Then suddenly he rose and found
A hungry-looking Christian;
He took his hand, took him aside,
And asked him a straight question:

“You’ve read the Word; you know the Book;
The promises are clear.
But have you seen the living God?
Have you found Him here?

Have you experienced holy fire
The Spirit in His power,
A mighty wave, a rushing wind,
A flame that does devour?

Is there something more you’re seeking,
So high, so wide, so deep?
Do you find yourself frustrated?
Is church putting you to sleep?

Then listen well, your heart is ripe;
My tale I will tell.
This story is your story too,
And it’s your tale as well.

For thirty years I’ve been in church,
It seemed like a good show.
But now I’ve got to meet with God –
Do you know where to go?

I’m trapped in mundane worship times,
The praises have grown cold;
The preaching’s dry and dusty,
The teaching stale like mold!

Each service feels like a rerun,
The songs all sound the same;
The prophecies are so hollow —
Not worthy of the name!

Words, more words — they’re everywhere,
But oh there is a stink!
Words, more words — they’re everywhere,
But none to make us think!

We lack the heavenly Presence,
It’s clear we’re in a rut;
I’m desperate for revival –
It burns within my gut!

I’m love-sick for my Jesus,
So hungry for my Lord;
Just longing for my Savior;
God knows that I’m so bored!

Is there someone who can help me,
Who’s touched the real thing?
A man who’s heard from heaven —
With a word from God to bring?

Are there prophets burning with fire,
Servants who are ablaze?
Anointed and overflowing,
Appointed for these days?

Do they carry the Spirit’s burden,
And breathe the Lord God’s breath?
Are they set apart and holy,
Obedient to death?

I hear the words of the Master,
‘Come follow Me,’ He said.
If some Christians go their own way;
I’ll go with Him instead!

Oh please, don’t do as I have done,
And waste so many years.
Don’t wait and wait for endless months;
Move on! Outgrow your fears!

Forget the twelve step programs;
A seminar won’t do.
You need a touch from heaven,
To fill you through and through.

There must be change in your life —
A work of God that’s real.
Don’t fool yourself with worn clichés —
Don’t let the devil steal!

Don’t miss out on God’s presence
Or let these hours pass;
Don’t stop your soul from hungering;
Get out of the morass!

Dear friend, you are not crazy;
Dear saint, you are not mad;
There really is a problem,
It’s true, you have been had!

There’s more! There’s more! Believe it!
There is that place in God.
There are holy visitations,
New paths that must be trod.

Will you get up like old Pilgrim,
And seek that better way?
Will you go forth on that journey
No matter what men say?

Will you go out now and meet Him,
And leave the crowd behind,
Forsaking dead traditions,
If Jesus you will find?

It’s not in another meeting,
A nicely packaged hour;
Another harmless service,
Devoid of heaven’s power.

It’s not in another teaching,
Three points to fill your head.
The Word is always vibrant;
But this stuff is so dead!

We need God to send His Spirit,
To fully take control,
To transform every member,
To come and make them whole!

Enough with man’s religion;
Enough with earthly plans;
Enough with our new programs;
Produced by fleshly hands.”

Just then in strode the pastor
His calling to fulfill;
Just doing his weekly duty –
Then he became frozen still.

For astir was that parishioner
He grasped the preacher’s clothes,
And grasped the preacher’s soul as well —
And in that grasp he froze.

“Oh pastor, enter the prayer room
And shut yourself inside.
Be emptied of competition,
And crucify your pride!

Pray for holy visitations,
Caught up alone with Him,
Consumed with heavenly vision –
That’s where you must begin!

You won’t find Him in a textbook,
Buried on page twenty-two.
He is the living God who acts –
He wants to move in you!

It’s not only the ‘apostles’
He’ll bless and send and use;
He will saturate your own soul,
If you will not refuse.

So arise, get up, pursue Him,
Jesus your true best Friend!
He is worthy of devotion,
He’s faithful to the end!

Why should you starve on crusty bread,
And crawl along the ground?
Your Savior is your source of life,
Seek Him, let joy abound!

Renew your life, refresh your heart,
Press in, take hold, pray through.
Put first things first, make God your goal;
What else have you to do?

Your Bible schooling stole your zeal,
Church life has drained you dry;
You used to have such childlike faith,
Now budgets have your eye!

You used to be so passionate,
So innocent and free
Now you’ve become professional;
You’ll preach for a good fee!

Oh, set your sights on higher goals
And not on dollar bills.
Live in the light of Judgment Day;
Ambition always kills!

Let Jesus be your daily Guide,
Put Him where He belongs;
And soon His presence will arrive;
His praise will fill your songs!

Simplicity will be your style,
Devotion your new goal;
Communion will become your aim,
God’s life will flood your soul!

Oh, take your eyes off numbers,
Church growth can be a trap!
Go out and make disciples.
Go out and bridge the gap!

Pour your life out for broken lives —
Let God your heart break too.
Take up the cross, deny yourself;
Just live His will to do!

Wake up, be brave, be honest;
Today — oh hear His voice!
Be ruthless with your schedule;
Seek GOD. Make that your choice.

You won’t find Him in your planner,
No committee has the key.
You’ll find Him when your soul cries out,
‘There must be more for me!’

‘There must be more than building funds,
And sessions past midnight,
And endless talks with leadership,
Disputing who is right.

Somehow I know I’ve been misled;
The model doesn’t work.
I’m not called as an executive,
Nor should I be a clerk.

