Author: parasbovolos

There is a wisdom from above

That surpasses everything,

Because God’s knowledge and instruction

Much joy and peace it brings.

Oftentimes we are wise

But we’re wise in our own eyes,

With worldly wisdom to solve our issues;

But where true solutions are disguised.

Worldly wisdom will appeal

To the itching of the ear,

And unless we meditate and pray for truth

It’s what we wish to hear.

To be wise in our own eyes

Will sustain us for a time,

But the moment surely will arise

When God’s wisdom we’ll strive to find.

Because His wisdom is discerning;

It digs deeper so it finds,

The core focus of the issue at hand

Since it’s pure and is refined.

God’s wisdom stores understanding

Where true knowledge will abound,

It’s when the paths of justice are preserved

And where righteousness is found.

When God’s wisdom enters our heart through grace

And HIs knowledge is stored in our soul,

It will deliver us from the way of evil

With a reverence to behold.

It is health to our flesh

And becomes strength to our bones,

When God is feared and respected

As we worship Him alone.

Wisdom is pure and undefiled

When it emanates from God’s holy word;

Where discretion will preserve us

As we trust in our precious Lord.

(C) P.B. 2022

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.  It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”  Proverbs 3:7-8

“Wisdom is the principal things; therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding.  Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her.”  Proverbs 4:7-8

“I wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.”  Proverbs 8:12

“For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favour from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”  Proverbs 8:35-36

“Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil,”  Proverbs 2:11-12

“For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.”  Proverbs 2:6-9

“I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.  I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”  Psalm 119:15-16

‘For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”  1 Corinthians 1:17

“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.”  1 Corinthians 1:22-23

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise,”  1 Corinthians 1:27

“Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’, and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’” 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”  2 Corinthians 1:12

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.  This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil things are there.  James 3:13-16

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”  James 3:17

A giving heart is pleasant

Like water to a garden that’s parched;

It is timely and so generous

When through love it’s set apart.

A heart that’s filled with giving

Will prosper in all its ways;

It is a well-nourished spring indeed

And a blessing to our days.

A giving heart is kind

When it never seeks its own,

And doesn’t expect anything in return

Where compassion it is shown.

He who gives to the poor

Will never lack anything in due time,

But he who hides his eyes

Commits a heartless act of crime.

Our finances are not our own

Since it is God who’s in control,

And when we firmly grasp onto same

It becomes an idol and stronghold.

A giving heart is like silver and gold

It’s a precious gem indeed,

And it’s pure when done in secret

Where a reward will not be seen.

Because God sees all our works

And knows all our motives too,

Since we either gain the credit or give glory to God

When we give in all we do.

God’s heart is filled with giving

As He breathed life into everything,

And His greatest gift is Jesus Christ

With the salvation that He brings.

(C) P.B. 2022

“He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.”  Proverbs 28:27

“A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.”  Proverbs 28:22

“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand known what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”  Matthew 6:3-4

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”  Ephesians 4:28

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”  Luke 16:13

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”  1 Timothy 6:17-19

There is One who is wise

And mighty with great strength;

His sovereign ways are evident

With tender mercies at great length.

He spread out the heavens

And does wonders without number;

His work throughout the earth is good

And He never sleeps nor slumbers.

He made the Orion and Bear

And the great Pleiades too;

There is nothing at all impossible

With all that He can do.

The wonders without number

When He decided to create us,

And the majesty of our features

As we’re made from mere dust.

He created us in His image

To love Him through relationship,

But the fall contributed to a great loss

And our direction went amiss.

The miraculous fact that we can see

From the brilliance of our eyes,

Is a testament to His splendour

And that can never be denied.

The fact that we can hear

Is another wondrous design,

And our nails furnish our hands and feet

As our frame is much refined.

There are wonders without number

When we look unto the sky,

Where the twinkle of the stars

Greater size than earth are multiplied.

The sweetness of all animals

And their unique design as well,

They are precious and so wonderful

And God’s glory they do spell.

Miracles without number;

They span one after another,

With the remarkable gift of life

From our dear Heavenly Father.

His love gave us Jesus Christ

As it was all part of His great plan,

And we thank Him for this gift;

Much too wondrous to understand.

Wonders without number

Particularly via His saving grace,

When His love meets with mercy

And forgiveness interlaced.

(C) P.B. 2022

“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength…He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.”  Job 9:4-10

“So God created man in His own image;”  Genesis 1:27

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”  Genesis 2:7

“He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.”  Psalm 121:3

“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You…I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”  Job 42:2-5

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”  Psalm 139:13-14

When we are consumed

With whatever it may be,

It absorbs our heart and soul

And it becomes idolatry.

When troubles they consume us

They are simply magnified,

Because when they’re fuelled by our thoughts

Our worries won’t subside.

When we are consumed

By any situation too,

There will be no rest or respite

With anxiety in all we do.

When we are consumed

By any relationship as well,

There may be jealousy and insecurity

Where suspicion it may dwell.

But when we hand it over to God

And lay it at His feet,

There’s a burden that is released

Where comfort and peace will greet.

The devil tries to consume us

In every way he can,

He will tempt us and place fear;

To manipulate at his demand.

