When one's defiled by hunger, pain and want,
A level's reached beyond hope and despair,
There is no need to threaten, terror haunt,
Those who no longer fight, no longer care.
What glory then to smash the poor to death?
What satisfaction? What great honor that?
What crowns bestowed? Does it increase the breadth
Of power, worldly fame to be a rat?
For rats they are, the wealthy who've laid waste
To global millions suffering at their hands.
"Oh No!" Rats protest, "You speak up in haste."
"Look at my charities; my giving stands!"
Oh, Christ did plead to give thy wealth away.
Inherit Spiritual Kingdoms. Hell assay!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Help in the Time of Need, The Lord
Oh Lord, help me when others cast me down.
And throttle all the hopes I have within,
Deride my soul and spirit, pound and pound
My work, my joy, my life as blasphemous sin!
Because they're tortured, crazed by inner strife,
They lash against those who they look to see
Are weaker, lamer, humbler, full and ripe
With gifts that they do lack in constancy.
I call upon you Lord to vindicate
My walk, my life, my work from those who prey
Upon my goodness, and would throw my fate
Into a deep abyss and You betray.
My realm is made by You and You o'erthrow
Their works of hate with Love on me bestowed.
And throttle all the hopes I have within,
Deride my soul and spirit, pound and pound
My work, my joy, my life as blasphemous sin!
Because they're tortured, crazed by inner strife,
They lash against those who they look to see
Are weaker, lamer, humbler, full and ripe
With gifts that they do lack in constancy.
I call upon you Lord to vindicate
My walk, my life, my work from those who prey
Upon my goodness, and would throw my fate
Into a deep abyss and You betray.
My realm is made by You and You o'erthrow
Their works of hate with Love on me bestowed.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Oh Lord Obedience is all You ask. 8/6/87 (original)
This is more toward the original sonnet that I wrote in 1987 because I was going through turmoil during the church scandal crisis of Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye and Jessica Hahn and Gene Profeta, Hahn's pastor.
It's a difficult lesson to learn, but necessary for those who want to follow Christ in spirit and in truth. Obedience, following the Lord's will (manifested in the commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and might; Love your neighbor as yourself.). Of course, that means turning the other cheek when someone goes to smack you on one cheek; you offer up the other for the person to hit, and this is important...sincerely mean it. As if to say, "Look, if you must really hit me, it's so important to you, then hit me on the other cheek also. Whatever makes you feel better. I understand.")
1. Can you do that to someone who is family? a sibling? a boss? a co-worker? The commandment says neighbor. What does that mean? If you are a billionaire, then your neighbor is likely to someone of your economic class. What does neighbor truly mean? Someone with the same values and spiritual beliefs? It is easy to bend and twist the commandment to mean what we want and end up, then, justifying our own brutality as kindness and our lack of forgiveness as a blessing. Sorry to use the pronoun "our." If it's troublesome, then please assume that I am talking about myself, because I am.
To follow the commandments, especially the second one, takes great understanding, divine understanding, and great personal power WITH humility. I can't do it alone. I need God's help and power to even begin to get the wisdom behind the commandments. In any case, this sonnet was an attempt at realizing the difficulty of obedience to God. I guess the Dali Lama has something when he discusses decreasing one's ego and self. But how do you do that when you are celebrated world-wide? If he were no longer heard from ever again, maybe that would be a beginning? Anyway, this was written in 1987 the time of church scandals.
To follow the first commandment, loving God, one is essentially alone in Him in one's walk. Only the person himself/herself has the relationship with God. No one can tell him/her how to establish that relationship. There can be guidance, but one has to establish it face to face with God, so to speak. And part of the process includes how obedient one is when the Spirit of God is leading him/her. This is tricky. If Spirit of the Lord is telling you to take a stand when no one else is doing it, or worse, others will point the finger and criticize and condemn for one's obedience, this is a hard road. However, the Spirit gives strength. Also, The Lord will not contravene His word (i.e. by insisting you murder or break his other commandments.). He will direct a person to seek the truth when others are lying. These others may have the "appearance" of righteousness and may come in sheep's clothing, but are actually wolves. If one is obedient, the Spirit of the Lord will reveal the truth, and will lead down an irregular road to get to the truth. But one will get there. I did. But it was very hard and the road had no light but the inner voice to get to another path that was smoother and in Light.
