Category: Jesus

How I View Grace

We are all degenerate

Serial rapists, murderers, cannibals

Drug addicts, adulterers, child abusers

And meet Jesus.

We say a thousand times we doesn’t need Jesus

Because we are pretty swell.

Jesus says, “I see there is some good in you.”

So, Jesus spends the better part of our lives

Trying to get himself caught for our sin.

Jesus does get caught, when we confess Him as LORD,

And then Jesus gets put on death row

Where He’s beaten up in prison,

Stabbed, and fed gross food.

We someday forget all of what we did

While Jesus is the one found guilty for all of our sins.

 

This is a helpful tool for understanding Christ.

We all are the degenerate fools;

Jesus is the Christ.

Wasn’t our LORD something of a radical?

Lazarus and Judas

“Jesus, I have healed in Your name.

“Cast out demons, seen amputations healed.

“I had spoken Your word with truth.

“I have given what I could to the poor.

“I have tried to be kind, and give just reproof.

“I had tried to make the brokenhearted smile.

“I had done this all because I loved You

“And had believed You loved me too,”

Spoke Jesus’ friend Lazarus.

 

“Jesus, I had healed the lame

“And prophesied in Your Name.

“I tithed to the church my ten percent.

“I had not made sinners ashamed.

“I had done this because You glorified me,

“And I continually remembered Your burnt offering;

“I had known I am a sinner,

“So, therefore, by knowing I have sinned, I am justified,”

Said Judas Iscariot.

Judgmental

There were two men.

 

The first was a prophet.

The prophet, when he saw the wickedness of mankind

Would pray to the Father in heaven

And would accuse men of being wicked.

He would reprove for the sake of correction

And nothing he spoke was with intent to harm

But rather was with intent to increase faithfulness

Among the sons of men.

Never did he say, “You sin like thus,

“And, therefore, you are a worthless fellow.”

But rather, “The whole sins like thus,

“And your sins will condemn you.

“Not that I have never sinned,

“But that you are sinning right now,

“And I am concerned for your well being.”

When men heard this,

They felt sore vexed

Because it seemed like the Prophet was accusing

Them right to their face.

But it was rather the whole who the prophet accused;

And men stood up in judgment against this prophet

To say, “He is more wicked in his judgments

“Then we are in our murders and thefts!”

 

The second man was a judge.

He would see of men, “They are righteous,

“And they are, for the whole part, better than this man.”

But, when he saw a man’s sins,

He would say, “This man is incredibly wicked.

“This man, I have seen him be wicked

“I have seen his sins,

“Because I have made a diligent search for them.

“I will not depart from him

“Until I am justified in myself

“That I have found error in him.”

This man, all men loved

Because he had accused the righteous

And had encouraged the wicked to sin

By justifying them, and by making himself justified in their eyes.

Wherever he was, he made sure he was justified in their eyes

And that the truth, even, was abominable in the sights of men

Because he would rather be justified in his position

And not the truth; and once he found sin

He went home and said, “I know I am righteous

“And this other man is a sinner more than I.

“For, the prophets are judgmental,

“And I am humble and give grace to the sinner.”

 

Which man will stand in judgment?

Who is the hypocrite?

God Made A Good Earth; Men Just Abused It

The pleasure of sex

Brings a child.

That child grows

Under your thumb

And becomes like a half of you

And a half of the person you had sex with

That beautiful pleasure.

 

Then there is work.

You build a garden

An alcove

Vineyards

Pleasant houses;

You trade precious stones

With each other

To get things that will enrich you.

You work to compile wisdom

And skill at your craft.

You build shoes,

Art, paintings

Cupboards

Wooden ducks and chess tables.

 

Then there is pleasant sunshine

There are animals,

There is a wellspring of life

And clouds and blue sky.

In that heat, you build.

In the cold, you cuddle up next to a fire

With your beloved, and children

Huddled there all winter

In a cocoon of love.

 

The rain comes, it smells good.

The bees pollinate the grass.

Flowers come in all different colors

There are words for different things.

Teals and greens

And fuchsias

And magnolias.

 

Men are born…

With some pain…

The baby comes into the earth crying

And that little thing

Grows to be a man or a woman.

That woman or man makes love

And the cycle repeats itself.

You, the next generation,

Build a life with those you love.

 

Why is there suffering?

Can you truly blame God?

He builds the Earth,

And like the fruit on the tree of good and evil

We pluck it.

It is there, so we pluck it.

We pluck it, and eat.

That is why there is suffering.

God says, “Do not do this

“Or you will suffer.”

And we do.

All the beautiful things above

God has given us.

Heaven will be wondrous

Because we will never have to sin again.

We will never sin, we will never sin

We will never sin, because we cannot.

That is what we hope for.

To be like Christ…

Unable to sin.

 

Two Men

There were two men.

 

The first, a lot of what he predicted was wrong

But he did what God told him to do.

He’d say, “On this date, this would happen.”

And it didn’t happen on that date.

It, rather, happened, if it happened, a lot longer.

