Tag: bible

Posted on

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE FOLLOWERS…

It’s not about the followers
Because quantity will never last;
It’s the quality of those involved
With a richness that is vast.

Many followers will not guarantee
That your work is validated,
Particularly when ears are tickled
Or where words are overstated.

When crowds followed Jesus
Initially they were thrilled,
To hear His meaningful message
Or when food their bellies filled.

But when conviction did take place
Many followers departed,
Because Jesus knew how to expose
The false motives and half-hearted.

The twelve disciples did remain
And turned the world upside down,
With a simple message of timeless truth
That turned many hearts around.

It’s not about the followers
Because naturally the crowds do sway –
To a message that is watered-down
Since the flesh likes it this way.

It’s the quality that will remain –
To make a difference too,
Where transformation after conviction
Presents a message that is true!

“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

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:66-68

“Enter through 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

“Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

“Then the disciples asked Him, saying ‘What does this parable mean?’ And He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” Luke 8:9-10

“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matthew 7:28-29

Posted on

WHEN WE PRAY AMISS

When we pray amiss
It’s when we would like to see –
The outcome in its timing
And of how it all should be.

When we pray amiss
It’s so our petitions are fulfilled,
But most times they are self-focused
With an arrogance instilled.

Because the Bible makes it clear
That when we pray for our own pleasures,
The prayers do go amiss –
When our idol becomes our leisure.

There’s nothing wrong in having fun;
It’s a gift that is God-given,
But when the prayers become self-centred
By certain motives they are driven.

When we pray amiss –
With God we play a game,
Because true prayers bring transformation
Where the heart cannot remain the same.

For souls to be delivered –
And for healing from within;
These prayers are heaven focused
When we’re delivered from all sin.

Prayers for God’s direction
And where we can serve indeed,
Are priceless in God’s ears
When for souls we intercede.

Knowing that we’ll stand
Before our Creator’s throne,
Should place reverent fear in our heart
To remove that heart of stone.

Time is of the essence
And eternity is sure,
Lord have mercy and do lead us
Into the forevermore.

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

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” James 5:13

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13

Posted on

THANKS BUT NO THANKS!

When we choose to reject Him
We are saying this effectively…
Thank you God but no thanks
For the provision that we see.

When we despise our dear neighbour
And where selfish ways abound,
It’s Thank you God but no thanks
For the trials that come around.

When we’re bitter or enraged
But where there’s a solution to make peace –
Thank you God but no thanks
When our anger is not released.

It’s not natural to despise
Our earthly parents and siblings,
So why hate our Heavenly Father
Who can deliver us from sin?

When we say Thank you God but no thanks
It’s a much deeper reality,
Where examination of the soul is required
So we can truly learn to see.

If Jesus chose unforgiveness
For the treatment He received,
Every one of us would be simply doomed
For all eternity.

And the pain that He endured
Is beyond anything we’d know,
But where true forgiveness flowed from His pure heart
So to hell we would not go.

Indeed the evil in this world
Is awful beyond measure,
But God’s judgement and His wrath is reserved –
Which never gives Him pleasure.

So next time we say Thank you
But no thank you to the Lord,
The Heavenly realm will keep account
And according to God’s word.

“Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgements. Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Jeremiah 12:1

“For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37:10-11

“And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28

“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:30-31

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 5:10

“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord GOD. Therefore turn and live!” Ezekiel 18:32

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Posted on

EVEN THERE…

God is acquainted with our ways;
He hears the whispers of our heart;
Can trace every thought and pattern –
What we finish and what we start.

And even there He’s with us
As His hand will guide and lead,
When He’s our Saviour and our best friend
As we ask Him to intercede.

When our tears soak our pillow
And when we’re lonely or afraid,
He will comfort us amidst the pain
When we’re rejected or betrayed.

Even there His grace sustains us
When we know His heart is near,
To subside the raging storms –
The anxieties and fears.

Daily we are reminded
That there’s evil everywhere,
When we’re focused on media outlets;
From prince of the power of the air.

But even there God knocks
For the focus to remain,
On Him and all His goodness
Where our future He sustains.

He is there among us
Through our prayers and hope within;
To remove the tares of doubt
And to eradicate our sins.

Thank God for Yeshua;
The Prince of Peace indeed,
Who sacrificed His life
So eternal life we’ll see.

“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there
Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:9-10

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” Psalm 139:7-8

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:1-2

“And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Posted on

LESS THAN A MINUTE…

Our lives are just a vapour
In comparison to eternity,
Where millions and billions of years
Ultimately our soul will be.

It’s almost less than a minute
Where our frame on earth exists,
Where the timeline will be unfathomable
When life and eternity will kiss.

Less than a minute…
And hence the imperative of same,
Where Jesus is our Lord and Saviour
When the correct decision has been made.

Because He’s the only One
To die on the cross for our sins;
To erase the wrath of God
When we’re forgiven from within.

Less than a minute…
Yet the most important it will be,
As we’re created in His image
Where eternal rewards they will be seen.

Like a flower in our garden
Here today and gone tomorrow,
But where eternity will reveal –
Total bliss or total sorrow.

