Thursday, March 26, 2009

John 18

Testify to the love
Shown in the stumble
And the stagger
As the power of the
Saviour revealed itself
In the raw, losing
None at all as it
Was spoken.

Discussion Starter

As infants, we must drink only milk: it is all we can bear. As we grow older, slowly we learn to stomach stronger, heavier foods, until we are guided to the truth that all foods are permissible.

John 16:12-13 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Hebrews 5:12-14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Growth

This short poem is based on Bethy's connection of John 16:12-13 and Hebrews 5:12-14.

John 16:12-13
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will tell you what is to come."

Hebrews 5:12-14
"In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

Carried by the hands,
taken along the path.
Crawling along the path,
bounded by the rails.
Toddling along the way,
directed by the string.
Walking in the direction,
guided by the signs.
Running towards the goal,
following my heart.


Bloody Thorns

Piercing thorns drenched in blood,
Strangling my struggling heart.
Angry roots are shoved deep into
The black manure of my sin.
Roses grow, withered and worn,
Displaying the false hope of my pride.

The Gardener scoops his hands into the dirt,
Digging out the roots that cling.
He rips them out
And tills the new soil,
Preparing me for the seed.
Love sows the seed,
Thrown by the hands of the Bride.

Yet the thorns remain,
Tightening their hold as the
Roots are clipped from the stems.
The Gardener tightly grasps those
Sharp cutting thorns that encircle my heart.
His blood flows onto the soil,
Cleansing and enriching it anew.

His blood mingles with mine
As he rips the bloody crown of thorns apart.
He leaves the wounds as reminders,
But the way for healing is left clear,
As our blood-pact is sealed once more.

This simple poem is just a description of the breaking process of returning to God after a period of separation from Him. Although the process may be hard and hurt, eventually the heart can heal and be renewed in Him again. Reliance upon the church and the body of believers for this process is a must, as they can provide the guidance needed to see the way to a more meaningful Christainity.

Monday, March 2, 2009

John 13

Where I am going,
Preparing your future home,
You cannot come...yet.