Author: parasbovolos

When we conceal a matter

It’s where wisdom has prevailed;

To mask potential problems

And to eliminate all tales.

But some masks are permanent

And invisible they are;

They’re a facade to what’s really there

And misleading they are by far.

They muzzle our true voice

And our deepest thoughts as well;

They disguise our true opinions

Where we dare not share or tell.

When people wear invisible masks

They can shield the heart’s intent;

Where insincerity is cleverly hidden

And where words are never meant.

Let’s not be too perturbed

About the physical masks as much;

Since they’re temporary and for a season

And a requirement as such.

Physical masks can prevent infection

From spreading to one another,

But the permanent invisible ones

Our reality they will smother.

An invisible mask is inconsistent

And prevents deep and meaningful,

Of friendships and relationships

When deception it will rule.

An emotional mask can be misleading

Since it’s not transparent in its ways,

And can foster hate and bitterness

With unforgiveness if it stays.

A mask can hide jealousy

With covetousness as well;

It will play the role so convincingly

Where we can never really tell.

A mask can conceal fears

And much dissonance this promotes,

And unless we humbly ask for help

We simply will not cope.

A mask is spiritually unhealthy

Since it covers many lies,

But God knows the depths of our heart

Where there’s nothing in disguise.

To wear an invisible mask

Is not profitable to the soul;

It’s where deliverance is much required

In order for freedom to unfold.

The wonderful aspect of all masks

Is they will ultimately be peeled,

Because God wants us to be authentic

To experience liberty and to be healed.

(C) P.B. 2020

Psalm 55:12-13

Proverbs 23:17-18

Proverbs 11:13

Proverbs 11:18

Proverbs 12:22

Our friends have a special place

Deep inside our hearts,

When their motives are sincere

They play a very special part.

But our friends won’t hold our hand

On the day that we meet God…

As our hearts will be exposed

To be lukewarm, hot or cold.

Have we chosen God’s path for us

Or have we believed our friends’ report?

Has our trust been built on man alone

Or did we rely on God’s support?

Not all who share a smile

Have our best interests at heart,

As we need discernment to understand

Those genuinely set apart.

Our God extends His faithful hand

As the heart of God is pure;

He desires to mould His heart in us

To give us strength to endure.

As we approach the end of our production line

And our parcel is complete…

Are our friends’ opinions entrenched in our soul

Or are we prepared for our God to meet?

‘For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse..” Romans 1:20

(C) P.B. 2014

Have you ever wondered why

The wicked mainly prosper,

While the righteous they may suffer

As they do things good and proper?

And the rich they just get richer

Whilst the poorer remain poor,

As the wealthy devise schemes

That always open the right doors.

It’s when lies and manipulation

Meet to climb all corporate ladders,

And when morals and true ethics

Seem to never truly matter.

But there is a righteous judgment

Which will test all human works;

To promote the low and humble

And strip the proud of their self-worth.

A reversal of all fortunes

Will exist eternally…

As the righteous enter life

While the wicked death will see.

(C) P.B. 2002

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25

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

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation…For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.  So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.”  James 1:9-11

 

A virtuous woman of God

Who brought forth our Lord and Saviour;

A young virgin, sweet and innocent

Who in God’s eyes found great favour.

“Mary had a little lamb

And His fleece was white as snow’

Who grew to become the Lamb of God

And reveal all we should know.

Mary had a little lamb

And her role was so unique;

To bring forth a Son, the Son of God

So the Father’s face we seek.

He was the unblemished pure one

Who takes the sin of the world;

A perfect and spotless sacrifice

A rare gem a precious pearl.

Mary was a blessed lady

But there’s one who can intercede;

It’s the one brought forth from her dear womb

So into all truths He would lead.

There is one mediator between God and man

The sacred man Christ Jesus;

The only one with full authority

And who does as the Father pleases.

All glory and all honour

Belongs only to the Son;

The pure Lamb of God indeed

Who was slain but rose and won.

(C) P.B. 2019

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

“He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” Isaiah 53:7

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:12

Cry my gentle soul deeply,

As the compromise enters my core;

The pain as the sliding continues

Back in the world for more.

The glamour and glitz before me

As the scripture learnt slides away;

Pandora’s box and its temptation

Leads my soul to decay.