And it’s less than a minute
Where every moment counts indeed,
To become more and more like Christ
Until we enter eternity.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken…And the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47

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

“That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Posted on

HOW CAN WE NOT?

How can we not respect Him
Who hung upon the cross;
Who intervened to erase our sins
To face no eternal loss?

How can we not admire Him –
Who knew no sin at all,
Who walked and talked amongst us
Where our name the Father calls?

How can we not believe –
When miracles we see,
Every day in every single way
In how creation has come to be?

And how can we not trust
That deliverance sets us free?
Because when we humble ourselves and cry to Him
He faithfully intercedes.

How can we not adore Him
When He mentioned “It is finished!”
As He hung in agony for our sake
For the work that was accomplished?

How can we not be grateful
That the gate to hell is sealed,
When our soul’s greatest need is forgiveness
When we’re saved and we are healed?

When we’re patient with long-suffering
And know our prayers are heard as well,
It’s in God’s timing and His perfect will
Where answers they shall dwell.

How can we not reflect
On dangers that were intercepted,
When our heart it was protected
And our feet were redirected?

Because He knows every single detail
And the motives of the heart,
So how can we not be grateful
When He protects to set apart?

“The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.” Psalm 18:46

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.’” John 19:30

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:9-10

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

“Salvation belongs to the LORD.” Psalm 3:8

Posted on

OUR SAFE PLACE

Amidst the chaos and the noise –
Your gentleness remains,
As a reminder You’re our hiding place
And where evil is restrained.

You’re our harbour and our safe place
And Your presence calms our soul,
Where our emotions they do regulate
When Your peace in us unfolds.

You’re our Father and protector
And Your heartbeat draws us near,
When the haven in our mindset
Subsides anxieties and fears.

Our stronghold and our fortress
With a bridge to overcome;
Our green pastures in the valley
When to You we do succumb.

You deliver us from enemies
Where Your hand sustains us too;
Your promises are steadfast;
They are wholesome and are true.

Our safe place and our covering
As we trust in you, O Lord,
And thank you for your forgiveness –
So undeserved since we’re adored.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2

“Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.” Psalm 143:9

“Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men,” Psalm 140:4

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge;” Psalm 91:4

“For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11

Posted on

LIKE A BREATH

If we count every single breath
In light of eternity,
It’s like sand between our fingers
Where just a vapour it would be.

If we register our heartbeat
With the flow it has established,
It’s like a shadow of a passerby
With a glimpse that is diminished.

And if we were to extend our DNA –
A billion miles falls short indeed,
Since our Creator is too marvellous
Where everlasting ways He sees.

And our hope and faith will echo
Into the chambers of eternity,
When this life it holds a purpose
And where depth won’t cease to be.

Like a flower in its field
All of beauty is revealed,
Here today, gone tomorrow –
When eternal life is sealed.

When Jesus walked the earth
With a mission and a ministry,
Those brief years made an impact
On life for eternity.

Like a breath and a vapour;
A leaf cascading from a tree,
Where will our spirit dwell
In the hands of eternity?

“All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25

“Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapour. Surely every man walks about like a shadow;” Psalm 39:5-6

“For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Posted on

DON’T WORRY…BECAUSE HE SEES

When we’re tempted to worry
Over words of enemies,
Or of hidden envy in the heart –
Don’t worry because He sees.

He sees the hidden motives
And the plans that they devise,
Of character assassination
But they’re not hidden from His eyes.

Don’t worry because He sees
And all details are registered,
Where vengeance belongs to the Lord
With all that’s said and heard.

His hand will feed the sparrows
And provide for His creation too,
Because when we ask we do receive –
Since His promises are true.

Don’t worry because He sees
All our fears and anxieties,
But gently reminds us to submit to Him
So true joy and peace is seen.

Sadly, tragedies and wars exist –
Always have and always will,
But the stars will shine throughout the night
With a hope that’s been instilled.

Don’t worry because He sees
And we’re so valuable to Him,
As our soul is priceless in God’s sight
When we’re forgiven from within.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

“Hear my prayer; O LORD, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me…for the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground;” Psalm 143:1-3

“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.” Deuteronomy 32:35

Posted on

WHAT IF?

What if salvation of our soul
Is as real as the air we breath,
Are we willing to risk eternity
By refusing to believe?

What if hell is hotter
And that Christ’s warnings they are true,
Are we so foolish to dismiss His words
And continue sinning in all we do?

What if the resurrection
Is clearer than the brightest day,
Should not the darkness in our heart
Refuse to have the final say?

What if God is real
And registers all we say and do,
Should we tremble at His sovereignty
If we believe that He is true?

What if our ideas and perceptions
Are merely vapours of a shadow,
Would they really matter in eternity
If they’re lukewarm or are shallow?

What if the depth of God’s word
Is an ocean for our heart,
Are we willing to surrender
And to make a brand new start?

And what if Jesus’ love is deep
And the blood that was shed for us,
Signifies forgiveness for our iniquities
When in God the Father we do trust?

Because what if it’s truly real
And we’ve been deceived through and through?
There’s no excuse on the inevitable day
When it’s steadfast and it’s true.

“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’” Matthew 24:4

“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26

“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16

“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:30

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith…”. Romans 3:23-25

“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 God-head, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20