Author: parasbovolos

We hear it many times

To keep an ‘open mind’ indeed,

But in all honesty we need to ask

What exactly does this mean?

Is it to encompass every idea

And believe every word that’s said?

Or is it to be nonchalant

Or to believe our thoughts instead?

When we loathe that a holy God

Will be sovereign in our lives,

It’s because our philosophies take priority

As we’ve fallen for the lies.

Philosophies can be good

But they’ll never lead to salvation,

Since they’re mainly focused on good works

And not on Christ’s foundation.

Society believes that those of faith

Are closed minded indeed,

And narrow in their approach as well

Where oppressive ways they feed.

When God’s word offends us

It’s a natural reaction indeed,

Because when we idolise our carnal ways

We refuse to listen and to take heed.

But God’s thoughts are not like ours

As He’s superior to all,

And extends revelation of His ways

When our name He calls.

When we humble ourselves

And revere God Almighty,

We realise we’re just a vapour

And not so strong and mighty.

When we enter through that narrow gate

Our heart and soul is open to see,

God’s brilliance and His majesty

And how His hand does intercede.

We should take care with caution

When we promote an ‘open mind’,

Because when anything goes and all is acceptable

Our morals are left behind.

God has a standard

And it’s promoted in His word,

To take captive and renew our thoughts

To coincide with the Lord’s.

To have an open mind

Should leave our selfish ways behind,

With our arrogant and unkind ways

So our thoughts with God can be aligned.

When we’re open to Jesus Christ

And receive His sacrifice,

We’re open to eternal life

And closed minded to heretical lies.

(C) P.B. 2021

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”  Colossians 2:8

“For the weapons of warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”  2 Corinthians 10:5

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind..”  Ephesians 4:23

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”  Ephesians 4:29

“Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him..”  Luke 24:31

“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:45

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:14

No trial or tribulation

Or pain and torture too,

Will ever compare to those in hell:

A place that’s real and true.

We like to believe all rest in peace

Without the writhing in agony too,

When our humanistic and worldly ways

Want to determine what is true.

When God says ‘Depart from Me’

To those who believe were His,

Imagine the level of deception

And the lies that have bred within.

When Jesus sits at the centre

Of our heart and in all we do,

There is clarity in our decisions

With His wisdom that is true.

Our friends may appear sincere

But their opinions can lead us to hell,

When they’re not grounded in the word of God

Where truth and righteousness does dwell.

Because the gate is truly narrow

As Christ proclaims He is the way,

And the truth and life that leads to God

Where this fact always remains.

Jesus spoke of hell

And several times indeed,

And we sincerely know He never lied

But warned us gently to take heed.

When we examine ourselves

And forgive those who do us wrong,

God’s forgiveness will extend to us

With His grace so pure and strong.

These words are penned with love

And never to judge or to condemn,

But as a warning and a timely reminder

That God’s judgement will be sent.

A loving God demands justice

As He’s sincere and holy too,

And given that we all fall short

We need the Holy Spirit to be renewed.

As long as there is breath

There’s time to repent and change:

To rest in greener pastures

Where God’s mercy will remain.

Nothing will compare 

To God’s grace and forgiveness too,

Hence the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Who expressed His love for me and you.

(C) P.B. 2021

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it.”  Matthew 7:13

“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.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  Matthew 7:21-23

“It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire – ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”  Mark 9:47-48

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

“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

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.  For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.”  Isaiah 30:18

“Now ‘if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’” 1 Peter 4:18

“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

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”  John 14:6

How wonderful is Your tabernacle

And secure Your covering;

A resting place for our soul

Where love and peace it brings.

Better is one day in Your courts

Than a thousand days elsewhere,

As Your Spirit and Your presence

Can never be compared.

One day in Your courts

Renews our strength and grace,

Because it’s only You that provides true peace

When we seek You face to face.

One day in Your courts

Provides a sweet smelling scent;

A fragrance that ignites our soul

When we sincerely do repent.

You withhold no good thing

From those who respect You Lord;

Who understand Your riches

That are found in Your word.

One day in Your courts

Should become a daily visitation,

When our soul is hungry for Your truth:

To absorb without hesitation.

Blessed is the soul

Whose hope is found in You,

And covered by Your love and grace

When the heart is renewed.

The worldly ways can rob our soul

With negativity and jealousies,

But to spend one day in Your courts

Much joy and peace we’ll see.

None can compare to You

As you reignite our soul,

When the fruit of the spirit is deposited

Within to seal that hole.

One day in Your courts

Where the sunshine never ends;

Where our heart and soul cries out for You:

When our praise to You we send.

