Category Archives: calling the nations to God

HOW INDEED TO HONOR CHRIST?

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We are His children you say,

But He speaks–you walk away—

Hypocrites all–

At Christ’s feet fall–

Before ye are burned on that Day!

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Burned by your own lust

And mealy-mouthed lack of trust…

All-Mighty God

You noise abroad

As deity gone bust!

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Honor the Father and Son,

Shun not the Spirit—be done

With self deception–

There’s no reception

For any double-minded one!

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–Jonathan Caswell

(Why make God seem loathsome because of your lukewarm commitment?*)

*The Book of Revelations 3:15-16  (New Testament of the Holy Bible)

GENTLE WARRIOR!

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(The Book of Genesis 32: 22-32)

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Jacob renamed Israel,

Strove with the Lord’s Angel…

Up went the sun

Both had won,

As Israel’s hip pain would tell!

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Wrestled all night with God,

Stubbornly living abroad…

Planted when

They were then,

God’s loving shoulders are broad.

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The “Liar” became the “Winner”,

In faith so can all sinners…

Truly find cleansing

Relationship mending,

To break out of spiritual winters!

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A new Creation was he,

The lying was gone you see…

In its place

Active holy grace,

The Angel brought him to his knees.

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The Bible says he strove with God,

Not a man or a vision odd…

The pre-incarnate Christ

Before His birth night,

Was the Angel of God!

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God striving with man,

Doesn’t flatten us although He certainly can…

But gives choice

Listening to His voice,

Instead of a absolute demand!

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God wants love voluntary,

Not robotic or ancillary…

Jacob renamed

By the Most High Name,

Became a friend of God, not adversary.

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–Jonathan Caswell

(Caught from a recent WALK IN THE WORD Radio broadcast series)

ENIGMA WITHIN FAITH

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Enigma within Christian faith,

Keeping “short accounts” being safe…

Living holy lives

By spiritual eyes,

Not the purview of apes!

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Self effort has nil effect,

But the One Way through Christ accept…

To each other confess–

Pray to God, He’ll address–

But self pride for confession God rejects.

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Security through faith, says Paul,

When law is removed Christ is all…

Act by Christ’s love–

God’s hand in your glove–

Walking more and more by Spirit’s call.

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Spend much more time with Father, Son,

Live in the Spirit–three in One…

Bible study and frequent prayer

The tools to travel there,

To live in grace, “Thy will be done!”

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–Jonathan Caswell

I’M HUMAN–AM I?

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He thought himself that

Like a neutered cat

Till at work he looked upon a woman’s bust…

Then all neutering forgotten

and he didn’t feel so rotten

But regardless in his God he would trust!

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CHORUS:

Rumor is

Life’s a bit…

complicated right from the word “Birth”—you know!

The Lord knows we are dust

and in aging start to rust

But don’t expect our minds to say so!

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Some people say that God

Thinks humanity as odd–

Something to be cursed and swept all away!

But the Bible says–NOT TRUE–

That’s not what God will do

‘Cause the price to meet Him  Christ has paid!

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CHORUS (ABOVE)

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God sent His very son

to show how it is done

and how nothing we do gets in the way—

It takes a humble person

To accept the Lord God’s version

And take His salvation today!

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CHORUS

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God is in the form of Spirit,

Do all with ears hear it

And accept that our bodies rarely will—

So God alone

Makes a way to bring us home

If we just admit that God’s own Spirit fills!

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CHORUS

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So his view of breasts

Don’t preclude him from the Rest

Waiting for him by God’s own command!

But sensitively

No idiot he’ll be

Keeping well controlled his

Behavior as it stands!

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CHORUS

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–Jonathan Caswell

An apparent song parody of GRANDMA’S IN THE CELLAR”, at least I think so!

STICKING WITH LOVE

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Martin Luther King Junior,

Was of a Godly humor…

In love he fought

That Christians ought

To walk by the Bible not rumor!

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Willing to face,

Human kind’s racial disgrace…

Christian “saints”

Who said other “paints”

Were not of the human race!

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Battled until he died

for his Lord crucified…

Hate didn’t win

when it killed him,

God’s love will never subside!

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How many would lay down their life,

For Lord , for justice and wife?

He followed through

As I do too,

Who does all for the Lord gains new life!

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–Jonathan Caswell

TRAPPIST FOODS

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When J. J. NISSEN folded,

My image of a bakery molded…

Its replacement too big

So I had to dig,

To see what research “beholded”.

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My past is in two places–

It one ever traces–

The lines of “me”

Diligently

For personal data chases!

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Massachusetts, New York State,

My two major windows of fate…

Born here

But raised over there,

Memories in both are great.

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One of my faves was Monks Bread,

A Trappist Monastery did…

And still does

The bread funds their cause,

Producing jams, jellies, plus all kinds of bread!