Was once a flower so dainty

As the words of God covered my heart;

The washing with water so fresh

As I became a work of art.

But my mind overflowed with the past

As my memories longed for the world;

My conceited and selfish ways

In my heart and soul they curled.

The slide was laden with honey

As my system of morals decayed;

My conscience with iron was seared

As I no longer became afraid.

No fear of judgement before me

As my tongue dripped with attitude;

No problem of causing a hassle

My soul full of envy and lewd.

The gate of darkness awaits me

As my lonely soul hungers for hope.

How did my existence so fail,

How did I so fail to cope?

But my Lord is faithful indeed

And forgives as I cry from the heart;

He restores me with His precious word

And allows a brand new start.

(C) P.B. 2004

“Return you backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings.” Jeremiah 3:22

Is there a Judas inside our heart

And we’re probably unaware,

As we play the game and play the part

Fooling everyone everywhere?

Is there a seed of deception

Awaiting its time to bloom;

A well-hidden and clever masterplan

To encourage disaster and doom?

Unless that seed of bitterness

Is cut off at the root;

It will entertain all other hosts

Producing much rotten fruit.

Judas was a deceiver

But he played the role so well;

He was one of the chosen twelve disciples

But chose the path of hell.

The symbolism was distinct

As with a kiss he revealed the Lord;

A wicked deception in all of history

Betraying the man he ‘adored.’

But Jesus was ever so gracious

And didn’t point the finger at he,

Instead “He who dipped his hand with Me

In the dish will betray Me.”

The love of money was the root

Betraying for pieces of silver.

But there was later no room for repentance

And Judas was unable to be delivered.

Are we willing to betray the one

Who is able to save our soul,

By conforming with society

It’s culture and political goals?

The heart is deceitful

And desperately wicked indeed;

We are to examine ourselves if we’re in the faith

To repent and to take heed.

(C) P.B. 2019

“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you? And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.” Matthew 26:15-16

‘He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.” Matthew 26:23

‘Now his betrayer had given them a signal, saying “Whomever I kiss, He is the One, seize Him and lead Him away safely.”‘  Mark 14:44

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:9

Scales record a measurement

And the weight of its unit won’t lie;

It’s an absolute authority

Where extra calories cannot be disguised.

In the scale of the universe

We are all very insignificant;

A dot compared to God’s glory

A vapour in measurement.

The scales need to fall from our eyes

If we’re to receive a revelation;

As we understand we’ve been deceived

Trusting in head knowledge and mere sensations.

The hardened skin around our heart

Needs to scale and peel away,

When God miraculously sets us free

From darkness unto day.

Kindness and love are immeasurable

And their dose can be increased;

As it’s a just weight in His delight

When honesty and gentleness meet.

Imagine if God used scales indeed

To measure our wrong from right…

What’s truth from lies, and who we really are

We all fall short in His sight.

But God does not use scales

Since our sin is heavy indeed;

He required a spotless sacrifice

To appease His wrath and to intervene.

The weight of all our troubles

Is a burden we shouldn’t carry;

Instead we hand them over to the Lord

So the scale of same isn’t tarried.

Scales absorb our weight

But when our troubles are truly released,

Along with all problems and pain

We will finally have joy and peace.

(C) P.B. 2019

“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord. But a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits.” Proverbs 16:2

“Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 20:10

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

“But the fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

With an everlasting love

Is His love for His own;

A splendid depth and knowledge

As the truth of us is known.

The lover of our soul

Where pure joy is revealed;

The warmth upon our heart

When we know His love is sealed.

It’s an intimate relationship

With a voice that’s without a word,

And a language that emanates from within

When He’s registered as Lord.

It’s an incomparable union

As nothing can come close indeed,

Since its purity is beyond comprehension

Which our soul so dearly needs.

His love will never disappoint

Since it’s filled with integrity;

He calms our raging storms within

As He responds with intimacy.

True intimacy is not selfish

As it cares for the others’ needs,

When it builds up and encourages

And our spirit it will feed.

God’s not religious and can never be

Since there’s only one God indeed;

Instead of hundreds of man-made religions

Where confusion this does breed.

