Dictations From The Spirit

Life is hard, and the
Pain keeps mounting.
All of the offenses
Are beyond counting.

Then the walls go up,
And bitterness sets in.
Bridges get burned,
So, no one can get in.

If you look in the mirror,
This life you’ve chosen -
Solitary confinement
Is this path’s conclusion.

But God never meant for
Life to be lived alone.
He proved this when He
Rolled away the stone.

Giving hope for the light
Like a rolled-away stone.
Believing His forgiveness.
He never leaves you alone.

Resurrection power gives us
Power to do the possible.
Like extending forgiveness
To the offenders plausible.

The power of His forgiveness
Leads you to a better place.
Walking with Him on a path
Paved with mercy and grace.

And the promises of His word
Make His love to be known.
He’s a God who can be trusted
And never leaving you alone.

Haunted by the dense fog of my past
Brings fear of the approaching night.
This is no way to live.
Something’s gotta give.
Am I just sentenced to a losing fight?

So, I went for a walk in the city park.
And found a bench empty and alone.
Sat down and gazed.
Then I started to pray
To whom or to what I didn’t know.

A disheveled man came upon me.
He could see the tears in my eyes.
He gently sat down
Without making a sound.
And asked me what was my plight?

I had never seen this man before,
But His eyes told me he truly cared.
Where do I begin
With what lies within
To a Man who came out of nowhere?

Before I could share a single word,
He moved closer and held my hand.
On His was a scar - 
Weathered and marred,
And He said to me, “I understand.”

Those words meant I wasn’t alone
And shook me to my soul’s foundation.
“Hope does exist
If you don’t resist
My offer of forgiveness and salvation.”

Something told me this hope was real.
The darkness gave way to a coming light.
The burdens of yore.
Once impossible to ignore.
Faded into the shadow of a coming light.

I asked the man what His name was.
He said, “The Way, the Truth, the Life.”
If you will follow Me
My love you’ll surely see,
By being born again with a new life.”


As I considered this amazing offer,
I thought what do I have to lose?
Keep living in the past,
Or accept a new path
His love for made it easy to choose.

What kind of look do you think
Would be on God’s face
Should you suddenly go before
Him in that heavenly place?

Would it be that of a professor?
Judging solely by your grades.
Ignoring the things done well -
Focusing only on your mistakes?

Or would it be that of a judge?
Slamming down a gavel of blame.
Cementing the guilt of the past.
Shackling you with future shame.

Are you willing to receive the truth
Of what the Bible has to say?
Noah found in the Lord’s eyes
Was a look of loving grace.

Do you not understand this?
You are His beloved creation.
Indifference is not in His heart.
Give the cross an examination.

He looked at your life of sin
And could of chose condemnation.
Yet from a place of devoted love,
He gave His life for your salvation.

If you choose to believe this truth,
You, too, will find the same grace.
Should you go before His throne
You will see a smile on His face.

Remember this as you walk -
Moving forward through the day.
He’s walking right beside you
Watching with the eyes of grace.

Who am I to ask for anything
Beyond Your abundant provision?
Beyond Your amazing grace
That allowed me to be forgiven

Of every sin I’ve committed,
And all the ones that are to come.
That were paid for on the cross
By Your only begotten Son.

Yet, You encourage me to ask,
So, I humbly approach Your throne.
The one thing I request, my Lord.
Is to make Yourself more known

To a heart that keeps wandering.
Like a sheep from its Shepherd.
Keep Your promise to hold on
And never let me go untethered.

Thanks be to Your Holy Spirit.
Who reminds me what is true.
My identity is no longer my past
But a free creation made new.

So, here am I, my beloved God.
To serve at Your good pleasure.
Let my life spent glorifying You
Be the only basis of my measure.

I don’t know what that looks like,
So, Jehovah Jireh lead the way
On Your path of righteousness
May I faithfully always stay.

Until You return on that great day,
Or choose to call me home,
May Your love flow through me
To make the truth of You known.

As the sun begins to set
Upon the sea of my life,
Its rays glisten and shimmer
Ushering in the coming night.

With each roll of the waves,
I pause and join the reflections
On the purpose of this journey -
Wrestling with my imperfections.

Personal failures haunt my soul.
Judgment bangs on my door.
Battling my arrogant defenses.
The guilt impossible to ignore.

The people who crossed my path -
Seemingly so often by design;
Will I ever see them again
When the sunset lowers the blinds?

Regret is no way to be a legacy.
That is the fate of unforgiveness.
This is the foregone conclusion
If this life is our final existence.

Such thoughts make me wonder
What is the point of this life?
Even the most flawed of loves
Gives the heart a reason to fight.

