Tuesday 31 July 2012

JUDGMENT-SEAT

When I am before
The judgment-seat I will be
With Him, and like Him.

Monday 30 July 2012

CLOTHING

Among the just, as clothed
In the Best Robe, the righteousness
Of another.

With noble footsteps,
Beautiful in sandals, given
Heavenly dignity.

With that ring, showing,
Among the beloved ones, God
See you as amiable.

Your pure mind known
In that you are decked in
A pure turban.

Being true since
Your loins are girded
With truth.


(Part of the continuing contemplation of Philippians 4: 8.)

Sunday 29 July 2012

Saturday 28 July 2012

COMPLETION

We have witness
- My body and my blood -
Of supreme love; and of
A completed work.

But we await
- As the Lord awaits -
The end of the Spirit's relentless service,
A completed work.

Grant us grace that we
- Unlike the church in Sardis -
May have, while waiting,
Completed work.

Friday 27 July 2012

BALAAM'S ASS

Numbers 22

Three times the angel stood in Balaam's way;
Three times the ass saved from the wrath to come,
And three times Balaam smote it; it could say
It had not earned Balaam's opprobrium.

It wisely spoke sufficient words to teach
The prophet, and was then, as wisely, dumb.

The silent time exceeds the time for speech.



Balaam's ass is the final heroine in my series.  Is that okay?

Thursday 26 July 2012

HULDAH

2 Kings 22

After they found the writings of the law
Why did they seek Huldah the prophetess,
Who trenchantly expressed what she foresaw
In consequence of their unrighteousness?

She said Josiah's deah would have occurred
Before because of his heat's tenderness.

A woman close to God thus brought God's word.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

JAEL

Judges 4

Sisera, finding flight expedient,
Reached Jael, and so fled the battles's clamour;
She gave him milk; he slept within the tent:
She took the tent-pin and the workman's hammer.

She smote his temple - for God had decreed
His death would not enhance a warrior's glamour.

Her hands were practiced for the time of need.


This continues a series of heroes and heroines of mine.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

EBED-MELECH

Their hatred made the lords of Israel fling
The prophet Jeremiah in a pit,
In mud, till Ebed-melech moved the king
To let him draw the prophet out of it.

Since this was something that God loved to see
His word declared an honour that was fit

"For thou hast put thy confidence in me"!

Monday 23 July 2012

NABOTH

1 Kings 21

Heaven records, but may not intervene:
As when king Ahab showed that he was bent
On gaining Naboth's vineyard, and the queen
Jezebel worked to further that intent.

Naboth, defiant to a tyrant's rage,
Said, as he scorned a tyrant's blandishment,

"I will not sell my father's heritage"

Sunday 22 July 2012

URIJAH

2 Samuel 11

Having betrayed his faithful warrior's trust
Both David's soul and intellect were dark;
He sought to hide the product of his lust
So that the birth would pass without remark.

Urijah's instincts swerved him from that tissue
Of plotting through devotion to the ark.

Fidelity will not confuse the issue.

Saturday 21 July 2012

ENOCH

How many realised as Enoch trod
A separate way through earth's fresh thorn and thistle
It was because his was a walk with God?
Did such a path of faith make sinners bristle?

God gave the word to answer men's complaints,
Resounding to us still from Jude's epistle:

The Lord will come with myriads of His saints!


This is in proportion a half sonnet; can't be a son or a net or a sot or a set - so it's got to be an "onn".

Thursday 19 July 2012

LOOK

God has put away
Sin; so He does not look at
My sin, but at Christ.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

ONLY AN ASS

Exodus 13 v 13

Only an ass -
But a firstborn
One who has been redeemed
By a Lamb.

Luke 19 v 31

Only as ass -
But ready to be led
When the word comes,
"The Lord has need of it".

Numbers 22 v 28

Only an ass -
Dumb; dumber the better
Till the moment
When God gives speech.


Tuesday 17 July 2012

UMBRELLA FAITH


Never since he first came to the church till that hour
Had the preacher held forth with such vigour and power,
As with well-chosen words, and a wealth of detail,
He told how Elijah has triumphed o'er Baal.

How on Carmel, God-sent, he had taken his stand;
Till the cloud from the sea rose, the size of a hand,
Till he said, "Go, tell Ahab go down to the plain,
And hake haste, there are sound of abundance of rain".

Long and learnedly he dwelt on man's guilt since the fall,
Want of faith, unbelief, chief and blackest of all;
Had not Christ made it plain we are sure to receive
All the blessings we ask if we "only believe".