The Lord will consume

Satan and all his ways,

And destroy every wickedness

Where God’s glory will remain.

God wants us to be consumed

In Him and in His ways,

To be placed in His tender care

And where clarity remains.

As we humbly bow the knee

And ask for forgiveness too,

We’ll be liberated in many ways

With a vision that is true.

He gives us power and a sound mind

And eradicates confusion;

With a renewed heart and a steadfast faith;

With a genuine new mission.

When we ask ourselves the question

As to what really consumes us,

We analyse our situation;

Our desires and our lusts.

Jesus sets us free

When His Spirit comes to live,

In our heart and soul forever

As we’re consumed by only Him.

(C) P.B. 2022

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”  1 Corinthians 10:14

“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

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”  Proverbs 12:25

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  1 Peter 5:8

“And when the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.”  2 Thessalonians 2:8-9

“For our God is a consuming fire.”  Hebrews 12:29

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,”  1 Corinthians 14:33

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear by voice!  Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.”  Psalm 130:1-4

Thank you Lord for calling people

Into Your kingdom every day,

Because the world is a better place

When people humble themselves and pray.

Thank you Lord for being in control

And appointing souls into Your care,

Because the most precious gift is eternal life

In Your kingdom where You’re there.

Thank you Lord for softening the hardest hearts

As they repent and call Your name,

When lives are radically changed indeed

And no longer are the same.

The worldly ways will tell us

That negativity and evil reign,

But it’s behind the scenes that You will work

As people surrender in Your name.

Thank you Lord as You orchestrate

Every test and trial in us,

And although it’s never pleasant at the time

The long term benefits do last.

Thank you Lord as You surprise us

When You call those we never would,

Because Your love and grace extends far beyond

And is always pure and good.

Thank you Lord as Your humble servants

Mainly work behind the scenes,

Because it’s Your name they wish to glorify

Not wanting to be seen.

Thank you Lord when words of kindness

Emanate from those You’ve called,

And where sincere motives with a childlike faith

In the heart they are installed.

Thank you Lord for Your amazing grace

Because it’s never earned or ever deserved,

But it’s through Your tender mercies and pure heart

When with Your love You serve.

You gave us the most precious gift;

Jesus Christ our dear Lord,

And inspired scriptures as a guide

As we journey with Your word.

Thank you Lord, we thank You

Because Your phenomenal ways inspire,

As we press towards the eternal goal

When Your ways we do admire.

(C) P.B. 2022

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  2 Corinthians 9:15

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”  Psalm 100:4-5

“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”  Acts 14:22

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”  Mark 10:15

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”  Hebrews 12:11

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”  2 Timothy 3:16

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:14

It is no trivial matter

And one to never take too lightly,

When only a remnant will be saved 

For the glory of Almighty.

A remnant is a trace remaining

From a small surviving group;

Perhaps a third from its entirety;

A small number of the troops.

It’s a God-fearing people

And persecuted for His name,

But who overcome by the blood of the Lamb

Where victory in Christ is claimed.

This group receives the largest blessing

In all of eternity,

By virtue of their faithfulness

And through only Christ they were set free.

The remnant will not go with the flow

Or believe all that tickles the ear,

But will line it up with the word of God

With all they see and hear.

They will trust in God’s sovereignty

And know He is in control,

As their first love is Jesus Christ

Where much fruit will unfold.

Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’

Will enter the kingdom of heaven,

Because although they claim to be Christian

They harbour many doctrines of leaven.

The remnant is a minute number;

One that is put through the fire,

To be tested and to be refined;

A group to be admired.

The remnant will hear those precious words

‘Well done, good and faithful servant’,

Since their focus and trust was in Christ alone

And their love for Him was fervent.

(C) P.B. 2022

“And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call on My name, and I will answer them.  I will say, ‘This is my people’, and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”  Zechariah 13:8-9

“When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.  For I am the Lord Your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”  Isaiah 43:2-3

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21

“You ran well.  Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”  Galatians 5:7-9

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.’”  Matthew 25:21

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  2 Timothy 4:3-4

“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:46

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:15

There is always a better way

To what we may see or know,

And although it may go against the grain

There is freedom as we sow.

It is better to display righteousness

But where finances are depleted,

Rather than to have vast riches and wealth as well

But where justice is omitted.

Better to eat a morsel that’s dry

But where peace resides within,

Rather than to dwell in a house filled with delicacies

But laden with strife and sin.

Better to gain wisdom from God

Rather than all the gold to collect,

Where understanding is chosen over silver

To avoid unnecessary regret.

Better to have little

But have reverence for the Lord,

Rather than mammon and great treasure

But where trouble is aboard.

Better to dine with herbs 

But where genuine love exists,

Rather than a fatted calf and all the finest things

But where hatred is in our midst.

Better to dwell on a housetop

But where quietness is found,

Rather than in a home shared with contentions

Where trouble will abound.

Better is one who is poor

But will walk in integrity,

Rather than a rich one perverse in all his ways

Where disgrace is only seen.

When we receive an open rebuke

It is better for our soul,

Rather than feelings that are suppressed

Where deception may take hold.

