Wednesday, May 24, 2017

At the Foot of the Cross

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
We are all equal in God’s sight; none are dross.
For behold, the extravagant grace of our God!
He sees us all needy, yet does not rule with a rod.

His sacrifice, the beatings, the scars, His blood.
The humiliation he faced as his disciples stood
On Golgotha’s Hill, slivers deep from that wood.
Bloody hands and feet, He would breathe if he could.

God found the only way to begin again on that day.
But what of his followers, most began to betray.
“If you are the Son of God”, come down some say.
Some were faithful, but all they could do was pray.

Christ was the sin eater, God sees us as spotless.
Because of Him we can daily pray and confess.
We are forgiven, our sins forgotten, wiped away.
A brand new day we learn and we begin to pray,



I Corinthians 1: 18 ~ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’
Philippians 2:8 ~ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even the death on a cross.
1 John 1:10 ~ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Colossians 2:14 ~ Having cancelled the written code with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us: He took it away, nailing it to the cross.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

The Times they are A'changin'

In days gone by, on Sundays they rang the church bells to announce 
A wake up call to the entire village to come, church will commence.
Worship was about to begin, “So ready yourself for this Holy Day”.
Often the holy were a somber lot, showing people they knew the way.
Those that missed church, or came in late, saw those pictures of Hell.
Hanging at the back of the church was the “Doomsday Book”, to tell 
By paintings, remembered to this day, I remember them so very well.
People who dressed ‘improperly’ were thought to have lost their way.
Children were quiet, somber, and often got a slap and urged to pray.
They could do little on Sunday; dressed in their best they could not play, 
If you thought they answered back or made a noise you are so wrong, 
They were taken quickly out of the service and belted hard and strong.
What this taught them was to hate church, and God and parents too.
Children did not talk back to parents or adults, that was a big taboo.

No-one worked on a Sunday except the necessary farming chores
But even cooking meals were prepared ahead, labour God abhors.
To garden, sew or wash just proved what state your heart was in
Who decided what was necessary and what was considered a sin
Equating God’s love with forgiveness was then called a discipline.
What happened to those sinners who missed church; they were told
”You are in grave danger of losing your place, the priests extolled”.
In the Church of England the pastor was also called “Our Father”.
The person walking into church wearing black and carrying a Bible,
With a downcast face was thought to be holy and that was survival.
The big concern was not missions but donations for a church steeple.
To have your name on a pew or bell meant you were very rich people.
Some thought the more you donated would surely keep you out of hell,
Because, like some churches today, Purgatory was a place before hell.

But a family could pay to reduce the purgatory waiting time with money.
Just think of that golden fat purse of the preaching priest, it was acrimony.
Keeping things in perspective today we still have a mortgage to pay for,
And pledges and drives, and concerns about wood or carpet on the floor.
But it does not make us more important to our creator to donate more!
We read, “having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof”.
We cannot deny the power of a Living God, we scorn legalism whereof
We live as carnal Christians cloaked in sheep’s clothing as in days of old.
We need prayer as never before, an awakening that will makes us all bold!
We were left the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide, but do we care?
Do we draw upon the Spirit’s strength, learn to listen, to walk and to share?
We do not need a Priest or a Minister to speak to God on our behalf, for
We have the Spirit ourselves, and He intercedes for us and we can all see
That God through His Spirit is able to use us, and He readily sets us free!

IN THE ANNALS OF HISTORY:-
During the Victorian age, it was thought to be Godly by certain churches
or chapels, to inform on your “brothers and sisters”, of course only to assist or correct the
error of their ways. February 2, 1885 - “The Churchman Newspaper

Galatians 3:10-14 ~ All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written; ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the Law. Clearly no one is
justified before God by the law, because: “The righteous will live by faith.'”