Today’s focus is on how we present ourselves, our faith with discussion and poems
I started reading 1 Corinthians, Chapter 1 last night and was taken by Paul’s words starting in verse 10: he writes about division in the church in Corinth. Some follow Paul, others Apollos, still others Cephas. Paul states that he follows Christ. He continues to discuss why it is only Christ we must follow. It is the baptism we receive through Jesus.
What struck me is the verse 17:
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” This is the part that struck a chord with me: “not with wisdom or eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (NIV)
I also do not speak with eloquence or power. My hope is to speak of what God has done for me and for you in a way the is a reflection of the simple man that I am. The gospel is not complicated, salvation is not complicated. I write of what God has done for me any you.
I wrote the following poem for God’s Rhyme.
WEAKNESS
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, my power is made perfect in weakness,"
2 Corinthians, 12:9, NIV
Paul, the evangelist, an imperfect man,
blinded with insight by the perfect Son,
who lost his strength and became weak,
thus glorifying the Holy Three in One.
I have tried to live with the lie,
to never give in before I die.
I have seen the meek always so weak
and wondered why they would not cry.
No, always a smile
traveling every mile
with heads held high
and never shy
while I put too much stock
in thinking I was a rock
until others saw the bad
and what I never had.
Then one day the sky was bluer,
each and everything looked newer.
It was as if my very eyes
had been shut to the world's lies.
I was never strong,
not even for very long.
There was too much wrong,
it was such a sad song.
Like a newborn baby
I cried for each new breath,
never wanting to rest,
realizing that maybe . . .
No, knowing that I am not perfect,
looking, the mirror did reflect.
There is no strength in my sin,
the race alone I could never win.
I am a sinner,
my life a loss,
but it has been reclaimed for me
by the grace of God, a death on the cross.
Through death and resurrection
I am a new creation.
Accepting His forgiveness,
to the world I can witness.
Made in God's image, molded in clay . . .
yes, in God's image
throughout every age,
it is to Him that we pray.
We knew us before we were,
He knows us today,
He knows us tomorrow,
and still He loves us.
To follow His Son
we must lose the ways,
the ways of this world,
the lies of the days.
And when we accomplish that,
the world will consider us weak.
But know that God is with us,
so who can be against us?
It is then that the slings and arrows,
the sticks and stones, the broken bones,
the sorrows that no one will borrow,
in this race we know His grace.
When we let in Christ's power,
we will no longer cower,
because He is God's Son
and that is sufficient.
"Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about
my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest in
- That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in
weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,
in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
strong." 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV
May we live so that
by the strength of our salvation,
by the strength of our witness,
through the strength of our weakness
that God, that Jesus
may be glorified.
©2019, God’ Rhyme, TimCarter
Discussion
The next poem is from Living in God’s Rhyme the chapter titled Drawing on her inspiration. We discussed on an earlier podcast Gwen Allen’s inspiration for a number of poems. She had drawn some pictures while at a Women’s retreat at her church. When I asked if I could see them. She sent copies of them to me and another chapter of the book was written.
A Soldier for the Lord
There is more than the battle to be won
There is more that we are here for.
If we are to follow God’s Son
We do not fight as if it’s a war.
No, our mission is to share his love.
If we love God, we are commanded to love others.
Maybe the battle rages within us.
If we are one with Jesus,
The battle has been won.
We are raised with his Son.
If God is in us, his love we must share.
Through our sharing we show we care,
Not just for others, but for the Father
Who loves us in spite of ourselves.
We must show the love in our heart,
Love that is for all to see.
As the sun rises our days start.
Is love what our day will be?
Love will overcome hate.
If we do not show His love,
What will be the fate
Of those we overlook?
A soldier, marching forward,
Sharing God’s loving word,
Showing his saving grace
To a stranger’s face.
If we are to stand,
We must follow his command.
1 John 1:1 – 5:21
©2018, Living In God’s Rhyme, Tim Carter
Drawing by Gwen Allen, 2017, ©2018, Living In God’s Rhyme, Tim Carter
Discussion
The next poem, His Grace, is from God Still Rhymes.
His Grace
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –
and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God –
not by works so that no one can boast.” (Eph : 8-9)
It is by grace that we embrace
Our salvation, our hope,
That in this race we see his face,
That in this world we can cope.
What is grace?
His love for us,
A fallen race,
We have lost
Our way, our place,
Since the time
In the Garden.
Asking
what is mine
Without thought
Or concern
For what we ought
To do or think.
And as the eye
Does blink
We wonder why
As we wander,
As in the journey
The path meanders,
Til the day’s end
Not knowing
Whether friend
Or other
We did treat
One we did meet
As a brother.
Grace is His love given freely,
A gift we will never deserve.
But it is there for us to accept,
Accept the love he does give
In this life we do live.
And we share that gift
As others we uplift
So as we follow, we serve.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance
for us to do.” (Eph 2:10)
We now share our faith
We received by His grace
As we then serve others,
Our sisters and brothers.
We show our faith by our works,
Which have been prepared for us
By the God of Heaven above
That we may show his love.
Jesus said, “believe, be baptized and spread the gospel”
The gospel is full of his good works;
The healing, the kind words,
The love for mankind that poured out from him.
Good works, helping those in need,
Perhaps planting the seed,
That others may water
So that God may reap the harvest.
We can sit
On our hands
Or for a bit,
Maybe stand.
But how does
That honor
The grace given?
Works are
A continuation
Of the rhyme,
The rhyme
Of all time,
Past,
Present
And future.
Our faith lives though works.
It is a sign that we are heirs.
Without works our faith
Is but a mist in the air.
As in the gospel James said,
Faith without works is dead.
It is like speaking without a voice.
We have be given the choice.
We can say it and we can believe
We are saved by grace.
Our lives he has repaired
So what he has prepared,
The works, for us to do,
We help more than a few.
Discussion & final words.