that never ceases till our days have passed away;
We shall evermore regret it,
Agonise and not forget it,
That the Light we then rejected was our only hope and stay.

 

Inevitability
Behold, He is coming with clouds;
and every eye will see Him,
and they also who pierced Him.
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn
because of Him. Even so, Amen.
 Revelation 1:7

As time is advancing relentless,
With nations still looking for peace;
We think of the days when we spent less,
While spending more time on our knees.

The spiritual needs of our nation
Are deeper than ever before;
With many in need of salvation,
As God has kept open the door.

The nation that God is preserving
Will soon be brought into its own;
Events will be very unnerving
Before her salvation is known.

Whoever is anti-Semitic
Is being prepared for the war;
The daily reporter or critic
Can never interpret the score.

We wait for the Lord’s visitation
In clouds as He comes in the sky;
To take us to our destination:
The home He’s preparing on high.

And then will the evil be mounted,
With holy restraining removed;
As God’s holy word has recounted,
His promise of old will be proved.

 

Intelligence
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honour and power: for Thou hast created all things,
and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11

There are certain classes of creatures,
Revealed in the biblical word;
They each have intelligent features,
Allotted as God has preferred.

We read of the angelic orders,
Created in times that are past;
Though some violated their borders,
The most stay in roles they were cast.

The Gentiles comprise many nations,
That started at Babylon’s plain;
They live throughout all generations,
And so shall they ever remain.

The Jews are a people elected,
Unique among nations on earth;
Their calling has not been neglected,
It simply awaits a new birth.

The Christians have also a station,
For each has a singular claim;
Their trust in the God of salvation,
Has married their hearts to His name.

Intelligence that we inherit
Cannot change the nature within;
We need to be born of the Spirit,
Who cancels the power of sin.

Of every intelligence living,
The Lord is supreme in the skies;
Because He is kind and forgiving,
Believers are reckoned as wise.

 

Know Your Enemy
How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the Lord is God, follow Him;
   but if Baal, then follow him.
1 Kings 18:21

A prophet called Elijah
Had passions such as ours;
He spoke out for Jehovah
Before the ruling powers.

His prayerful stance and action
Brought harder times for all;
Yet there remained a fraction
Who did not worship Baal.

Elijah's prayer petition
Was not evoked in vain;
It brought a dry condition,
Without a drop of rain.

A drought depicts the climate 
Surrounding us today;
Whatever we spend time at,
We all have gone astray.

When people are confronted
With objects in their view;
They well may be affronted
In choosing twixt the two.

The choice remains as always,
For Baal is still around;
In city rooms and hallways
Or on provincial ground.

The kind of gods we follow,
Most often please the eye;
Yet such desire is hollow,
It cannot satisfy.

In times of mass declension
As in Elijah's day;
We must do more than mention
The one exclusive way.

Like those within his nation
Whose faith in God was staid,
So those who seek salvation
Will never be dismayed.

 

Meanings
Does this offend you? What then if you should see
the Son of man ascend where He was before?
It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:61-63

We need to agree on our meanings,
And not to rely on our leanings;
So as we define
Our credible line
We then can proceed to the gleanings.

Ambiguous words are misleading,
Where spiritual food is receding;
The nomenclature
Must not be obscure,
But like daily papers we’re reading.

We turn to a clear illustration,
As Jesus pursued His vocation;
His plain metaphor
In spiritual lore,
Ignited some sharp indignation.

When spiritual words are rejected,
By those who’ve become disaffected,
There is no excuse
For being obtuse,
Or having a mind disconnected.

The Lord is the food we rely on,
As people of God look to Zion;
His children well fed,
With true living bread,
Will praise Him from aeon to aeon.

 

Law and Grace
For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:17

Grace and law are coextensive,
In their own respective fields;
One is free and one defensive,
In the code each system yields.

Law is mainly shunned by breakers,
In their bold offensive style;
Any law passed by its makers
Cannot break a sinner’s guile.

Law was given on the Mountain
By the Lord unto His own;
Grace is like a crystal fountain
Emanating from His throne.

Law could not provide salvation;
It was never so designed;
But it needed proclamation,
Even though it is maligned.

Grace and truth came by the Master,
Reaching out to our distress;
He is our protective Pastor,
Leading us to godliness.

Grace and law must be distinguished,
If we are to live aright;
Law has never been extinguished;
Grace reveals its perfect light.

Grace abounds the wide world over,
Seeking every sinful soul;
For the restful and the rover,
Jesus is our dearest goal.

 

Obligations
Love one another with a pure heart fervently.
1 Peter 1:22

The road that we travel,
As tangles unravel,
Depends on the route we have taken;
We choose our direction,
By careful selection,
As pilgrims no longer forsaken.

A sister or brother,
Should pray for the other,
For each is a friend and a keeper;
The weak and the humble,
Together can stumble,
As well as the faltering sleeper.

We should not be strangers,
To ongoing dangers,
Which threaten a body unbroken;
It falls away quickly,
If members are sickly,
And spirits are not duly woken.

Our plain obligation,
In each situation,
Is ordered by faith intercession;
Petitions prevailing,
With vision unfailing,
Will strengthen our daily progression.

 

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