It is better to be humble

And associate with the lowly too,

Because there are benefits when one is meek;

When words are sincere and true.

And it’s better to trust in the Lord

Rather than in man to place confidence,

Because when God sits in the centre of our heart

There is surety and rest.

(C) P.B. 2022

“Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice.”  Proverbs 16:8

“Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.”  Proverbs 17:1

“How much better to get wisdom than gold!  And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”  Proverbs 16:16

“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.”  Proverbs 15:16

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.”  Proverbs 15:17

“Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.”  Proverbs 21:19

“Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”  Proverbs 28:6

‘Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”  Proverbs 19:1

“Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”  Proverbs 27:5

“Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”  Proverbs 16:19

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”  Psalm 118:8

When someone loves to slander

They are openly displaying hate,

Because when one’s reputation is tarnished

Even an apology is too late.

When someone loves to gossip

It will separate the closest of friends,

And once this trust is broken

It’s difficult to make amends.

When someone loves to hate

It’s a web within their soul,

Where darkness and all unrighteousness

In the heart creates strongholds.

When a neighbour’s possessions are coveted

It is envy from within,

And it’s where greed comes knocking on the door

Of the heart and causes sin.

When someone is insincere

And although greets you with a kiss,

It’s like venom and a spider’s web

When affections go amiss.

All unrighteousness begins deep within;

In the seat of our heart,

Where disloyalty along with suspicion

Will tear relationships apart.

When we ask for forgiveness

From God and others too;

When it flows sincerely from within

Our heart will be renewed.

The fruit of love is evident;

It suffers long and it is kind;

Will not envy or parade itself

And bears all things and is refined.

Only God can ultimately remove

The cobwebs in our heart,

When He reconciles us and restores 

As we make a brand new start.

(C) P.B. 2022

“Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.”  Proverbs 10:18

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”  Proverbs 10:19

“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.”  Proverbs 12:20

“A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health.”  Proverbs 13:17

“Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he hides it under his tongue…it becomes cobra venom within him.”  Job 20:12-14

“Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”  Proverbs 17:28

“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife…nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”  Exodus 20:17

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matthew 6:14-15

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Self-sufficient is to be independent

And to provide for oneself,

Without the assistance from others

And not requiring any help.

When self-sufficiency will tell us

That we don’t need God or Christ,

We’ll continue in a deceptive state

Until God’s truth we realise.

When we believe we don’t need Christ;

Until we really do,

For too long we have been self-sufficient

And believed our ways were true.

Our pride will never ask for help;

It’s just something it will never do,

But there comes a time in our life

When humility shines through.

And self-sufficiency will tell us

There’s no need to repent,

Until we realise that we need a physician

And understand what Jesus meant.

Self-sufficiency and pride

Is honoured in the eyes of man,

But it’s a humble heart that God does seek;

One that trusts and understands.

Self-sufficiency relies on our own strength

When God is not in our equation,

And where rebellion dwells in our heart

With the strongest of foundation.

Self-sufficiency will raise the fist

To God and all His ways;

It will whisper that we don’t need Him

And there’s no need to ever pray.

But in a time of crisis

Self-sufficiency will stumble,

Because we’re fallible and just a vapour

Where our heart can fail and crumble.

It’s a broken spirit and a contrite heart

That’s acceptable in God’s eyes,

When He opens the eyes of our heart

And exposes all the lies.

Jesus sets us free

From all self-righteousness and lies,

When we submit and humble ourselves indeed

And in God’s ways we do abide.

It’s by His grace and mercy

That we’re set free from all our chains,

And where an exchange will take place

When hope and faith in Christ remains.

(C) P.B. 2022

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  James 4:6

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away…But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.”  James 4:13-16

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.”  Psalm 51:17

“A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.”  Proverbs 14:16

“Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the power of the heavens will be shaken.”  Luke 21:26

“ When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”  Matthew 9:12-13

These days are fast approaching

And perhaps we’re in the midst of them,

Where godlessness will try to prevail

Bringing sorrow and much shame.

Difficulties will arise

Because when God is far removed,

From all institutions of society

Every aspect will not improve.

In the last days…

People will be lovers of themselves,

And have no respect or any regard;

It’s where arrogance will dwell.

In the last days…

Parents will not be respected,

And where ungratefulness and heartless measures

Towards each other will be subjected.

In the last days…

The slander without self-control,

With recklessness, swollen with conceit

In the heart will take strongholds.

In the last days…

His noble name will be blasphemed,

Where unwholesome words will proceed

And where unforgiveness will be seen.

In the last days…

The love of money will increase,

With brutal tactics that are unappeasable

And where pleasures they will seek.

It’s a sad state of affairs

When the author of life is rejected,

And when evil ways are much preferred

And where God’s statutes are not respected.

There is always a consequence

As we reap what we do sow,

But there’s safety and protection

When God’s ways we learn and know.

In the last days…

God help everyone left on earth,

As we pray sincerely that all repent

And be renewed with the spiritual birth.

(C) P.B. 2022

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.  And from such people turn away!”  2 Timothy 3:1-4

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 2:38

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal…But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”  Revelation 21:10, 21:27

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”  John 3:3