True love never thinks of ending,
So, hope is a worthwhile pursuit.
Can this setting sun rise again?
Could there be such a truth?

This is the Scriptures’ promise.
Beyond the sunset we will find,
Faith in the risen Lord Jesus
Assures this is not the last time.

It was the night before Passover,
And we’re all in the upper room.
We were completely unaware
Of what was coming soon.

When Jesus finished his meal,
He girded himself for labor.
Not something we expected
From whom would be our Savior.

He began to wash our feet - 
Work typically done by a slave.
Would you be doing this
Inside a day before your grave?

Peter objected to this work -
Refusing Him to wash his feet.
“If you don’t let Me do this
You can have no part with Me.”

The lesson He was teaching was
His followers were to be of service.
Following our Master’s deeds
Is a disciple’s greatest purpose.

A humble servant is not greater
Than his humble Lord and master.
Sacrificial love and obedience are
What His followers are to be after.

He finished washing all our feet
Ensuring everyone was clean.
Proving He never leaves behind
Anyone who opts to believe.

Don’t do what Judas did
And deny His sacrificial love.
Every good and perfect gift
Comes from heaven above.

What more can you ask of
A God who makes you clean?
Washing off all of life’s dirt
Forgiving every evil deed.

If you will call on His name,
He’ll wash your feet and more.
This is His promise and gift
As your humble Savior and Lord. 

I was walking one winter’s eve
With a cold bitterness in the air.
Not unlike my tired heart - 
Damaged and in disrepair.

I looked up into the dark sky
Wondering if God really cared.
I prayed that He would give
Some wisdom He could share.

Then descended a snowflake
Fluttering down from the night.
I recalled this proven truth.
No two snowflakes are alike.

Seemingly out of nowhere
I felt a calm and gentle breeze.
As the snow kept falling,
With it came a strange peace.

An old man came upon me.
Put his arm around my shoulder.
“If you don’t listen to Me,
Things will get much colder.”

“Do you see these snowflakes?
Each one coming from above.
Think of each one as a blessing
As proof of My faithful love.”

Then the man walked away
And disappeared into the dark.
As I saw the flakes as blessings,
I felt a thawing in my heart.

And I was reminded God is there
Even in the dark of the night.
The blessings of His snowflakes
Are proof of His love and light.

When God created Eden,
Everything was full of life.
He told Adam and Eve
Don’t eat from the tree
If you do, you will surely die.

Satan showed up as a serpent
Challenging what they had heard.
They denied God’s voice
When they made a choice
To eat; and God kept His word.

This was not the end of our story
For God loves what He creates.
Another promise from Him
To rescue us from our sin,
He would Himself come to save.

One night in Bethlehem,
The angels announced the birth.
The baby in the manger
Would become that Savior
Proving God had kept His word.

That baby would become a man
Doing what’s good and right.
Out of love for the lost
He went to the cross
To offer forgiveness and new life.

That offer is made to all -
To every human being on the earth.
There are no exceptions.
There are no rejections.
Because God keeps His word.

During this Christmas season
Will you listen to His holy voice?
By believing the promise
From a God who is honest
You’ll cause all of heaven to rejoice!

So, you can join the chorus
The shepherds long ago heard.
Give praise to the Savior.
That baby in the manger
Is proof that God kept His word.

You are of great value and worth.

What is it that I am searching for?
It can’t be found on a website or in a store.
The things that I’ve sought.
The things that I’ve bought.
Don’t leave me fulfilled but wanting more.

I look for answers but don’t hear a sound
That can lift the burdens holding me down.
Through no fault of my own,
Or the seeds that I’ve sown.
I need rescue from my damaged grounds.

A stranger came upon me one winter’s day.
He looked at me in the most unusual way.
“Do you know the reason
For this Christmas season?
If you don’t, would you mind if I pray?”

He looked to the heavens as if he knew
Whatever he said would for sure get through.
“Father, I give you thanks and praise,
And that You are a God of grace.
Please help me to share what is true.”

He then looked at me with care in his eyes
And spoke of that first Christmas night.
“That baby in the manger
Would become no stranger
To the sorrows and betrayals of this life.”

I never went to church or believed.
It was just a crutch for those in need.
But what this man was saying
And the way he was praying,
Was something I had never before seen.

Then I saw the holes in his hands.
He smiled and said, “I understand.
You see I am the reason
For this Christmas season
I see your future, and it is grand.”

Tears began to well up in my eyes.
Am I hearing the truth - not lies?
“If you choose to believe
From Me you will receive
Love, forgiveness and new life.”

Will you believe in the first Christmas day?
And His gift that can never be taken away?
That baby in a manger
Will become your savior
And stay beside you come what may.