thoughts from in the clouds
Monday 31 October 2011
Deep Deep Shivers... a Cry of My Soul...Really!
why I write
Monday 10 October 2011
At Thy Feet
Inadequate I came before your throne
Ashamed to bring my face into your light
Legs trembling, throat dry, back arched
Brow shadowed eyes, open only slight.
Edging forward, ever slower goes the pace
Every heart beat a war hammer against my chest
“You’re not worthy” whispers the deceiver’s voice
I answer, “I know I am not the best”
Thoughts engulfed in me, myself and I
A warm, comforting grasp upon my shoulder
I ever slowly lift my shadowed face
The burden borne large like a boulder
Unworthy and quivering still
The grasp encourages me to look
Now kneeling, I lift my eyes into light
I know only of Him from His Book.
He beckons me to stand, I cannot
He calls me to stand, quaking I arise.
Heartfelt warmth surrounds me
As I gaze into The Potters eyes.
I ask Him to take my heart, and do His work
I hand my heart over to Him, with fear
I ask Him to change me, mold me.
It won’t be easy, but He is near.
He begins to peel back the layers
Helplessness takes hold of my mind
Strength sapped from my very being
The boulder He was meant to find
The weight is lifted and disposed of
I fall to my knees again, willingly
I worship His name, and praise Him
A rarity as tears fall abundantly
My all, my everything, less of me.
My mind says more of you,
My strength, really His, my hope.
And now I can start anew.
I thank the Lord morning, noon and night,
I praise the Lord for revealing me to me
I live my days now under His wing
I was blind but now I see
Father use me, all of me
a fire burning bright
a joyful breath, and heartbeat
my goal, Jesus is in my sight.
the Joy of my heart, forever...
Friday 13 May 2011
Splendour and Majesty
The splendour of the swallow
And majesty of the mountains
Show his glory and perfect grace,
Like a coloured and creased bed sheet
The dales stretch out before me,
The trees and bushes clap their hands
In praise adoration and love
Why then oh my soul
Are you downcast and dry
When all around God continues to show
His grace and beautiful craftsmanship
Nature shows its adoration to the throne
Where is my adoration, after all he made me too
Like a blossom tree in bloom
Our life looks great and beautiful
But every moment and memory falls like
The blossom petals fall and flutter
With every gust of wind
God unchanging in his nature
Never leaves, never fades, always loves
Why oh my soul
Don’t you shout from the rooftops
Scream echo’s in the valleys
Tell everyone you meet
That Abba father is the craftsman
He is the loving, gracious, and caring God.
Let it free scream it out,
Shout it now and forever
Our Lord did this for us all.
For us all….
Saturday 16 April 2011
Coram deo
2 Timothy 4 1-5
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
The other day I was asked by a friend, what it meant for me to be a Christian, I thought good and hard about it, and couldn’t give him a succinct answer, later when reading a post from an old colleague I saw it as plain as day. The title of the post was simply, Coram Deo. Literally it means in the presence of God. In 2 Timothy Paul tells Timothy to preach the word and be ready for anything coming his way, but to do it in the presence of God and Jesus the judge.
I decided to look it up and called my friend back and gave him this Latin term. I said, “The big idea of the Christian life is Coram Deo. Coram Deo captures the essence of the Christian life.” He had been in latin class with me in school so knew what it literally meant. This phrase stuck with me so I thought I would share what God put on my heart about it. Bear with me, I may show a bit of passion about it.
This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live Coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.
To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze. With me so far?
To be aware of the presence of God is also to be terribly aware of His sovereignty. Our continuous experience is to recognize that if God is God, then He is indeed sovereign. When Saul was confronted by the brilliant glory of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, his immediate question was, “Who is it, Lord?” He wasn’t sure who was speaking to him, but he knew that whoever it was was certainly sovereign over him.
Living under divine sovereignty involves more than a reluctant submission to sheer authority that is motivated out of a fear of punishment. It involves recognizing that there is no higher goal than offering honour to God. Our lives are to be living sacrifices, offered in a spirit of adoration and gratitude. As it says in 1 corinthians 10:31, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
To live all of life Coram Deo is to live a life of integrity. It is a life of wholeness that finds its unity and coherency in the majesty of God. A fragmented life is a life of disintegration. It is marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction, and chaos.
The Christian who compartmentalizes his or her life into two sections of the religious and the nonreligious has failed to grasp the big idea. The big idea is that all of life is for God or none of our life is for God. An example would be, the elephant, we don’t see an elephant trying to be an elephant; he just is an elephant as long as he breathes and eats and sleeps he is an elephant, we don’t see elephants trying to be a mouse. That would be just ridiculous, could you imagine the mouse traps?
This means that if a person fulfils his or her job as a builder, lawyer, or student Coram Deo, then that person is acting every bit as set apart as a soul-winning evangelist who fulfils his job. It means that David was as set apart when he obeyed God’s call to be a shepherd as he was when he was anointed with the special grace of kingship. It means that Jesus was every bit as sanctified when He worked in His father’s carpenter shop as He was in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Integrity is found where we live our lives in a pattern of consistency. It is a pattern that functions the same basic way in church and out of church. It is a life that is open before God. It is a life in which all that is done is done as to the Lord. It is a life lived by principle, not convenience; by humility before God, not cheek. It is a life lived under the instruction of conscience that is held captive by the Word of God.
Coram Deo … before the face of God. That’s the big idea. Next to this idea our other goals and ambitions become mere trivialities. So lets pray that we learn to give our all to God bringing everything before the face of God.
Just as Mother Theresa said, true holiness is doing Gods will with a smile….
Friday 25 February 2011
Eagles wings
The wind blowing in my face,
A warm feel beneath my grip,
A contented embrace
A comfort never felt before,
Wind rushing through my hair,
I dare not open my eyes
I don’t want this to end
He knows what was,
is and is to come.
The clouds gently open
The sky a gentle blue
The sun a warm protect
Blessed am I, oh how blessed.
Qualms and disquiet fall from me
Knowing he has me
And my destiny
Soaring on to that hill
Golgotha a silent hill
Empty but not forgotten
The garden tomb void
Wings spiral and guide
No longer a weary soul
Enchanted by his grace
Enriched by his love
No need for feeble thought
Soaring, soaring, swooping,
High above mankind
The heavens praise his name
Safe at last, in his arms.
Riding on the wings of the eagle
Weary soul no more a burden
Oh how happy, the word I cry
An almighty yawp
Praise his name, praise Adonia.
Monday 21 February 2011
lost?
Oppression flowing through the streets
Darkness passes by my window
Seeping through the cracks
This room a prison cell
Tortures of happiness
Age a challenge undefeated
Lord come set me free.
310bpm my mind takes off
Spaghetti junction of thought
No control over any
No junction rest stop
Sleep drifts from my grasp
Mind too busy, no peace
Off switch broken or lost
Pillow a sharp nuisance
Many bodies little space
Many noises little peace
Many spaces none free.
Needing an escape.
God Speaks, I cant hear
His voice pulled away
By mindless currents
I am trying, really
Help me out God,
Show me stillness
Where I know you are
Give me peace to hear
That’s all I ask…. All I ask