Remember the Saints in Caesar’s House

Tags

Caesar, Christ, God, poetry, Rome, Saints, Spiritual Warfare, Truth

image via wikiart. An experience that could have awaited any of those saints who dwelt even in Caesar’s own household….

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

As they walked among the dead,

There the light abroad was shed;

Side by side and unafraid,

For in Christ their debt is paid –

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

When the threat of death was nigh,

Lifted they their hearts on high,

Holding fast to truth and joy,

All their deeds they did employ;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Even in the throne of hell,

There our brothers they did dwell,

Beset ‘round with wickedness,

They were bid be anxiousless;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Believing Christ and knowing God,

After Him they boldly trod,

Even as an empire fell,

They their souls refused to sell;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Pressing on to win the prize,

Beyond their death they cast their eyes,

Conquerors they were, and free,

To Christ only bent their knee;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Beloved of God their every name!

Every enemy’s come to shame –

For the wrath of God is strong

Against all who do Him wrong;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Therefore do we stand our ground,

For the Truth of God is sound;

Those who mock it, they shall die,

As has every power on high;

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Scorning Christ and killing saints,

With their blood all Rome paints;

But overcome by light and peace,

Her black deeds have come to cease –

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house.

 

Christ does ever rule and reign,

Until that day He comes again;

Caesar’s sins are not forgotten,

For of God are the saints begotten,

Remember the saints in Caesar’s house!

 

Savannah Jane Parker – summer 2015
“God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved brethren, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” ~Philippians 2:9-13

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When May I Write?

Tags

Lyme, poetry, Writing

I just stumbled across this poem I wrote a couple of years ago as I was really beginning to loose the ability to think. I thought I’d share it here….

When May I Write?

My fingers are twitching,

My mind — it is itching,

Oh! When may I write?

My thoughts — they are reeling,

My head — it is spinning,

Oh! When may I write?

Things wish to be said,

Words want to be read,

Oh! When may I write?

The days — how they fly!

The hours pass by,

Oh! When may I write?

A Poem

Tags

Christ, Covenant theology, Glorifying God, Home, Life, poetry, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare

Warrior Child

Belonging everywhere and nowhere,
In this, my Father’s world,
My feet to wander feel the call.

Draw me, O draw me, to you, O Lord,
Let my heart cease its roaming,
Finding all peace and rest in you.

Lord of the nations, Giver of strength,
Shaper of hope, my only delight,
Be my home, O Lord Most High!

In the torrent and the fog,
Beneath the darkness and the pain, 
You are there, you, my only home.

As the arrow shaft flies swift and far,
My prayer for your glory rises,
O Lord, hear my quiet call.

Looking forth on a broken world,
To which I belong, yet am unknown,
Where shall you call me and send my feet?

My Lord, King of the whole earth,
Give me warrior feet, a tongue of praise,
A song of power, and words of peace.

So send me forth into your earth,
Armed and strong, fit for the fight,
A humble child, always, only, at home in you.

Of Pencils and Music and Lyme

Tags

Art, Beauty, Christ, Kingdom of God, Lyme, Music, poetry, Scripture

An anonymous gentleman from the 1850’s. Not my best portraiture ever, by any means, and rather incomplete, but my most recent attempt…two years ago….

Last evening, my sister gave me a music recording as a gift, which I decided to listen to this afternoon. But what I had been planning on doing in the meanwhile rapidly evaded me…instead, I reached up and grabbed the only pencil within reach and found myself scribbling on the paper in which she had wrapped the CD. This time it wasn’t flowers or dresses, though, as my doodles often emerge; it turned out to be a knight clad in thirteenth-century armor. It’s been quite a while since I’ve drawn anything, knights in particular, but that little drawing seemed to just flow out of Gabriel Hudelson’s music….

In the past, I have drawn portraits in colored pencil and even painted a few with oils. People have always been my favorite subjects for my artwork, though architecture and flowers are close behind. But as Lyme disease closed in on me, that bubbling creativity that I had called “mine” escaped from me. Yes, it fled quickly, with myself in hot pursuit — a pursuit that proved less than vain at the end. Then, as that happened and I continued to grow sicker, the very enjoyment of beautiful and creative things — whether music, art, poetry — simply left me. My favorite things slipped away. And my imagination wasn’t even left to me as I dropped the tools of the arts from my hands — my pencils and papers and paints, the inked up composition paper and my violin bow, and the flowing, rhythmic words….