(C) P.B. 2021

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.”  Psalm 84:10

“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”  Psalm 84:1-2

“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.”  Psalm 84:4

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”  Psalm 84:5

“For the Lord is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  Psalm 84:11

“O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!”  Psalm 84:12

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  Galatians 5:22

We’re accustomed to the natural;

As far as the eye can see,

And trust in the tangible

Where proof and evidence is seen.

But there are moral implications

That extend into the spiritual realm,

Along with root causes that cannot be seen

That can leave us overwhelmed.

If earth was our only reality

Then Christ we would not need,

Because if the afterlife did not exist

There’d be no Savior to intercede.

God’s put eternity in our heart

Whether we realise this or not,

But we’re distracted to discover the truth

When too absorbed with our lot.

Fear is debilitating

And will take full control and reign,

Where our common sense is numbed

And where logic does not remain.

All forms of negativity

Have a deep root within,

And stem from the powers of darkness

Associated with our sin.

It’s the invisible attributes

That gain power in our lives,

But we prefer to claim another source

When reality is disguised.

There’s more than meets the eye

And we’d be pleasantly surprised,

When we discover the deeper meaning;

When scales fall from our eyes.

When we have true vision

Of what the Father does desire,

We were once blind but now we see

As our heart and soul is rewired.

Jesus came to set us free

With a heavy price to pay:

He’s the epitome of love and grace

And forever this remains.

God’s vision was pure and clear

As He saw our eternity,

And sacrificed His dear Son

So eternal life we see.

(C) P.B. 2021

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”  1 Corinthians 15:19

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

“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”  Galatians 6:8

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16

“Also He has put eternity in their hearts…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

“…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:23-24

“Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptised.”  Acts 9:18

“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

An afterthought is an idea

Not originally planned or intended,

And remembered at a later time

So the feature is amended.

We are not an afterthought

Since everything was contained,

In the sperm and egg with our DNA

Where no seam it will remain.

Look at how we’re created

Ten fingers and a nose,

All features working in harmony

With seeing eyes and ten of our toes.

We are not an afterthought

And definitely not a mistake,

Because God is sincere from the start

And will never become fake.

Christ was not an afterthought

Since the Father could foresee,

Our fallen nature and a requirement

For a Savior that we would need.

An afterthought does not contain

The original plan and design,

Because the addition and amendment

Leaves its simplicity behind.

At times we feel like an afterthought

When we’re initially rejected,

By those we believe are our friends

But instead forgotten or neglected.

An afterthought will never exist

In the Father’s pure mission,

Because He’s true and precious and truly divine

With a faithful plan and vision.

God is wholehearted from the beginning

With a steadfast perspective indeed,

When He gave us Christ to die on the cross

And for our sins to intercede.

(C) P.B. 2021

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”  Psalm 139:13

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”  Psalm 139:16

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”  Jeremiah 1:5

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.”  Jeremiah 17:5

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters…” Jeremiah 17:7-8

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you, and you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 17:11-13

The most magnificent voice of all

Belongs to God Almighty;

The Creator of Heaven and Earth,

Full of majesty and is mighty.

His voice thunders over many waters

And flames of fire He divides;

With great power filled with wisdom,

It’s a voice that never dies.

His spoken word created all

And made the deer to give birth;

His glory extends forevermore

Along with His precious worth.

His voice is pure and holy

And with authority it’s enthroned;

It can never contradict itself;

With integrity in His tone.

It thunders over valleys

And will shake the wilderness;

His voice can strip the forests bare

But will also give us rest.

He sits as King forever

And will distribute His great strength,

To those who revere and fear His name

With provision at great length.

No other voice can ever compare

And no sweeter can it be,

Because the melody that’s in His word

Will entirely set us free.

Free from chains of bondage

Where true liberty abounds,

And where true peace, love and joy

His glory it will sound.

He rejoices over us

And sings His praises too;

The most magnificent and dearest voice

That is sincere and is true.

(C) P.B. 2021

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”  Genesis 1:3

“Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’”  Genesis 1:20

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters, the voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”  Psalm 29:3-4

“The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness…the voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’”  Psalm 29:8-9

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”  Psalm 29:11

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  John 1:1-3

“And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”  Isaiah 62:5

When the rainbow in our heart

Ceases to exist,

It’s where every hope and dream within

Has died or gone amiss.

When the tears soak our pillow

From our waterfall within,

The pain’s too much to bear

When things look dark and dim.

But this phase is only temporary

Like every other thing on earth…

And it’s through this broken vessel

Where new adventures can be birthed.

At times it is a whirlwind

With no perceived end in sight;

A vortex that spans deeper

Resisting all our strength and might.