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A model flat against the wall,

Leaves hardly space at all…

Have to use what I have

Of plastic walls saved,

Modeling a bakery et. al.

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So I thought of TRAPPIST FOODS,

A catch-all title to use…

Producing bread

And conserves, I said,

Switching different train cars is a ball!

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Specifically, flour and fruit,

Corn syrup and sugar to boot…

Isn’t enough?

They brand other stuff,

The question of a brewery—moot.

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MONKS BREAD  from Western New York,

From that Trappist Abbey of course…

A college friend

Heading toward that end,

Found a wife and went in another!

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–Jonathan Caswell

VISITING ISRAEL

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AN OPINION POST!

Emperor Constantine’s

Mother mapped out pilgrim schemes…

Based on local say

History in play,

So physical evidence teems!

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Visit the Land of the Bible,

Of which Muslim clerics think libel….

Tearing down sites

To which they’ve no rights,

We depend of FAITH and its survival!

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Come before more’d destroyed,

But Israeli people are buoyed…

By concepts giving

Freedom for living,

Not something with which to be toyed.

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Christians and Jews abroad,

Are appropriately awed…

Peoples of the Book

Come to Israel and look,

At the good provision of their God.

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–Jonathan Caswell

WHAT’S THIS WITH THE SINGULAR?

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Reading a devotional tome,

Which again brought me back home…

To complain

Why disdain

On letting God’s Spirit roam?

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I mean, in assignment or gift,

Pastors and teachers “lift”…

Opportunity

In the Spirit be free,

To be for many people His gift.

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God’s word says all receive,

Especially those who believe…

Holy Spirit gifts

To each He sifts,

As needed, God’s will to achieve.*

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It doesn’t say only one,

Gift gets everything done…

Hence the mission

Isn’t just one commission,

Be available whatever is done!

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Who are we to limit God,**

King David would think that odd…

He was many things

In his life several strings

All at the same time were trod!

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You yourselves know this truth,

Many things must be handled in youth…

One gets dizzy

At all angles busied,

But God works in all…forsooth!***

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You know why gifts sought just one,

It’s less about what’s done…

One primary label

Assures folks are able,

To feel they are someone.****

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–Jonathan Caswell

*Read…in the Holy Bible…First Corinthians Chapter 12: verses 10 and 11.

**Ephesians 2:7…the limitless of God in Jesus Christ.

***See…The gospel of John 14: 26…and The Letter to the Colossians 1: 20….and Paul’s Letter to the Romans 8: 27-29.

****NOTE: The author’s personal opinion.

JESUS WEEPS.

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JESUS WEEPS…!

(An opinion piece)

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For all the children eaten,

For all His people beaten…

At least they’ll see

Eternity

Away from life so fleeting.

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Those who sit by,

Should hear the tortured cry…

Of a god and his raiders,

Hateful invaders,

Who make victims want to die!

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“Progressives” who don’t care a whit,

Yawn saying “get on with it”…

So we can win

Not looking at sin,

“That doesn’t bother us one bit.”

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They call themselves upright,

But that won’t wash tonight…

Jesus weeps

While a ruler keeps

His vacation schedule tight.

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–Jonathan Caswell

(An opinion piece—of the Poet and those who truly care for others—photo ops. not withstanding!)

EPHESIANS 2: 11-24 (JUST THE FACTS MA’AM!)

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EPHESIANS 2: 11-24 (JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM!)

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Borders ‘tween Jew and Gentile

Have been rough for a long while…

Jews in logs

Wrote Gentiles as dogs,

Gentiles thought Jews a dung pile.

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All that’s forsaken in Christ,

Who by willing sacrifice…

He followed the Law,

Jot and tittle–no flaw–

Did it once–which will suffice!

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He became, for the Jews,

By the Law–Good News…

Circumcised  inside

From the Law and its pride,

Come to faith in Christ–as He your mind renews!

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Gentiles drawn by faith,

Are from circumcision safe…

Outward appearance

To save lacks adherence,

Depending on works negates faith!

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So now the two become one,

In Christ a new race has begun…

Abraham’s blessing

In righteousness dressing

To live and serve the Holy One.

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No Jews/Gentiles remain,

All learning Christ’s mind in brains…

One in our Lord,

Peace restored,

See what God’s Spirit attains!

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Is the Holy Spirit in you,

And faith in Christ our Lord too?

You can receive

His Spirit–BELIEVE!

Face life with a new attitude!

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In Christ–why hate your brother?

He is the Jew–no other!

God’s people’s tight

Formation veils sight,

God’s will is to love one another.

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The Good Samaritan Parable,

Showed Jews it’s not terrible…

To show their neighbor–

A Gentile–favor,

Making life a lot more bearable!

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–Jonathan Caswell