Through the Bible in Poetry
Take a Devotional Journey through the Bible in Poetry
Monday, March 13, 2023
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Please God...
God, don’t let me be a pampered prince
Whose face will twist and body wince,
Whenever You call for earthly expense;
Who spouts an excuse in his defense.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Don’t let me be an empty cup
The Spirit never could fill up.
Too lazy to take my Kingdom place
Content to sit and fill this space.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Don’t let me be a stubborn child
Fooled by Satan, my mind beguiled
With temporal false values of this world,
Who never got his flag unfurled.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Don’t let me be a greedy dolt
As unruly as a headstrong colt
Thinking only of me, yes me, me, me,
A totally selfish, unfruitful tree.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Don’t let me be a busy bee
Without time to commune with thee;
Too busy to serve the King of Kings
Pursuing a heap of material things.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Don’t let me be a fickle fellow
With character like a bowl of jello
Wishy then washy, then undecided,
Never decisive, always misguided.
Please God, don’t let me be like this.
Please let me be a faithful servant
My heart in tune, my spirit fervent.
To use my gifts for Christ my King
All of myself to Him I bring.
Please God, please let me be like this.
There are some words I long to hear
O that they will fall on my ear.
“Well done, thou servant, enter thy rest.
Come join all who passed the test.”
Please God, let me hear this!
© Copyright 2018 George M. Cuff, All Rights Reserved
Monday, December 5, 2016
A Christmas Poem
A Christmas Poem
Our Savior wasn't received
as a King
That very first Christmas
morn.
No elegant robes, only
homemade clothes
The infant’s body adorned.
No fame, no trumpet, no
grand speech,
No hint that He the world
would teach;
No one noble anointed his
head;
He lay in a manger instead
of a bed.
The GREATNESS of God was
contained within
This infant Christ-child
born without sin.
Filled with Glory, Truth,
and Light,
Born to bring hope for
sinful man’s plight.
Born to die that mankind
might live,
Born to pardon and forgive.
Born to bear our sin and
shame,
To die our death, assume our
blame.
He climbed the hill bearing
the cross,
Nails pierced flesh, all
hope now lost.
Enduring great pain, each breath diminished,
He cried out to God; then it
was finished.
Laid in the grave, His flesh
now dead;
Wrapped in a shroud from toe
to head,
He conquered death, and
after three days,
Rose from the dead and
abandoned the grave.
He lives today and forevermore,
Salvation once lost has been
restored.
Eternal life, purpose and
joy,
Fear of death now destroyed.
Christ alone gives new life,
Hope for heaven and absence
from strife.
It was He who healed my
sin-stained soul,
Assured me of heaven and a
life that’s whole.
When you think of Christmas this
year
Consider Christ whose life
so dear
Was given to bring salvation
true
That the promise of heaven
would include you.
© Copyright 2016 George M. Cuff, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Acts 2 – Part 3 – The Remarkable Early Church - Acts 2:32-33, 37-47
Acts 2:32-33, 37-47
Peter
powerfully preached that day of our Lord’s divinity,
The
nature of God and man infused, second person of the Trinity.
Resurrected
and ascended to heaven, He sits with the Father enthroned,
No one
else can be our redeemer. Only He alone.
Their
hearts pierced, the people cried out, “Brothers
what can we do?”
We have earnestly heard your
message, and we know it’s true.”
“Repent of your sin,” Peter said, “be baptized in His name.
Declare to all your salvation;
allegiance to Christ proclaim.”
Christ will grant you pardon for
sin and send the gift of the Spirit.
His power will flow from deep
within to share with those who hear it.
This Father’s promise is given
today and to others yet to come.
Salvation is offered to all who
believe, won for us by God’s Son.
Peter
preached with power and passion urging the crowd to respond.
“Save yourself from your futile
lifestyle, prepare for the life beyond.”
Those who
believed were saved that day, about 3,000 in all.
The
apostles baptized steadily those who answered the call.
How does
an infant church behave when thousands come in a day?
What do
they do? How are they taught? Where do they meet to pray?
They met
in the temple courtyard by day and in their homes by night.
Through
teaching, prayer and fellowship, many came to the Light.
A sense
of awe came over them because of the Spirit’s presence.
It didn’t
matter one’s social class: ruler, slave or peasant.
Every day
in the temple grounds the apostles were present to teach
Every
night in loving homes hungry new souls were reached.
The
apostles received spiritual power performing signs and wonders.
Souls
were saved, bodies healed, and marriages going under.
No one
was hungry, no one unsheltered, no dire need unmet.
Always
there was food to eat and a sleeping place at sunset.
The
energy empowering the church came from our Savior’s love.
Every
believer was renewed in the image of Christ above.
They
loved, they cared, and freely shared that which God had given,
A
literal, visible transformation by God’s pure love now driven.
This is
what the church should be. Please
note what God would do:
He would
add daily to His kingdom as the message breaks through.
What
would happen if our lives cared far more deeply for others?
Could it
be that God would give us many new sisters and brothers?
There is
in this record an element of truth that cannot be denied:
We would
win more souls to Christ if to our
will we died.
If we
will live fully for Christ alone; open our heart and abode,
God will
send us His chosen ones to learn about heaven’s road.
©
Copyright 2016 George M. Cuff, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Acts 2 – Part 2 – Peter’s Pentecost Sermon
Acts 2:14-24
Peter
stepped forward to preach that day completely unafraid;
The Spirit
gave him the words to say and a message to convey.
“These men are not drunk as you
suppose, for it’s only nine in the morn.
This is the message Joel wrote
about, the day men are reborn.
In the last days, God has said,
His Spirit will be poured out.
It heralds salvation for all men
and that’s what this is about.
The prophet Joel wrote of a time when
many would prophesy,
Of men and women saved and filled by
the One who can satisfy.
It ought to be clear these folks
are not drunk but praising God on high
Declaring His wonders in dialects
each of you recognize.
In the last days implausible
changes will happen in man’s heart.
What you see and hear today is
God’s incredible start.
Our God has promised to send the
Spirit to men and women alike.
He has come to live within, to
guide you in your life.
There will be signs in future days
on earth and heaven above,
A darkened sun, a blood-red moon,
and salvation for those He loves.
People of Israel, listen up! God
is declaring salvation.
His Son, Jesus, gave His life to
reconcile every nation.
You heard the truth, observed His
life, saw His signs and wonders.
The earth shook, the sun was dark;
you heard the awesome thunder.
All these things will happen again
before the Day of the Lord.
Many who remain in their sin will
perish by dagger and sword;
But all who call upon the Lord
believing in His name
Will be forgiven, saved to new
life, spared from the fiery flame.
Our Lord’s death was God’s great
plan, the only deliverance from sin,
The sacrifice able to cleanse and
transform us from within.
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, betrayed
and murdered by man,
Gave Himself as our sacrifice;
there is no one else who can.
God has raised Him from the dead.
The tomb could not contain Him.
Sinless perfection, our daily
bread, death could not restrain Him.
When we place our trust in Him,
God counts His death as ours
We rise to new life, His grace
poured out in glorious heavenly showers.
This is
the essence of Peter’s message that very first Pentecost Day.
If you
believe, the Spirit will come to live within you and stay.
You’ll
have this life to grow in Christ; fulfill your purpose on earth
When you
say “yes” to our loving God; experience a spiritual rebirth.
©
Copyright 2016 George M. Cuff, All Rights Reserved
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