He, making one thousand shekels a month,

Gave twenty-thousand shekels to the poor.

He healed the lame with his words

And comforted them.

He spoke what was wise

Though he got his predictions wrong.

He also condemned the sinners with his words

Though he did not judge them

The sinners felt condemned when he spoke

Therefore, they hated him.

 

The second man, every word he predicted came true.

He didn’t do what God told him to do.

He would say, “On this day, this will happen.”

And it would.

He, making two billion shekels a month

Gave none of it to the poor.

He would tell the sinners, “God loves you”

But would not correct them to their face,

But it made them feel secure.

He would hug the sinners,

And make them feel very happy about themselves.

He never told anyone that they were wrong,

But rather, everyone was right because he was a murderer

And he didn’t want to accuse others for his own sin.

Every sinner felt like they were saved

Though they had great sin,

And they were comforted by this word,

“A mass murderer, if on his death bed

“Confessed Christ, he will go to heaven.”

So, they all committed murder

Believing their final confession would save them.

 

Which is the prophet?

 

 

A Little Parable I Told

There were two men.

Both heard God’s voice.

God said to both,

“You do what I ask,

“And I will give you everything your heart

“Desires, even wives, children, and vineyards

“And man-servants and female servants

“And oxen and sheep in great number.”

 

The first man,

He listened to God’s voice

And being a great sinner

He hindered himself

And caused a great calamity

Against himself.

He had sinned

And therefore had shame cast upon him.

For, his sin was known to everyone.

But, he had only made it known because God had told him to repent.

He believed in God’s voice

But, the more good he did

And the more he waxed in righteousness

The more he grew hesitant in his belief that God would save him.

He believed God would not even

Give him a mote of what his heart desired.

 

The second man,

An even greater sinner,

Knew he had heard God’s voice

But decided instead to act very foolishly.

He went out and began to torment his family and friends

And began to spill innocent blood.

He began to whore-monger

And would not repent.

When asked about his crimes

He felt shame, but would not repent.

He said in his heart, “There is no God

“And I don’t want to be mad like my brother.”

So, he continued on sinning.

 

Which is faithless

And which is unfaithful?

Who is the greater sinner of the two?

The man who did what God told him

But didn’t believe there would be justice?

Or, the man who did unjustice

In spite of God’s commandment?

All the Reasons I Could Go To Hell

Just today,

I woke up late.

I watched a show

Where a man put leeches on his eyeballs;

Just two seconds of it.

I have holes in all my clothes.

 

Just yesterday,

I woke up late.

I didn’t mow the lawn.

I got cranky with a local clerk.

I thought someone had stolen from me when he didn’t.

 

Just two days ago,

I woke up late.

I back-talked my dad.

I accused a friend in my heart of a grievous sin.

I was afraid.

 

Just three days ago,

I woke up late.

I was suspicious about my friend.

I back talked my dad.

I was angry.

I talked nonsense.

I said things that weren’t true.

I didn’t speak the truth in my heart.

I was afraid.

 

Just four days ago,

I woke up late,

When I was praying, I asked for something that was not good.

I feared something that did not happen.

I was angry.

I let myself get confused.

I argued with my brother.

I provoked arguments with people.

I had strife and bitterness.

 

This is the last four days.

Any one of these is worthy of going to hell.

This was the extent of my sin those four days

The whole of it,

Yet, any one of those

Could be the reason I go to hell.

This is why I need Jesus;

Because he wipes the slate clean

So I can still live,

And try to be the best person I can.

What the Tortoise Said to Achilles; My Version

After having a race,

In which the Tortoise won

Achilles sat beside the Tortoise

And began challenging him.

 

“How did you win?”

Asked Achilles.

 

The Tortoise said,

“Because God made things

“Men cannot understand.”

 

Achilles then said,

“How can there be a God?

“Like I can prove three equal lines make

“An equilateral triangle

“I can prove your God does not exist

“By proving the Fermentation of Species;

“Because, certainly your book is relegated to myth

“By proving the fermentation of species.”

 

The Tortoise said,

“Certainly, there are things

“That man cannot understand.

“There certainly is a God,

“For I am a tortoise,

“And have knowledge

“Of God being that I am so;

“I observed Him a few times

“In my life.”

 

Achilles then said,

“By Modus Ponen

“I can say that your God does not exist!

“Because if there is a fermentation of species

“It must follow that God does not exist.”

 

The Tortoise replied,

“I do not believe species fermenting proves

“My God does not exist.”

 

“Then, can you at least believe in Modus Ponen?”

Asked Achilles.

 

The Tortoise said,

“Alas! This argument again, Achilles!

“How many times shall I have to rebut it?

“For you lie all the time

“About my answer.

“You say I cannot accept Modus Ponen!

“Well, I do! But you forget Modus Tollens!

“Because there is a God

“It CANNOT be true

“That evolution proves He does not exist.”

 

To which, Achilles then posited again,

“But, can you believe that Modus Ponen exists?

“And therefore, Modus Ponen exists?”

 

The Tortoise,

This time,

Walked away because it was Achilles

Who did not understand logic.

