Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Forty-four Thousand

Based on Luke 8: 42b-48

Forty-four thousand in need of His touch
Surely the multitude would prove too much.
How could I reach Him through the crowd?
I couldn't call; they were much too loud.
I couldn't text Him so He'd sit with me. 
Yet I needed His presence to truly be free.
Forty-four thousand inside the Dome
A place God had come to dwell in as Home--
Could all of us feel Him? Could all of us know
His heart for us? Could He stop our blood flow?
We worshiped and called Him, we asked for His grace
Until suddenly we realized--His robe filled that place!
We all saw Him sitting on a throne--exalted, 
Willing to heal the oppressed and assaulted.
He was there in His power as His glory descended,
Willing to make the broken hearts mended.
He was there in His love; his robes invited
Every soul to come, be refreshed and ignited.
And in our healing He rejoiced, delighted.

Forty-four thousand who've felt His power
Who no longer have a reason to cower,
We'll go in peace as Jesus told us,
Knowing His everlasting arms infold us.
We cannot consume Him, no matter how many
Reach out, but He can consume us plenty.
We're going out boldly to proclaim His name,
To do something now for His glory and fame.
For His glory we'll be the voice outspoken
To free the bruised, the battered, the broken.
We don't have to worry about the mocking from "them."
He'll be our renewal; we cling to His hem.
We're not ashamed of the One Who saved us!
Indifference and apathy no more enslave us.
"Jesus" will be our proclamation
To our country and every foreign nation.
We are the Lord's generation!





Monday, January 2, 2012

No Funerals Here!

Based on Luke 7:11-17

The funeral took me through the desert.
Sorrow was all I had to eat.
Tears were the only drink provided
For all I could do was trudge and weep.
All surrounding me screamed "ashes."
I felt dead in my pain and fear.
But then I saw a man in the distance,
Beckoning me to come, draw near.
At first I thought I saw a mirage
Until I saw a city, too.
And above the city gates was written:
"Beauty--where the dead find life anew."
This was no mirage--but Jesus!
He touched my coffin and said, "Arise!"
And all that had felt dead within me
Suddenly became alive!
His mercy filled me with His peace,
Discouragement replaced by dancing.
All I could do was respond, abandoned
To being a part of His kingdom-advancing.
First quietly worshipful--then noisily grateful--
I praised the Healer of the nations.
No funerals here; God's come to help us!
Truly we are a chosen generation!