Oh Lord! Obedience is all You ask.
Submit ourselves as living sacrifice.
For then we are as lambs to do Your tasks,
To shed Your glory forth, to shine Your Light.
How does Your sweet, dear Light then shine in us?
We do Thy will. We do Thy way, Thy Truth.
We do die daily as in You we trust.
Flesh* crucified, our soul is misconstrued,
To look a fool, so people break our heart.
To uphold truth in goal and quest for Life
Is to be sacrificed to take Christ's part
In secret. Spiritual force destroys Hell's strife.
How is this Light revealed? Reproach is made.
For through God's son, flesh dies to people save.
flesh: carnal nature: ego, pride, self-interest, one's own agenda as paramount
It's a difficult lesson to learn, but necessary for those who want to follow Christ in spirit and in truth. Obedience, following the Lord's will (manifested in the commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and might; Love your neighbor as yourself.). Of course, that means turning the other cheek when someone goes to smack you on one cheek; you offer up the other for the person to hit, and this is important...sincerely mean it. As if to say, "Look, if you must really hit me, it's so important to you, then hit me on the other cheek also. Whatever makes you feel better. I understand.")
1. Can you do that to someone who is family? a sibling? a boss? a co-worker? The commandment says neighbor. What does that mean? If you are a billionaire, then your neighbor is likely to someone of your economic class. What does neighbor truly mean? Someone with the same values and spiritual beliefs? It is easy to bend and twist the commandment to mean what we want and end up, then, justifying our own brutality as kindness and our lack of forgiveness as a blessing. Sorry to use the pronoun "our." If it's troublesome, then please assume that I am talking about myself, because I am.
To follow the commandments, especially the second one, takes great understanding, divine understanding, and great personal power WITH humility. I can't do it alone. I need God's help and power to even begin to get the wisdom behind the commandments. In any case, this sonnet was an attempt at realizing the difficulty of obedience to God. I guess the Dali Lama has something when he discusses decreasing one's ego and self. But how do you do that when you are celebrated world-wide? If he were no longer heard from ever again, maybe that would be a beginning? Anyway, this was written in 1987 the time of church scandals.
To follow the first commandment, loving God, one is essentially alone in Him in one's walk. Only the person himself/herself has the relationship with God. No one can tell him/her how to establish that relationship. There can be guidance, but one has to establish it face to face with God, so to speak. And part of the process includes how obedient one is when the Spirit of God is leading him/her. This is tricky. If Spirit of the Lord is telling you to take a stand when no one else is doing it, or worse, others will point the finger and criticize and condemn for one's obedience, this is a hard road. However, the Spirit gives strength. Also, The Lord will not contravene His word (i.e. by insisting you murder or break his other commandments.). He will direct a person to seek the truth when others are lying. These others may have the "appearance" of righteousness and may come in sheep's clothing, but are actually wolves. If one is obedient, the Spirit of the Lord will reveal the truth, and will lead down an irregular road to get to the truth. But one will get there. I did. But it was very hard and the road had no light but the inner voice to get to another path that was smoother and in Light.
Oh Lord! Obedience is all You ask.
Submit ourselves as living sacrifice.
For then we are as lambs to do Your tasks,
To shed Your glory forth, to shine Your Light.
How does Your sweet, dear Light then shine in us?
We do Thy will. We do Thy way, Thy Truth.
We do die daily as in You we trust.
Flesh* crucified, our soul is misconstrued,
To look a fool, so people break our heart.
To uphold truth in goal and quest for Life
Is to be sacrificed to take Christ's part
In secret. Spiritual force destroys Hell's strife.
How is this Light revealed? Reproach is made.
For through God's son, flesh dies to people save.
