In God's Country

Looking through the window of a plane one day,

I dreamed of a country far, far away

Where there’s no more sorrow and pain…

In God’s Country, beyond the bright blue

In the third Heaven

Where I’ll be going soon…

In God’s Country, where His children will abide

The streets are paved with gold that no one desires!

A rainbow encircles the throne of the Most High

In God’s Country, where there’s no more crying…

In God’s Country, where His children will abide

They will picnic with Jesus under the Tree of Life;

There are mansions fair, glorious and bright

In God’s Country, where there’s no more night!

No more sea of separation, or lonely isles;

No more silent tears or wistful goodbyes;

No more death and dying, sickness or pain

All because of Jesus, the Lamb that was slain!

The beauty of God’s Country is its Saviour  and King

Who died to ensure that His children get in;

We will see His hands, the scars  will testify

Of a love that never, ever will die!

Until that time I arrive at that place,

The blessed city with it’s pearly gates

A piece of it remains within my heart;

A hope that won’t die until I see it at last!

In God ‘s country far, far away

For a thousand years, the redeemed will remain!

And then God’s Country will come down to earth

Like a bride adorned, there will be joy and mirth…

In God’s Country, where His children abide

Blessed Sabbaths together, songs at eventide;

The lion and lamb, they will lie down in peace

In God’s Country, where my home will be…

I can see it afar, but I’m not there yet!

Over the horizon’s line, is the Promised Land

My faith can taste the goodness of the Land afar

That flows with milk and honey, it’s golden doors ajar

God’s Country is mine, for I am His

It’s His Promise to me, it’s my heritage!

Scripture refs: Rev 21, 22

Creation Epic

The worlds were framed by the Word of the Lord

And the earth embraced by His Spirit of Love;

He spoke and boundless light poured forth…

The mantle of darkness was peeled away,

Revealing the marvelous miracle of the very first day;

His powerful Word like a sword did split

The highest heights of the firmament

From the broiling depths of the ocean deep,

Which seemed to have no end…

He sent forth the heavenly decree

Which established the border of the seas

Bringing forth the dry land,

Soon to be the home of man…

With tender love did His voice forth

The pleasant herb of the field,

The abundant bounty of fruit trees,

The  blessed Orchard of Eden…

The earth needed not the moon, nor sun

For it was illumined by the Holy One;

Nevertheless, for the dividing of time did He them create…

In one breath did He decorate the tapestry of heaven

With the star-spangled banner of Love,

Their dazzling beauty like sequins

In an exquisite garment above…

With just a word He created

The teeming multitudes in the sea,

Leviathan frolicking in the waves

And birds flying high on the breeze…

He spoke the Word and there appeared

The varied beasts of the field,

The creeping things of the earth;

After their own kind they would yield…

On the sixth day God had a special work in mind,

The crowning glory of creation,

Distinct from every kind…

“Let us make Man in our image” He said,

“And put the crown of dominion upon his head;

Let him  rule the earth and the sea,

Custodian of all that have life by Me…”

And God stooped down and gathered dust,

With His own hands, He fashioned a bust;

On the earth did Adam lay,

Beautiful, but lifeless man of clay…

God breathed His own breath into him

And the man came to life;

“Adam, my son,” thought God,

“Your loneliness will soon require a wife…”

So our first parents were made,

In the similitude of God

To multiply and replenish the earth

And rule it with hearts of love;

Their home was carpeted with the plush mossy meadow

And the windows of heaven a roof over them…

And God looked upon His creation

And declared it very good;

The sons of God shouted for joy and heavenly anthems raised

As the earth broke forth in chorus of resounding praise…

All was rest and beauty on that hallowed first Sabbath day,

Precious memorial of creation that forever would remain…

This poem/song was inspired by: Genesis 1, Job 38

Pilgrim

I am a pilgrim on a journey

To the Promised Land;

I have asked God for guidance,

That He would take my hand…

Often anxious, often weary

As meandering paths I tread

I remember my Saviour;

He had no place to lay His head…

I will trust Him for He already has traveled this narrow way;

He is my fire by night, my pillar of cloud by day

He will never leave me, nor forsake me;

His Promise is sure

I will be with Him in His Kingdom,

Where we will dwell forevermore…

While I journey on this road,

I find tokens of His love:

The garden of tears,

The Cross on which He shed His blood…

He died to relieve me

Of my burden of sin,

So He could raise me to glory,

To a new life with Him…

Now I live to serve Him,

Though my debt I cannot repay;

All I can do is walk this journey

In His strength each day…

Soon, my journey will be over

And I will take my rest;

When my King comes in glory,

I will awaken in the City of the Blessed…

This poem was inspired by: Gal 4:26, Heb 11, Matt 8:19-20, Ex 13:21-22, Matt 28:18-20, Mark 14:32-72, John 19:16-20, 2 Cor 5:21, Is 53, Rom 6, Ps 46, Rev 21-22

Out of Laodicea!

The book of Hebrews describes us as pilgrims on a journey to the Promised Land. Some have died while walking the journey, having seen glimpses and revelations of the fulfillment of the promise from afar off (Heb 11:13).

The journey is an arduous one and often we encounter oases of pleasure in the dry, dusty deserts of our lives. However, they are merely fleeting mirages, temporary distractions to keep us from attaining our goal. Jesus warned His disciples against trying to serve two masters, namely God and Mammon (Mat 6:24). He said it is an impossible task, a balance that could never be achieved. We therefore have to be careful that the pleasures of this world do not become a holiday resort into which we check in and never wish to leave!

In this world, it is easy to fall into the trap of seeking fame and fortune and a person is often judged solely on the pride and accompanying pomp of his chosen profession. As a result, many people spend their lives chasing after money, placing all their security and confidence in it. A job becomes not a means for making a living, but the reason for life itself! God gave us the gift of a honest day’s work to keep us out of trouble, but we have turned it into the source of most of our troubles!

As a result of this, we lead mostly sedentary lifestyles and suffer the consequences of poor health. Like the church of Laodicea described in Revelation, we have heaped up for ourselves gold and silver and we think we no longer need God. (Rev 3:17).We put our confidence in the world’s great marketplaces that can implode at any time, instead of putting our confidence in the Lord who was, and is, and is to come!

Our churches have become akin to social clubs, devoid of active service and training in righteousness and compassion. We have become “pew warmers”, having a form of religion and denying the power thereof (2 Tim 3:5). We think that we have done our duty when we have attended church on Sabbath and given our tithes and offerings. We no longer go out into the world as missionaries looking for opportunities to tell others about God while going about our daily tasks as was done in the early church. Instead we leave this to the missionaries on the frontlines and the pastors in the church. We can see the sad results of an inactive laity all around us-people who are not active in the kingdom of God have more time to dabble in sin and more time to succumb to temptation. The world is today “as it was in the days of Noah” when violence and immorality was rife. Jesus said it would be so, shortly before His return. (Luke 17:26-28)

Jesus cautioned us to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. We have fallen asleep! We are indecisive, neither hot nor cold, yet God wants us to make a decision and take a stand (Rev 3:15-16). Let us pray that God would anoint our eyes with the eye salve spoken of in Revelation, that we may be cured of our blindness and realize our need for Him and our need to work for His Kingdom and not our own!

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."-Rev 3:14-19