Then the grand choir sung out in its most approved style,
"Every prospect is pleasing, man only is vile;"
Then the preacher's still voice hushed the tumult again,
As he earnestly prayed that the land might have rain.

But it came not; a day was appointed for prayer
In the church: all the good folks were hastening there.
The sun glared down red, brook and burn had run dry,
And there was not a wisp of a cloud in the sky.

Unnoticed, if seen, by that church-going throng
A wee hunchback lassie walked briskly along,
While others had sunshades, the day was so warm,
She'd a big umbrella tucked under her arm.

The preacher and wife passed the girl on the way,
He with gold-headed cane, she with parasol gay;
"Poor girl," the good lady was heard to declare,
"How silly",but then she is scarcely all there.

"Oh, you never can tell what these creatures will do",
Thought the little hunch-back looking up at the two;
With a look half of pity, half sorrow, and pain,
"My, but these two will catch it when God sends the rain".

God sent it that day, in full measure it fell,
As the wee hunchback's big umbrella could tell.
The preacher, his lady, and all who were there,
Got as much as they'd prayed for with something to spare.

The pulpit did all that a pulpit might d,
There were choice thoughts expressed, earnest, solemn and true;
But I question if any but God ever knew
Of that one prayer in faith those up from the pew.
Take your big umbrellas, the lesson is plain
Like the wee hunchback girl, when you're praying for rain.

Inspector Aitken

It seems likely this was Inspector Aitken who served with the G. & S. W. Railway, Greenock at the end of the nineteenth century. He had poems published in the Dundee Courier.

Have you got umbrella faith?


Monday 16 July 2012

BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Before His Father He could
Acknowledge One in glory
And in intimacy as
The only true God.
 
So that His Father was
Constrained by love to accord
What accords to His nobility
The title "Lord and Christ".
 
Having completed the work
To the satisfaction of Him
Who loved Him He could
Address, "Righteous Father".
 
He was the expression of all
God would convey, consonant
With the divine thought that every
Word of God is pure.
Why is He the Beloved?
Because God saw in every act
And thought He was true,
Noble, just and pure.


Sunday 15 July 2012

AMONG DISCIPLES


Among disciples He could start,
As He could with Pharisees,
Sentences of high intent,
"Verily, verily ...".

If the world - or disciples -
Criticised one who anointed, He
Showed that He would stand
To such a noble thing.

To those who would condemn
Mary He would readily
Answer: He reflected the divine
View of a righteous action.

"They shall see God", He
Taught His disciples. Not
Those washed in the doctors' teachings
But "the pure in heart".

So His own gathered together
In His absence: forming for
His presence an atmosphere
Of delighted affection.




Saturday 14 July 2012

AMONGST GAINSAYERS


Amongst gainsayers,
Self-seekers, and those at enmity
With truth, He could
Be named the Amen.

While the world destroyed,
Sin damaged, Satan corroded,
This was the Man who
Devised noble things.
 
Before an earthly ruler
The Just One stood. Crowds 
Clamoured for injustice; He
Accomplished righteousness.

Three times Satan essayed
To sully that man by
Guile. Failing, he attempted
Violence. And failed again.

Amid a world of hatred,
Crucifying God's Man,
A few, attracted by Him,
Gathered around His cross.




Friday 13 July 2012

THERE WAS A MAN


There was a Man
Amid a world lying
In the wicked one; all
He said was true.

There was a Man
Amid the world's
Churls. God saw each
Of His acts was noble.

There was a Man
Whom the world's injustice
Pinioned. Because every thought
And deed, was just.

There was a Man
Untainted by the rot
Of this world's sin. For
All was pure.

There was a Man
Who incurred man's hatred
More than any. But to His own,
And to God, entirely lovable.


 


Wednesday 11 July 2012

MULTIPOEM

The poems of the last few days are a contemplation of Philippians 4 verse 8.  But they are to be read as shown but also the five  of verse 1 is one poems too.  I'll post it like that soon.  But here it is:

Double click for a better view.


Tuesday 10 July 2012

AMIABLE


There was a Man
Who incurred man's hatred
More than any. But to His own,
And to God, entirely lovable.

Amid a world of hatred,
Crucifying God's Man,
A few, attracted by Him,
Gathered around His cross.

So His own gathered together
In His absence: forming for
His presence an atmosphere
Of delighted affection.

Why is He the Beloved?
Because God saw in every act
And thought He was true,
Noble, just and pure.

Monday 9 July 2012

PURE


There was a Man
Untainted by the rot
Of this world's sin. For
All was pure.