LORD, My God!

LORD, my God!

Let me have pleasures in your tabernacle.

Let me see your vineyards, and your tabrets of gold.

LORD, the wicked man with mischievous devices

Rises up against me.

LORD, to where should I turn?

 

LORD, to Whom shall I turn?

Shall I turn to the Egyptian

Whose strength is Pharaoh?

Shall I turn to the Assyrian

Who is Your rod

To break the wicked nations?

Shall I turn to Sheshak

With all his greatness?

Where? Where shall I turn?

Whom shall I turn to?

 

LORD. in these nations there is no help.

Though my friends rise up against me

Though a host encamps against me

LORD, I know You are with me.

LORD, I know Your strength will feed me

Against the wind of their chaff

And their devices.

 

LORD, I am greatly anguished

So that I cannot sleep.

My flesh groans all night

Because of my mourning

And my sleep is very thin.

LORD, when I awake, LORD

Are the winds ever against me?

Surely You know, LORD.

 

To Whom shall I trust?

To Whom shall I go for answers?

The whirring winds?

LORD, You are a God Who is near

And before the troublesome waves have stirred

LORD, I have asked of You good things.

I have asked, and You have provided.

My heart was not lifted up against mine enemies.

 

LORD, wicked things were said of paradise

Before my face.

It was said, “Because you do not know

“You do not know this earth

“After you go to paradise…”

LORD, surely, You have great pleasures stored up for us

Even grains and great soups and good offerings.

LORD, like a woman in travail

We shall give birth

And not to wind

Nor to vanity.

We shall give birth

And shall tabernacle in Your house for eternity.

For, LORD, heaven is wondrous

And the works of your hands

And the foundations of my houses

LORD, surely You know and have set them

And they are great.

For in the paradise of our LORD

There is a city, a city called Zion

And there are houses, and mansions

And great feasts

And great pleasures for eternity.

Our sin has been cast away,

And Zion rejoices.

Our sin, let Israel now say,

Has been cast to the bottom of the sea.

As for me, I was as a dead man

And You delivered me.

I was speechless, and dumb

And could not execute judgment for myself.

For ones too strong rose up against me

And sought to beset my soul

With lies, in order to turn the path of the murderer.

But, LORD, I testified before his face what were his sins.

And he did not answer

For my wisdom excelled.

No, he rather listened

And it was not wind

Nor was it chaff that I said.

I fed him, for his fathers have led him to err.

 

LORD, this is the people I dwell close to

Ones who honor you with their lips

But in their heart it is war.

In their heart it is great mischief and devices

And they seek to destroy me and my soul all day long

Even to lie about your paradise.

LORD, all knowledge rests with those who go to Your kingdom.

All wisdom and all glory

And we, we, Your saints,

Shall rule with You.

Yet, not yet, and my heart was haughty

Like Tyre, therefore, curses were among me

For my haughtiness and my sin.

Yet, for my repentance, and my patience

LORD, You will reward me.

 

Shall the wicked turn from his sin?

Shall the robbers turn from their sins?

Shall they, and pay back what they have stolen?

Shall they? Certainly they shall not hear

A word about their sins

If they do, and they shall grow as a cedar planted by waters

And You, You shall restore them

If, if they turn from their sins.

 

Yet, they shall not.

They shall continue in their wickedness,

And shall not be made straight

LORD, for they have sinned, and erred grievously against You

Even to Blaspheme your Holy One.

They have caused many to err

And have caused the righteous to err in judgment

And therefore bring a curse upon his head.

For he was set like a cedar by a river

Until the destroyer came into his life

And wrecked his vineyards

And spoiled his vines.

LORD, he did nothing so evil

But LORD, You shall pay recompense against those who besiege Jerusalem.

You shall pay recompense against those who besiege Judah.

LORD, even those round about Israel, let Israel now say

Even these, even those who set about Ephraim

Even these shall be saved, those who are to deliver your people.

But, to those who fight against us

LORD, these shall not be saved.

These shall be as stubble in the great furnace.

 

LORD, the greatness of Your mercy is kind.

And LORD, great things await those who wait on You

For in Zion, yes, in Zion, we shall no longer sin.

We shall no longer have sin, nor sinful thought

Nor deed. For heaven is glorious

And greatly to be feared is God

For creating such a place

Of sprawling forests,

And waters and rivers,

And the holy City of Zion

And the peaceful rivers of Ezekiel

And the cities, and the surrounding

Wastes shall be where the wicked go

To be feasted on by the worm

Outside the gates of Zion.

A continual feast, a continual weeping

A continual gnashing of teeth, shall the worm

Cause those who have deeply revolted from Your truth

Even to scourge the jewel which mine own eyes

Have seen.

For great pleasures shall be laid for eternity

And activity for the saints

And death, yes, the grave

Shall be for the sinner.

Great love shall be for those who trust in Your Name

Jesus, yet for the sinner, they shall fall by the sword

And be slain all at once.

They shall no longer rise up against Your servant Israel

And they shall be feasted on sweetly by the worm.