Children of the Light, Arise!

Lately I have been meditating on Christ's return and how glorious it will be for believers. But I have also been deeply affected by what His return will mean for the rest of the human race - those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior. Because of sin, God is going to destroy the earth with fire, just like He destroyed it once before with water. These are not my words; they are recorded over and over again in the Bible for all to read. The title of Isaiah 24, for instance, is "Judgment on the Whole Earth," and includes such words as, "Behold the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants . . . a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched. "

When God brings this judgment, it will be righteous because God is holy and cannot look on sin. In fact, He could have destroyed the human race in the Garden immediately after they had become contaminated with sin, and He would still be completely justified. But He has not done so; not yet. In infinite, incredible patience, He is waiting until His gospel has been preached to all the nations, so that all who desire to be free from their sin can come to Him and receive the gift of Christ's work on the cross. Romans 10:9 says, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Those who respond to God's call to do this will become part of God's family; will be holy, as He is holy; will be forever set apart from the sin which must be destroyed at the end of the age.

And as I think on this, my heart has also been full of the fact that we, as Children of Light, have an obligation and privilege to shine the light of the glorious gospel into the darkness around us, thereby being ambassadors for Christ and telling others about His awesome, saving power. I think about the elect of God's Kingdom who have yet to come to Christ, and I long to go to them and give them the hope that I so desperately needed - the gospel hope that pulled me from the pit of despair and pain and made me a new creation in Christ.

Father, grant that I may arise and share the treasure that I have been given; that I may, like Paul, "not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Amen.



There's a Day of darkness coming -
Long predicted, long proclaimed -
There's a Day when God has promised
Vengeance for His Holy Name.

Fury, wrath, and indignation,
Anger, fully justified,
Raining down; the Righteous Sovereign
Sending flames to purify.

Sin will die, be crushed forever -
Serpent 'neath the heel expires -
Satan, and his dismal followers,
Thrown into the lake of fire.

Oh, you wicked, fallen angel!
Think you could the Seed destroy?
Think again, you foolish devil!
All your plans does God despoil.

Not a one of Heaven's children -
Not a one of Jesus' own -
Will be lost to hell eternal,
For by God, they've been foreknown.

Some of these, like mist, have vanished,
Watching from the world unseen;
Waiting for the Day of Judgment,
Singing praises to their King.

Some, like us, remain to witness -
To God's mercy, testify -
Daily praying in His Spirit,
Gaining boldness, fresh supply.

Not our lives we'll count as precious,
Nothing worth of value, we;
Our heart's cry is, "Jesus, let us
Faithful to our Savior be."

In His strength, we'll brave the mockers,
Those who say our minds are gone,
Knowing that the path we follow
Is the one our Master trod.

We will face complacent masses,
Stand against the worlds demands,
Watchful and alert in battle,
Listening for our Lord's commands.

What He tells us - what a privilege!
What a great commission gives!
Bids us shout from tallest mountain,
"Grace is here! Your soul may live!"

We don't know whose ears will listen,
Who will turn in wondered awe;
But in loving, firm allegiance
We will share the truth He taught.

Somewhere walks a frightened sister,
Walks a brother, trapped in pain;
We will tell them, Holy Father,
Tell them that You've come to save.

We will speak! Proclaim Your power!
Children of the light, arise!
We will share the glorious gospel
'Til the last has trusted Christ.

You Know

I have always struggled with fear. This manifests itself in a number of ways, but is most intense at night, especially when I wake up and all is dark and quiet. Over the years, I have asked the Lord for faith to combat this fear. Many comforting verses are in Isaiah (see chapters 41, 43, 45, 49, 50, 51, 61, 62); but God recently also put Psalm 139 on my heart. In this Psalm, entitled "Search Me, O God, and Know Me," the psalmist is reminding himself that His God knows him intimately and can purge away the sin in his heart that hinders him from walking in the way everlasting. In my sonnet below, I highlight a different aspect of the Psalm - namely, the reminder that God is always with me, knows every detail about me, and is sovereignly caring for me, so I do not have to fear. Thank You, Father, that you are Sovereign!

Before a word is on my tongue You know

The thoughts that fill my heart and make me speak.

You know the path I walk, which way I go,

The times when I rise up and when I sleep.

Your hand does hem me in from every way,

Surrounds and leads my every human step.

My frame, before it saw the light of day,

Was seen and formed by You in earthly depths.

So why, at every shadow, do I fear?

Why does my heart beat wildly in the night?

As though I am alone with No One near,

A slave to senseless worrying and fright?

Be still, my soul, and rest 'neath Sovereign Care

For God, your Father, numbers every hair.

Could I But Speak

This sonnet is a tribute to Reid Jones and his family. Reid was a severely handicapped boy who lived to be 21 years old, well beyond the years predicted for his life. This past week marks the one year anniversary of his passing. He was blind and unable to speak and spent his entire life in a reclining wheelchair. Throughout that time, Reid was cared for heroically by his father, mother and two sisters. All who witnessed their care for Reid testify to the gentle and sweet love they bestowed upon him, and the many times they read to him from God's Word. Reid's father told me that though they are at peace with Reid's death and believe he is in heaven with Jesus, sometimes they are randomly hit with heavy, somber feelings of missing him. His mother, who loves all things Shakespearian and exposed her son to many of Shakespeare's works, told me that a woman recently had a dream that Reid was in heaven, showing her around his room. He had "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" on his shelf and said, "Yeah, he stops by every now and then to talk." With all that in mind, I offer this sonnet, as though written from Reid's perspective. I wrote it using singular "thee" rather than plural "ye" because I picture Reid standing before each family member and reading it to them individually, purposefully encouraging each one. May it bless you, dear Jones family.



Could I but speak a word or two to thee,
On days when heaviness might fill thine eyes,
When emptiness and loss cannot but feel
As weights, to pull thy melancholy sighs;
When wings of doubt might flutter 'round thine heart,
And cast grey-shadowed questions by-and-by,
"The things done here on earth, were they enough?
Didst he receive our tender love thereby?"
Yes, could I speak a word or two to thee -
To thee who loved with overflowing grace
The soul immortal, trapped in body deep,
Forever looking well beyond my face -
'Twould be a word from Heaven's sweetest breeze
For such thee were on earth who lovedst me.

Why I'm Blogging

On December 20th, 2010, I will celebrate my 49th birthday, but on October 9, 2010, I will turn thirteen. Let me explain. Although I lived on this earth for almost 35 years without knowing God, He graciously broke into my life in October of 1997. He showed me my sinful nature and the hopelessness of being able to save myself from my sins, and then He showed me His Son, Jesus. One look at the glorious Cross and the mercy and grace available through the blood of Christ to cleanse me and make me anew, and I was saved forever. That was almost 13 years ago. As I have grown in reading God's Word and been affected by the faithful ministry of the Holy Spirit, I am so grateful to have a mind that is being continually renewed in Christ. From that perspective, I offer these poems and reflections. May they be a blessing to all who read them.