Devotion

He falls to the ground. Hands over his eyes, he weeps bitter tears of great pain. How had things come to this? Wiping the blood and tears from his face, he does something he hasn't done for a long time, he prays. With his rifle finally laid to rest, the young soldier looks to the heavens and then across a field of corpses. Among the dead he sees a child he killed in the heat of battle. The soldiers words echo in the valley of death, God forgive us. Forgive us all, sweet Jesus, forgive us. To the ground the soldier falls. 

There is a song with the lyric "l get knocked down, but I get up again..." In turn I like the image of a Phoenix rising from the ashes. It makes me think how we Christians should never accept defeat. Indeed our Lord has conquered that evil trinity of the world, the flesh and the devil. He made a spectacle of death. His enemies had him marked down as defeated, crushed forever, but he rose again in victory and still rises. He too encourages us, though storms may rage, to rise from the rubble. To run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint, to mount up on wings like eagles! So rise up church, roar like a mighty lion! ln Christ we have the victory! (This post was also kindly featured as a guest post in the Primitive Quaker Journal, The Call).

Love. That splendid word. Thank you, Father. You are graciously loving us. You are love. This is such a beautiful thought. Teach us to understand it and live in the light of it. Continue to show us how to love. To love others and to love you. Love. That splendid word. Thank you, Father. (Appeared as a guest post on Br Michael Daly's blog in 2015 also appeared as a guest post at Reflections Online).

God of Love, Thank you that you are love itself. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus was born. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus lived a perfect and holy life. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus taught us to love. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus taught us to love God. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus taught us to love each other. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus taught us to love even our enemies. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus died for us. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus took the punishment for all our sins. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus defeated death and rose again. We praise you that it was for Love that your Son Jesus set us free. We praise you that love incarnate will come again and thank you that you are love itself. In the name of the Son of Love, Amen (This prayer was kindly featur

Sweet Jesus, thank you for the love you give. Thank you for teaching us to laugh, to cry. Thank you for teaching us to dance, to kneel. Thank you for teaching us to shout, to be silent. Thank you for teaching us to say Hallelujah, to say help. Thank you for teaching us to be bold, to be calm. Most of all thank you for your love, and teaching us to accept and share love. Praise the Lord! Amen (As kindly featured on a site called Reflections Online)

They send us off to die. Blood and tears we cry. In the heat of battle we live. Our sweat and life we give. Bang beats the drum. A war never won. Vanity and pride. The leaders hide. Why should this be? Indeed the name of the free? No, not in my name. This is not a game. They send us off to die, we shall not go! For they lie!

Finished Bloody Palms Bloody Crown Bloody Ground Bloody Nails Radiant Light Third Day Rising Finished, but Just Begun *** This poem won an award at allpoetry.

The time when the winds blow. I lift up my colar to shield from the wind. It is cold, but the colours are perfectly beautiful. I shuffle through the leaves. It reminds me of childhood, holding mum's hand as I kick up leaves, wearing my welly boots and duffle coat. I always loved this time of year. I'm thankful to God for this time of year. The time when the winds blow.

Passover comes - Calvary is near. You are anointed in love. Prepared for burial - You know what is to come. Prophet, Priest, King Anointed for a purpose. 'Seek first the kingdom', you say to rich and poor. In this work you find satisfaction. Teach us to do what we can for you, with the oil of love. A broken jar, a broken saviour. You are sold for less. Your servants are ridiculed. Yet Lord, third day rising. You are our victory! Let freedom reign.

It seems to me in our attempt to worship God, we sometimes think of Him as Sovereign in a twisted way, almost like a dictator with absolute power, micro managing everything and every detail of the world. But that would be a world without free will, a world we humans didn't choose (I suspect humans, angels, demons, and creatures have varied degrees of free will and arguably nature itself). This means troubles will come for not all use free will for good or in a way that doesn't have lasting negative consequences. There is a world of variables. There are good things and bad things. There is a war between light and darkness. In a general sense the troubles of the world can be traced directly to the fall. Freely and willfully humans have time and again chosen the darkness over the light plunging the world deeper and deeper into dispair, driving us further and further east of Eden. However, this does not mean every single suffering is somehow an act of divine judgment. In the gospel

An increasing symptom post pandemic: As people could not go to church, they watched it, and now the truth is out. We should not neglect the assembling of the saints. But, who says it should look anything like it does now?  There is a profound disconnect from church, particularly the structures. Not the gospel, the kingdom, or the king.  Just the systems, entertainment, rituals, stand-up shows, cliques, pop culture, movement mentality, denominationalism, celebrity preachers, clergy over laity, "worship" gigs, prosperity preaching, structures suited to middle-class Christians at exclusion of others, expensive or time consuming trainings, gap or internships years where people pay to work for free, membership systems that have no biblical basis and have more in common with cults or fraternities than the kingdom of God, meetings based on the latest trends, constant programs and demands of already burnt out members, no sounding board for grievances, no room for doubt or dual affili

Remember when life wasn't a series of screens? 'I' meant 'me' as in 'I am human' not machine. Smart wasn't a phone it was our Sunday best. Is this another rant? Well then, you know the rest... Heads didn't hang low unless we were being told...and even then... We looked up at the clouds and imagined shapes. Saw the autumn leaves and snowflakes, all so majestic, no mistake. Saw the Robins in the bushes and thought of Christmas. Waited to see bluebell walks and spring unleashed. Spent time outdoors at the beach. We tried to look people in the eye as we spoke unmuffled by this digital joke. Screen time or no time hadn't tried to replace family time or even 'quiet time' and 'rest time.' Brains switched off, not to reboot but to refresh. Down time wasn't interrupted by digital guests. Breathe in the air, take a walk, be blessed. Remember when life wasn't a series of screens? Because that scene wasn't even that long ago! If y

On the road to Emmaus two fellows entered fellowship with God. 'Did not our hearts burn within us...' These fellows of the fellowship of the upper room journeyed: Sorrow? Fear? Is it over? Dead! Joy? Courage? Just begun? Alive! Turn the world upside down. He turns hearts upside down. The work is finished, but just begun. 

I'm not a royalist, but I do desire that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. So yes, God save the King, his subjects, allies, and enemies. God save the collective kingdoms of earth. Let them be engulfed by a new and more peaceable kingdom. Whose King came meek and lowly, and is now crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."  (1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV) ~ Pax Et Bonum ~

Infinite human depravity and sin. Infinite love and grace. Without Him all is lost. The heart of the problem is the problem of man's hearts. 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!' says the preacher. In a world of cruelty and vanity a saviour came. Triumphant war Lord? Nay, a lamb. Our weakness, he identifies. Our suffering, he identifies. The ultimate price buys our liberty: Join Me! Follow Me! Take up your cross! Liberty is ours! Darkness and light collide. Flesh and blood is spilled. Principalities and powers beware. The light has come. Let thy light shine oh God! More poetry etc at Line of Poetry  

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad things happen to mediocre people? Why do bad things happen to bad people? Why do good things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to mediocre people? Why do good things happen to bad people? The good, The mediocre, And The bad. Why do any of them prosper? Why do any of them suffer? The rain falls on all. But, the sunshine rests on all. That of darkness dwells in all. But, that of light dwells in all. Behold the misery! Behold the hope! More poetry, free downloads and links at Line of Poetry