Three times Satan essayed
To sully that Man by
Guile. Failing, He attempted
Violence. And failed again.

"They shall see God", He
Taught His disciples. Not
Those washed in the doctors' teachings
But "the pure in heart".

He was the expression of all
God would convey, consonant
With the divine thought that every
Word of God is pure.

Sunday 8 July 2012

JUST


There was a Man
Whom the world's injustice
Pinioned. Because every thought
And deed, was just.

Before an earthly ruler
The Just One stood. Crowds 
Clamoured for injustice; He
Accomplished righteousness.

To those who would condemn
Mary He would readily
Answer: He reflected the divine
View of a righteous action.

Having completed the work
To the satisfaction of Him
Who loved Him He could
Address, "Righteous Father".

Saturday 7 July 2012

NOBLE


There was a Man
Amid the world's
Churls. God saw each
Of His acts was noble.

While the world destroyed,
Sin damaged, Satan corroded
This was the man who
Devised noble things.

If the world - or disciples -
Criticised one who anointed, He
Showed that He would stand
To such a noble thing.

So that His Father was
Constrained by love to accord
What accords to His nobility
The title "Lord and Christ".

Friday 6 July 2012

TRUE


There was a Man
Amid a world lying
In the wicked one; all
He said was true .

Amongst gainsayers,
Self-seekers, and those at enmity
With truth, He could
Be named the Amen.

Among disciples He could start,
As He could with Pharisees,
Sentences of high intent,
"Verily, verily ...".

Before His Father He could
Acknowledge One in glory
And in intimacy as
The only true God.

Thursday 5 July 2012

GLORY

Lord, Thou wast there before the worlds began
In realms of love beyond the mind of man;
The glory that subsisted before time,
Ineffable, eternal and sublime
                       Belongs to Thee.

Lord, Thou wast here, descended to fulfil,
In grace and patience, all the Father's will:
The glory of a well‑beloved Son
By whom the Father's will was fully done
                       Belongs to Thee.

Lord, Thou didst die, the spotless Lamb of God,
An Offering whose savour spreads abroad:
The glory of a perfect Sacrifice
Whose precious blood God's heart will always prize
                       Belongs to Thee.

Lord, Thou art crowned upon the Father's throne
Imparting power and wisdom to Thine own:
The glory of the Firstborn from the dead
Who is the body's, the assembly's Head
                       Belongs to Thee.

Lord, Thou wilt come to reign upon the earth
Dispelling tumult, conflict, plague and dearth:
The glory of the Ruler of all things
Who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings
                       Belongs to Thee.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

SNAKES AND LADDERS

Sometimes my Christian life seems
A game of snakes and ladders.

I edge forward and backward
With the top a long way away.

Snakes lurk - even
After I throw a six.  Some long.

Glimpses of heaven - I, sometimes
Climb where Jacob looked.

Sometimes the top of a ladder
Is close to a serpent’s mouth.

Holy Spirit, help me
To overleap the snakes.

Lord Jesus, help me
To reach and climb the ladders.

Father, help me to remember
The home prepared for me.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

ANOINTING

Because she knew that Jesus was distinctive
The woman broke the flask of alabaster
And with a gesture lovingly instinctive
Poured out the precious nard upon the Master.

Because His glory passed their comprehension
Since they embraced an older dispensation
The woman's tender deed evoked dissension
From even those selected from the nation.

Because her action proved she apprehended
The way He went and answered His affection
He spoke as her Defender and commended
Her deed as right for constant recollection.

Lord help us in our deeds as we aspire
To answer to Thyself and Thy desire!

Monday 2 July 2012

COLOUR

Blue -
Thus He appeared to God:
The heavenly Man.

Purple -
Least imperious, but
Most imperial Man.

Scarlet -
God has distinguished
The most distinctive Man.

Byssus -
This was the Man who most displayed
Fineness and purity.



See Exodus 25: 4 etc.

Sunday 1 July 2012

ANSWERS

The Firstborn of creation
Rejected by His nation
Secured a new relation
  For men of Adam's race;
Ascended undefeated,
His work for God completed,
The Son of Man is seated
  Upon the throne of grace.

The Father was delighted
And heavenly hosts united
To give the Man once slighted
  The place that is His own;
The One who had descended
In whom all good was blended
Sits, risen and ascended,
  Upon the Father's throne.

His glory is eternal;
Things earthly and infernal
Will own He is supernal
  And bow to Him above;
But how much more the measure
Of His unbounded pleasure
In that peculiar treasure
  That answers to His love!