I mourned these things for a while, but then I came to realize that this was where God has brought me for his own purposes and somehow, someday, for my own good, as well as for others. I also came to realize that it hadn’t ever been “my” creativity, per se, anyways — it was a gift from God which he had given to me to use. So I determined in myself that I would be grateful for whatever I had left and that I wouldn’t feel sorry for myself about it, nor would I be envious of others who possess and wield the creativity, the gifts, skills, talents, and enjoyments that I had once had and had aspired to further. Sometimes such sorts of resolutions are more difficult to keep than we would like them to be — but I have found the Scriptures always prove themselves true…and these are just a few passages of the many that I myself have relied on in recent times, as I have more and more come to understand that my own life, as small and Lyme-affected as it is, is part of something much bigger than myself, for I belong to Christ….

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:4-7

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you,” ~Psalm 86:5

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” ~Proverbs 12:1

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” ~Proverbs 16:3

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.” ~Psalm 37:8-9

“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declared the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them…..” ~Isaiah 41:13-17

For, indeed, the Lord does not forsake his own, for we are his, part of his kingdom, and are named his own children under the banner of the Christ, the Promised Son of David. Thus it is that I praise the Lord for his blessings on me and for his having given to me this day a tiny inkling of a return of a little creativity and slight measure of imagination…. As abilities are slowly, slowly seeming to once again become available for my use, it is also becoming apparent that they require re-training, re-disciplining, and even re-evaluation…. The tiny Lyme spirochetes are mighty in their destructive power — but their Creator is even mightier!

“To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is none besides him…And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them, and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.” ~Deuteronomy 4:35, 37-40

The Poetry of Wisdom

Tags

Beauty, Christian Education, Covenant theology, Doctrine, poetry, Proverbs, Teaching, Wisdom

image via wikiart.com

“Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you desire cannot be compared with her.” ~Proverbs 8:10-11

There is just a little more overview of the first nine chapters that I wanted to take note of before I go on into considering specific verses….

1) Note that this instruction is written as poetry. It is beautiful in form and delightful to the ear, even in the English translation, and thus addresses the whole heart of a person. This thread of delighting in beauty, together with the assumption of the very real value of physical beauty, is a theme woven throughout this entire book.

2) Note that this teaching is conveyed verbally – it is doctrine – even though it is lovely in its linguistic form. There are multiple layers of the literature to appreciate and learn from; for the first nine chapters are filled with repeated word-figures and illustrations, each building upon one another in both form and content. Yet, the harmony and beauty of the poetry does not mask the profound truths being taught as the foundation for all of life and as the groundwork and wellspring of a wise man’s thinking.

3) Note also how in this book of Solomon draws upon the Shema Israel as well as on the Decalogue throughout. His instruction is based upon the Lord’s character and his law, as he expounds on these things, applying them very practically for many various settings and occasions.

4) Note as well how it goes back to Genesis, sourcing wisdom in God and setting it contrary to death. Allusions to Eden and outright references to God’s creation of the world are prominent in this first section of the book of Proverbs. Even though Folly and Wisdom are not described as being directly at war with one another in these passages, it is made clear that the attainment of wisdom is a matter of life and death.

5) Note that the personifications of Wisdom and of Folly are both women – women who are presented as inviting the attentions of the youth to whom this book of instruction is addressed in very different manners. In this, there is no conflict set up between men and women and there is no disparaging of either men’s or women’s ability and duty to gain wisdom. In a way, by the use of this illustration as wisdom personified as a woman, the idea is conveyed that Wisdom is the woman that the youth must win in order to become a mature man. She is to be as the wife of his bosom to him, his constant companion – and she, in turn, will be his guard from the woman Folly, whose ways lead to death.

6) Note that what is contained in this book is what Solomon wanted his son to know. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wanted to pass down to his son this framework of understanding, this paradigm upon life. He had much wisdom, understanding, and insight – and, of all of it, this very practical book is what he wanted to give to his son as his inheritance from his father. He wanted his son to perceive and interpret the world as he did – hence, the writing of this book for instruction. This is no generic series of wise sayings – rather, it is the fruit of a multi-generational perspective of wisdom and understanding, completely devoid of the elements of peer-segregation and pop culture. Indeed, when peer-segregation is even perhaps alluded to, it is always with a negative connotation.

All in all, I think there is much to learn from in the book of Proverbs, even beyond a consideration of the wise sayings and proverbial statements themselves, as useful as that in itself is. For these must be understood within the Biblical framework of thought provided in the first several chapters if they are to be fully understood and applied aright to the heart of an individual. Practical understanding and prudence is worth a very great deal – but the fuller knowledge, understanding, and insight of wisdom is grounded in the wellspring of faith.

“…to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” ~Colossians 2:2-4

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” ~Hebrews 11:1-3

The Gospel Covenant

Tags

Christ, Covenant of Grace, Covenant theology, God, Gospel, poetry, Salvation

I found this little poem somewhere recently, scratched out in my scrawling hand….