It’s like a battle never ending;

A war that’s deep within,

When we become the casualties

And can never really win.

But our battle is not fought alone

When we come to understand,

That our Creator is fully aware of same

As He holds us by the hand.

He mends our broken soul

And our battered heart He seals,

With His promises that are eternal

And our emotions He does heal.

But it requires humility on our part

To come to the realisation,

That we need God in a deeper way

Along with faith, hope and patience.

When it hurts…

The hope we so desperately need,

Is only a cry or a whisper away

For our God to intercede.

(C) P.B. 2021

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  Psalm 147:3

“I set My rainbow in the cloud…and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”  Genesis 9:13-15

“…for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.”  Joshua 23:10

“The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”  Exodus 14:14

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:4

A tree is never barren

Although it may shed its leaves,

Because the season that it enters

Is preparation for all to see.

As the leaves tumble to the ground

They’re still beautiful to behold,

With majestic colours that they contain

Namely, Sienna, Brown and Gold.

Although the twigs and branches

Are exposed for all to see,

They create a beautiful landscape

Since unique is every tree.

A tree is known by its fruit

And the succulence of same,

As it produces the quality from within

When in good soil it remains.

Our lives may appear barren

And our leaves are no longer there,

But it’s an open canvas for new beginnings

In God’s tender love and care.

The tree in the midst of Winter

Stands solid, tall and strong;

It waves its branches as it sways

With roots so deep and long.

But it begins to really flourish

When the season turns to Spring,

Along with every pure and tender bud

And hope that it does bring.

In the midst of Summer

It provides comfort and shade,

With a refreshing and delightful peace

When its cover does remain.

The winds of life may shake us

But when the roots are very deep,

No storm, or hail or hurricane

Our downfall it will seek.

But when the tree is bad

And its period of grace has expired,

It is cursed and good for nothing

And no longer to be admired.

But the tree that’s planted by the water

And is nourished and prolific too,

Will continue to produce good fruit

That is genuine and true.

(C) P.B. 2021

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”  Psalm 1:3

“You will know them by their fruits…Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”  Matthew 7:16-17

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, ‘Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.’”  Mark 11:13-14

“Look at the fig tree and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”  Luke 21:29-31

A million reasons is not enough

To express our love to You,

Since You’re infinite with timeless value

And brilliant in all You do.

A million thanks cannot express

Our gratitude towards You,

When this feeble heart and soul of ours

Is inconsistent and fickle too.

If millions of stars could align themselves

To spell Your brilliance and majesty,

There still wouldn’t be enough

To span into eternity.

A million miles still falls short

If we were to travel to find You,

Since it’s the distance between our mind and heart

That will determine what is true.

A million friends can never fill

The void inside our soul,

Because it’s only You, the one true God

That can satisfy that hole.

A million dollars will not fulfil

Our temptations and desires too,

Because monetary value simply cannot buy 

The spiritual riches so true.

A million thanks will not suffice

Because You’re more worthy of same,

But at times it’s the best we can do

When our weakness it remains.

There’s still a million reasons 

For You to reject us all,

But Your tender grace and mercy

Forgives us when our name You call.

You’re our strong and mighty fortress

With millions of reasons to celebrate,

When our heart and soul is transformed within

And laden with love instead of hate.

There’s millions of reasons to thank You Lord

For the love You poured on us,

When You gave Your gift – Your only Son

That You loved so very much.

But it expresses Your grand love

And for this a million reasons will suffice,

Of our gratitude and thankful heart

Towards Jesus’ sacrifice.

(C) P.B. 2021

“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

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.”  1 Chronicles 16:34

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  Ephesians 4:4-6

Abstract ideas are not material

As they are theoretical,

But they identify and understand

With moral dimensions that are practical.

Like logic which is abstract

And conceptual but true;

Is our identity in Jesus Christ

When our nature is renewed.

An invisible concept

But manifested outwardly,

Is faith when it’s administered

And acted upon accordingly.

God’s attributes are invisible

But so clearly we can see,

His hand in all creation

And how it all has come to be.

Love is an emotion

It is true but out of sight,

But felt by the heart and is in our actions

As it manifests God’s light.

Invisible are our emotions

And our intellect as well,

But they’re evident and based on reality

Since in our soul they dwell.

God is invisible

But He’s real as the air we breath;

Like the wind that gently strokes our skin

When the eyes of our heart believe.

(C) P.B. 2021

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…”. Romans 1:20

“O Lord my God, You are very great:  You are clothed with honour and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.”  Psalm 104:1-2

“You who laid the foundation of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever, You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains..”  Psalm 104:5-6

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Hebrews 11:1

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love 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.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-6

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  Colossians 3:1-3

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  Romans 8:1