Because He’s Spirit and must be worshipped

In spirit and in truth,

And not according to our ways

So there will be lasting fruit.

It’s written He’s a jealous God

And has every right to be,

When we’re betrothed to Him as Christ’s bride

A sincere companion He desires to see.

Because His jealousy is righteous

The only jealousy that can be,

As He doesn’t want us connected

With the idols of society.

Jesus is Lord and Savior

And there simply is no other,

We need to disconnect with foreign gods

If our soul desires to be His lover.

God is a marvellous Father

And worthy of all our praise,

With our respect and reverence indeed

So much truth will pave our days.

And when we’re reunited

And our joy will be full,

The treasures of His heart’s desires

Will become our precious jewels.

(C) P.B. 2020

“He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:3

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”  Deuteronomy 4:24

“For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.”  Exodus 20:5

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:24

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

Blessings come in many ways

They’re a bestowed gift or favour;

An approval that promotes happiness

With special mercy that does not waiver.

They encourage well-being and prosperity

Good wishes and divine aid,

With benefits of protection

Since with integrity they’re made.

Blessings are a delight to the soul

They bring sunshine amidst the rain;

They instil hope and joy in abundance

Overriding all our pain.

To be blessed is a divine favour

It is God’s approval and kiss;

His stamp of authenticity

Where mercy combines with bliss.

Sometimes we are mistaken

As to what we label blessings to be,

When we ask amiss for our pleasures

And where the fullness we fail to see.

Because true blessings are spiritual

And ones that pertain to the soul;

Particularly when we’re forgiven

And where God’s revelation unfolds.

The warmth that’s inside our chamber

The one so close to our heart,

Is God’s blessing and favour and honour

And one that sets us apart.

True blessings are hidden within

As they transform the soul indeed;

They’re like sparkling treasures and precious gems

When good seed our heart they feed.

God’s word is a blessing

To be revered as a treasure,

Where good fruit is cultivated

And where every storm it will weather.

The storms and troubles will come

And as uncomfortable as they are,

When the roots are deeply established

All cyclones are seen from afar.

God will gently hold our hand

So the hurricane can pass…

He’s there in the midst of all our pain

With a steadfastness that will last.

God Almighty is our greatest blessing

And when we’re established on His rock,

All blessings will overflow in our lives

When to the true shepherd we do flock.

(C) P.B. 2020

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”  Ephesians 1:3

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”  Philippians 4:6

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures.”  James 4:3

“And you, being dead in your trespasses…He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”  Colossians 2:13

“For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.”  Hebrews 4:12

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  John 10:11

It is truly honourable

When we do the right thing;

When we act with sincerity

And where much fruit this will bring.

It’s always welcomed

When we’re faithful in our deeds;

In those tedious and boring tasks

And where patience is shown indeed.

It is the right thing

To be kind and loving as well;

Understanding and compassionate

Where with peace and joy we dwell.

It is the correct way

To be humble in all we do,

And not presumptuous or proud

Or not selfish and greedy too.

It’s a beautiful thing

To be hospitable and kind,

When the motive is correct

Not for rewards that we can find.

But do we really know

That we can do all the above,

And still be cast from God’s presence

Where we’ll never feel His love?

Because to be self-righteous is a sin

When we attribute all those ways,

To our own goodness and our kindness

Rather than the price that Jesus paid.

God wants to know us intimately

Where we share our every thought,

And ask for His forgiveness

Knowing with Christ’s sacrifice we’re bought.

We all fall short in many ways

And can never atone for our sin,

That’s why we need Jesus Christ

Who was spotless and pristine within.

He paid the price for our soul

By hanging on the cross;

He shed His blood to set us free

From God’s inevitable wrath.

Because Jesus sets us free

From our failures and depression;

He calms our soul within

As His word teaches us great lessons.

God is the one who transforms us

To give us a joy and hope within;

All else is truly temporary

With frustrations they can bring.

When we believe we are ‘good’

God shows that good in only One,

The Heavenly Father who is pure in all His ways

And who gave His only Son.

So next time we are tempted

To be puffed up in our ways,

Let’s remember the ultimate price

And be repentant as we pray.

(C) P.B. 2020

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”  Proverbs 14:12

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

“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.”  Proverbs 15:33

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

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2