I’m called to be a man of God,
A man who’s Spirit led,
A healer of the sick and lame
Someday to raise the dead!’

And with that cry new life will rise,
Your heart will be revived;
Heaven’s light will flood your soul –
You will not be denied!”

The parishioner then turned his gaze
Away from flesh and blood:
He looked to Him who sends the showers,
To Him who sends the flood.

“Today, O Lord, do hear our voice,
And pour Your Spirit out.
Saturate the thirsty ground.
End this spiritual drought!

Revive us with Your Presence,
Renew us from above;
Touch the flock called by Your name;
Come fill us with Your love!

Do greater works in our day,
Than that which You have done.
Bring the fullness of Your rains,
And glorify Your Son!”

That old church-goer spoke no more.
Another voice was heard.
Yet not the voice of flesh and blood:
It was our Father’s word.

And if you listen closely,
Beyond this little rhyme,
You’ll hear Him speaking clearly:
“My children, it is time.”

Oh, how one longs for but a moment’s sight of Christ in glory!
One might be content to have only a dry crust, and to lie in
an underground dungeon for the rest of one’s life, if one might
but gaze on his blessed face for once, and hear him say,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Those who truly love the Savior wish to
know all that can be known about him.

True love likes to become familiar with the object of its
affection; its heart is set upon that object, it studies it,
and can never know it too well or too closely.

True love to Christ thinks of him from morning till night;
it is glad to be released from other thoughts that it may
follow only its one darling pursuit.

True love to Christ seeks to get to him, to live with him,
to live upon him, and thus to know him so intimately
that things which were unobserved and passed over at
the first, stand out in clear light to the increased
joy and delight of the contemplative mind.

If you have but a ’spark’ of love for Jesus in your heart,
Jesus has a ‘furnace’ of love for you in his heart!

They speak of love, yet little feel its sway,
While in their bosom many an idol lurks;
Their base desires, well satisfied, obey,
Leave the Creator’s hand, and lean upon his works.
‘Tis therefore I can dwell with man no more;
Your fellowship, ye warblers! suits me best:
Pure love has lost its price, though prized of yore,
Profaned by modern tongues, and slighted as a jest.

My God, who formed you for his praise alone,
Beholds his purpose well fulfilled in you;
Come, let us join the choir before his throne,
Partaking in his praise with spirits just and true.
Yes, I will always love; and, as I ought,
Tune to the praise of love my ceaseless voice;
Preferring love too vast for human thought,
In spite of erring men, who cavil at my choice.

Why have I not a thousand thousand hearts,
Lord of my soul! that they might all be thine?
If thou approve–the zeal thy smile imparts,
How should it ever fail! can such a fire decline?
Love, pure and holy, is a deathless fire;
Its object heavenly, it must ever blaze:
Eternal love a God must needs inspire,
When once he wins the heart, and fits it for his praise.

Self-love dismissed–’tis then we live indeed–
In her embrace, death, only death is found:
Come, then, one noble effort, and succeed,
Cast off the chain of self with which thy soul is bound.
Oh! I could cry, that all the world might hear,
Ye self-tormentors, love your God alone;
Let his unequalled excellence be dear,
Dear to your inmost souls, and make him all your own!

They hear me not–alas! how fond to rove
In endless chase of folly’s specious lure!
‘Tis here alone, beneath this shady grove,
I taste the sweets of truth–here only am secure

It’s a hurry-up world we are living in.
And it seems our mind is just a spin.

We hurry through life at such a fast speed,
just trying to meet all of our needs.

Up in the morning and off we go.
Sure hope no one in front of me is driving slow.

We hurry to work for another day’s pay,
But in all of our hurry, did we forget to pray?

With all the things we do each day,
we need to stop for awhile,
to see what God has to say
and let His word guide our way.

Written by Laura Longshore O’Neil ]]> http://www.strongfireburn.com/poetry/2009/05/in-a-hurry-laura-longshore-oneil/feed/ 0 http://www.strongfireburn.com/poetry/2009/05/an-undivided-heart-crystal-c-godfrey/ http://www.strongfireburn.com/poetry/2009/05/an-undivided-heart-crystal-c-godfrey/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 21:16:22 +0000 timharris777 http://www.strongfireburn.com/?p=155

Lord, put in me a new spirit
Remove my heart of stone
And give to me a heart of flesh
That trusts in You alone
Oh, That I may fear Your name
Each day right from the start
Oh, Lord, please give to me
An undivided heart.

I want a gaze that never waivers
Or loses sight of the goal
To keep it’s focus on obeying You
With mind and body and soul
Help me to walk in submission to Christ
In whole and not in part
Oh, Lord, please give to me
An undivided heart.

I want Your joy to be my greatest strength
Your salvation my impassioned praise
Your holiness to be my way of living
For all the rest of my days
Keep me steadfast in doing Your work
And following the course that You chart
Oh, Lord, please give to me
An undivided heart.

Teach me to daily die to self
And to spend much time in prayer
That I may be discerning of those around me
And treat them with genuine care
I want to be totally true to You
To wear your righteousness as my mark
Oh, Lord, please give to me
An undivided heart.

I want to live the time You’ve given me
Committed fully to Your purpose and call
Lord, consume me with Your awesome presence
Cause me on my knees to fall
And bow to Your desire for my life
Let no circumstance keep us apart
Oh, Lord, please give to me
An undivided heart.

©2001 Crystal C. Godfrey ]]> http://www.strongfireburn.com/poetry/2009/05/an-undivided-heart-crystal-c-godfrey/feed/ 0