flesh: carnal nature: ego, pride, self-interest, one's own agenda as paramount
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I'm Loved By Him! (Christ, the Lord) 1/7/87
I wrote this sonnet at one of the most abysmal times in my life. I was going to the church where Jessica Hahn had attended, The Full Gospel Tabernacle. I had left the choir and had felt that it was not the time to leave, yet. I didn't know what scandal would erupt in three months, but I knew that various members of the church, especially the pastor were in trouble in their walk with Christ and felt I had little in common with them, not because of my education and professional background, but because I was at a completely different spiritual level than they were. I am not bragging when I say this. My appearance belied who I was in Christ. If one didn't discern me after the Spirit of the Lord, the person or persons would be completely mislead by their sight. As much as was possible, I walked by faith and not by sight and I listened, followed and discerned after Christ's spirit. And that is one of the points of Christ's kingdom, a message that is eternal. One must discern after the Spirit to see the things of the Spirit, infused with Christ and his sacrifice of love. If one looks "in the natural," the carnal realm, one will miss the kingdom and Him completely. Believe me, I'm still learning. In any case, the sonnet was written out of my soul need as an encouragement to me in a very dark hour. As I read it years later, it still lifts me and I hope, it lifts you, even if you don't know Christ. And if you were drawn here, not knowing Him, just plug your name in place of the "I," and "I'm." Because the same applies to you as well.
I'm loved by Him! I'm loved! He worships me!
For I'm in Christ in whom He trusts, is pleased,
His friend to sword the Dark, bring Light, to see,
His farmer who plows ground and dungs His trees,
His Lamb that's slain so others resurrect,
His sheep matured who gives His covering,
His Word of power that works His full effect,
To break the veil of sorrow, and Joy bring.
I'm all to Him, a flame of ministering fire,
A glorious reigning wind, a flowering field,
The seed, life-bearing, sweet with His desire,
A child of age and time in Wisdom sealed.
I'm One with Him, His body and He's mine,
A fulfilled plan of infinitely pure design.
I'm loved by Him! I'm loved! He worships me!
For I'm in Christ in whom He trusts, is pleased,
His friend to sword the Dark, bring Light, to see,
His farmer who plows ground and dungs His trees,
His Lamb that's slain so others resurrect,
His sheep matured who gives His covering,
His Word of power that works His full effect,
To break the veil of sorrow, and Joy bring.
I'm all to Him, a flame of ministering fire,
A glorious reigning wind, a flowering field,
The seed, life-bearing, sweet with His desire,
A child of age and time in Wisdom sealed.
I'm One with Him, His body and He's mine,
A fulfilled plan of infinitely pure design.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Self-Condemnation: It's Over For You!
The greatest compliment our Lord receives
Of adoration and of praise and love
Is sweet identifying that we see
Our face as Christ's face, sacrificial love.
That we would know beyond all knowing ways,
That we would have all power and all might,
Believe and see we're in Him, are His Day,
Is seeing with His eyes; we are His sight!
To know that we're in HIM is what He wants,
Beyond self-condemnation and man's law.
To trust implicity our Sonship's launch,
To infinite realms where no one's gone before.
So praise your Father! Christ defeated sin.
Give thanks that it is finished. We're in Him!
Of adoration and of praise and love
Is sweet identifying that we see
Our face as Christ's face, sacrificial love.
That we would know beyond all knowing ways,
That we would have all power and all might,
Believe and see we're in Him, are His Day,
Is seeing with His eyes; we are His sight!
To know that we're in HIM is what He wants,
Beyond self-condemnation and man's law.
To trust implicity our Sonship's launch,
To infinite realms where no one's gone before.
So praise your Father! Christ defeated sin.
Give thanks that it is finished. We're in Him!
Fire Baptism in the Holy Spirit
When I behold His countenance of Light,
I'm struck, as lightening strikes a rooted tree.
Propelled toward energy, there's no respite,
From fusion with the Lord. I then believe.
Next, comes the process. Slowly it unfolds:
He sounds the depths and grows His silent might.
It spreads to all the corners of my soul,
And settles deep within, brings spiritual sight.
To walk by faith oh yield to blinding suns,
And couple with the heat and fiery froth.
Don't cling to cold and darkness' outer runs
And desolation's love which comes to naught.
So fiery brilliance, tongues of fiery flame
Engulf us, baptize us in Jesus Name.
I'm struck, as lightening strikes a rooted tree.
Propelled toward energy, there's no respite,
From fusion with the Lord. I then believe.
Next, comes the process. Slowly it unfolds:
He sounds the depths and grows His silent might.
It spreads to all the corners of my soul,
And settles deep within, brings spiritual sight.
To walk by faith oh yield to blinding suns,
And couple with the heat and fiery froth.
Don't cling to cold and darkness' outer runs
And desolation's love which comes to naught.
So fiery brilliance, tongues of fiery flame
Engulf us, baptize us in Jesus Name.
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