How The West Was Won

    The West wasn’t won with musket and ball
By adventurer/explorer braving the wild,
    Or the high-hatted marshal quick on the draw,
But by a praying woman holding her child.
 
    Neither buckskin rider on a buffalo run,
Nor hard-bitten teamster driving his mules,
    Or the blue-coated soldier with pony and gun
Left us neighborhoods, libraries, churches and schools.

    It was our god-fearing mothers, faithful and blessed,
Supporting their husbands in work side by side
    Who enabled our nation to tame the wild west.
And laid the foundation for our future lives.

   And she did it all as a matter of course,
 Following our God and fulfilling her part.
    She needn’t replace with weapons of force
Her submissive spirit, or her praying heart.

This poem was published in the book Take Me To The Garden.

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HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD

 

One of the first events recorded in Acts chapter 8 is the story of Simon Magus. We quickly dismiss Simon as someone evil who tried to weasel into the church. But I am not sure that is entirely the case. Luke tells us that Simon, “believed.” He was fascinated with the power God demonstrated in the life of Philip. He was even more astounded when he saw people receive the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands upon them. Simon approached them with money offering to pay for the power to give the Holy Spirit to whomever he laid his hands on. We automatically assume that Simon wanted to profit from this gift. But the Bible does not tell us his motives. I suspect he told himself that he wanted to touch more lives with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Of course Peter said, “Let your money go to hell with you for thinking you could buy the gift of God.” Peter added, “I perceive that you are filled with the gall of bitterness and are in bondage to iniquity.” Peter told him to repent and pray that God, if it were possible, might forgive him because his heart was not right before God. 

Have you ever resented your lack of success? Have you felt like God did not give you what you deserved for whatever reason? Note that Simon did repent in terror and asked that Peter pray for his deliverance. I am regularly tempted to feel sorry for myself for any number of reasons. And I thank God that He gives us the opportunity to regularly repent.

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HOW DO YOU LOVE YOUR POLITICAL ENEMY?

Jesus said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Matthew 5:43-45

How do we apply these words to the American political climate? First we need to recognize the meaning of the word “love.” This word does not mean we are to feel good toward those who are harming us. It does not mean that we must agree with our political opposites. Jesus used the Greek word, “agape.” This is the word that Paul defined in 1 Corinthians 13.

Verses 4-7 read,

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

These are serious requirements. We must struggle with the command to love our enemies. We will never accomplish this if we do not follow the command of Jesus to, “Pray” for our enemies. Do you pray daily for those that you believe are ruining our country? 

More than that we need to pray for ourselves. Jesus said we become like God as His children by loving our enemies. Only God can bring that about in our hearts and lives. He alone can produce real love in us for other people.

And we had better practice extraordinary prayer for our country. We will continue to be divided, often ridiculously, if God does not bring about this change in our hearts. 

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BEFORE THEY THROW THE STONES

 

I recently heard one of the Senators interrogating the recent Supreme Court nominee say he was upset that a late night TV host disparaging the previous appointee to the court because of her religion. I rather doubt if he would have brought it up in the hearing if it were not a hot issue for many of his constituents. And I fear that means that many of us who are believers have forgotten our purpose and the words of our Savior.

This too is from my book, I AM, Poetic Reflections Through The Gospel of John.

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BEFORE THEY THROW THE STONES

John 16:1-4

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

I tell you these things, so you’ll be forewarned.

 They will drive you out because of the way.

And when they kill you, you will not be mourned.

“Those who seek your life are doing right,” they’ll say.

Remember that I’ve told you, when the hour comes,

So you will not fall away when these things are done.

 

Such actions rise from the state of their hearts.

They May be religious, but God they have not known.

For this difference they’ll hate you from the start.

So be prepared before they throw the stones.

Remember you follow a crucified Christ.

And you’re called to share in His sacrifice. 

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THE WORD

 Over the past few weeks I posted segments of the introduction to my book, I AM, Poetic Reflections Through The Gospel of John, so I thought I would post several poems from the book. This is the first poem in the collection.

THE WORD

John 1:1

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

In the beginning, from before the beginning

There was God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

In perfect union, eternal love communing.

He spoke His grace before human ears could hear it.

He sent His Son, the Word from all eternity,

The fullness of the God-head in maternity.

 

God spoke the light. He spoke all life. He spoke Himself.

He spoke the whirling spheres and vast expanse to be.

He spoke the skies and seas and earth with all its wealth.

He formed the world and all in it that lives and breathes.

Every molecule knows the wisdom of His heart,

The plants and living creatures bear His mark.

 

He spoke His Son. He spoke to men. He spoke to me.

For in His time the Holy One to earth has come.

And in His love He spoke the cross eternally.

From the beginning was His plan, His grace, His Son.

The wonder of His love the world has seen and heard,

As God declared, “In the beginning was the Word.” 

This poem can be found in this 2nd edition of I AM, Poetic Reflections Through The Gospel of John.

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