My God has declared a covenant.

This – this is the gospel!

Among the nations he shall be praised; 

For he is merciful.

 

Justice is satisfied, 

Holiness is met; 

Mercy has triumphed,

Love has won.

 

God has made a covenant eternal,

His own he has chosen;

Christ has taken up the station,

He – he alone – the Mediator.

 

Come! O, come and hear!

Hearing, heed his command!

The King is come!

Death is overrun and razed!

 

Salvation is eternal life; 

Life is to know the Father; 

To know him is to be born anew;

To be re-born is to belong to Christ.

 

Come and see the Christ!

You will see the covenant.

Let your heart be changed,

Lest you pass by the mercy of God. 

 

Pass by Christ and pass by life;

Ignore the Mediator and despise your Maker.

Pass by Christ and pass on to death,

Where there is only pain and sorrow forever.

 

Pass by Christ and feel God’s wrath;

He has no mercy for you.

Pass by Christ and joy you will never know;

For God’s covenant you call a lie.

 

Do you believe?

Where is your faith?

Are you dead?

Beg for life.

 

He will hear.

He has spoken.

His covenant stands.

His name shall be praised.

 

Amen.

Only Jesus Leads to Thee…

Tags

Christ, Eternity, Faith, God the Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, poetry, Trinity

A cousin of mine wrote this poem. When I asked him if I could post it on my blog, he granted permission only with the stipulation that I do not give his name…

I love this–it is so beautiful! I love the Trinitarian nature of the hymn–I love the multi-generational outlook of the prayer–I love the simple faith that looks to Christ as the way to the Father, the way to life, the way to peace…I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
One God while yet three.
Help us all to please Thee
And help our children know Thee.
Teach us all upon thy knee
That only Jesus leads to Thee.

Almighty God through this present strife
Only your love gives us life.
Help us see what lies ahead:
What to embrace and what to dread
From our birth to eternity, never let us leave Thee.
Teach us all upon Thy knee
That only Jesus leads to Thee.

As we and our children learn and grow
Almighty God please help us know
That in this creation this is so:
You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One
You, our God are the Eternal One.
Teach us all upon Thy knee
That only Jesus leads to Thee

Oh Holy and Eternal One, grandchildren come
Before their lives here are done
Please cause them like us to know Thy Son;
That You and He are more than Love:
You are omnipotent from above.
Teach us all upon The knee
That only Jesus leads to Thee

And now O Holy Trinity as we approach eternity
Help us and me to heed Thee
Now Holy One please help us all Thy will to see
That from Thy knee we’ve learned – one and all
That You, Father, Jesus and the Spirit are One
Help us answer Thy simple call
And to be with You when this life is done.

The Road

Tags

Christian Walk, Faithfulness of God, Journey, Life, Lord, poetry, Road

I wrote this poem some time ago, but am just now getting it posted….

I walk because of your faithfulness.

Now the road is level.

When I peer ahead to see where it goes,

I see but a mirage.

May I walk in faithfulness to you.

You know where it leads;

The road has been devised for me.

It may turn sharply soon;

Perchance it may lead to a cliff.

The road may soon surmount a hill;

Or take me down the slippery scree.

I may escape a sudden fall,

To be brought very high.

Or, perhaps, from joy aloft,

The road may plunge down to grief.

Only you know, O Lord.

You know the meadows and passes,

The storms and the lulls,

The passions and the coldness,

The twists and the fogs,

The fears and the confidences,

The love and the trust,

The mercy and the justice,

That are on my road.

But I walk because of your faithfulness.

Summa et Soli Deo Gloria.

Just a Little Poem…

Tags

Glorifying God, God, Hymn, Love of God, Mercy of God, poetry, Praise, Worship

Many thanks to God above

Rise from my tongue, full of love;

For who can know his mercies

And not return to him praises?

 

O God! Be not far from me!

May I ever be enabled to see

Thy love, truth, grace, peace,

Compassion, justice–to never cease!

 

Let me then ever sing

Unto Thee, my eternal King;

That my tongue may ever be

Lifted in thanksgiving to Thee!

 

Though my rhymes be rough and poor,

Within them my heart dost soar

To worship Thee, my Father above,

Savior, Redeemer, and King of Love!

The Journey

Tags

Christ, Journey, Life, poetry, Truth

 

A pilgrim journey I am on,

A searcher’s path I trod,

A wanderer on and on,

Until I join the sod.

 

Truth is my quest,

Quietness my aim;

Submissiveness is no jest,

Dependence sometimes in pain.

 

Christ is all and in all,

To me who am His own,

To me whom He shall call,

Even as eternity is sown.