Good Friday leads to “INDEED!”
B.C. (c) 2015 Johnny Hart.
a simple man of God
Hopefully making theology simpler to understand! (2 Corinthians 1:12)
Archive for the ‘ Jesus ’ Category
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 04/05/2015
Find the source of wisdom, and begin at Proverbial Thought!
HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!
Yes, many call it Easter, but today we celebrate the anniversary of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead.
As Paul said, “if Christ has not been raised . . . we are of all people to be most pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
The poem today is actually based on the resurrection story found in John’s gospel:
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
John, 20:1-7, ESV
If I may wax apologetic for a moment, think about this: if the burial cloths of Christ truly were found in the tomb without His body (they were!), why would (non-followers of Christ) thieves take the time take off the linens and neatly fold the face cloth? Rather, would this not show Jesus is saying in essence, “Oh. I do not need these any more. I will just place this neatly over here …”? (He just beat death, after all!)
He is risen!
risen
the curtain torn
the tomb now sealed
God watching as
His angels work
the lights flashing
thunder clapping
the joy surrounds
all in heaven
explosions cheers
lightning thunder
flashes novason earth Jesus
taking a breath
opening eyes
He sits straight up
removes the cloths
folds them neatly
rises and leaves
… The Work Will Go On with @UnspokenMusic
Do not bury wisdom. Instead, find some at Proverbial Thought!
Tertullian famously said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
This is certainly evidenced in the Bible:
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Acts 8:54-8:4, ESV
That is what one of my new favorite bands sings about in this song.
Unspoken has a lot of great songs on their debut album (personally, I like all of them). This song, Bury the Workmen, had me shouting out “Yeah! Preach it!” as I was driving down the road.
Enjoy.
Unspoken – Bury the Workmen
Steven was a deacon in Jerusalem
They dragged him out those city gates to try and quiet him
When Steven preached those Pharisees started throwing stones
Before he died he raised his eyes and saw Jesus on the throne
He said, You can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And you can silence the voices but you can’t stop the song
When the Spirit’s moving, His will will be done
You can bury the workmen but the work will go on
James was sent to Heaven at the edge of Herod’s sword
And Peter he was crucified like his beloved Lord
The Roman Coliseum, the lions and the fires
The gates of hell did not prevail, they fanned those flames higher
Cause you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And you can silence the voices but you can’t stop the song
When the Spirit’s moving, His will will be done
And you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And then they lowered Jesus, they laid Him in a grave
They thought that it was over, that His name would fade away
But Jesus wasn’t listening, no, He rose to life again
Cause God is not persuaded by the arrogance of men
So you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And you can silence the voices but you can’t stop the song
When the Spirit’s moving, His will will be done
And you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
And you can silence the voices but you can’t stop the song
When the Spirit’s moving, His will will be done
And you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
Yeah you can bury the workmen but the work will go on
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 02/22/2015
(This is showing up late, because I put in the wrong date in the scheduler!)
Find the hidden easter egg of wisdom, and get some clues at Proverbial Thought!
One thing I really enjoy about some movies and television shows is the idea of easter eggs, those little things hidden in the story and imagery that may not be noticed the first time through. (An example of this is how the pizza delivery truck from Toy Story can be found somehow in all of Pixar’s movies.)
There are easter eggs in life, too. I do not mean those plasticky ovoids full of candy, nor eggs dyed in fun colors. Rather, those interesting things we find that bring joy and happiness to our lives.
What is the greatest easter egg? (You may know where I am going with this …)
Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
“To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord …
Proverbs 8:1-4, 17, 35, ESVFor Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. . . . And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:22-24, 30-31
easter eggs
our lives are like easter egg hunts
we spend our time looking for truth
every so often we find something
that our spirits will just cling to
pieces of God that we hold on to
trying to get Him to seem real
but are we missing the whole picture
are we missing out on a bigger deal
what if we are the easter eggs
that even in all of our searching
we were the objects being sought
we are desired by Jesus the King
in all of our looking around
we miss that He was looking first
that we were created for Him
and that is why He came to earth
we can keep on searching for truth
for we will not fail to find it
when we realize He is the Truth
and the real reason we exist
and He started His search for us
from back in eternity past
desiring fellowship with us
and that is all that He asks
All Hail the Power with the Newsboys
If the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, learn some basics at Proverbial Thought!
Call me a conservative Christian, even olde fashioned, but I greatly enjoy hymns. I think much of the greater evangelical church has lost or given up on a great link to our historical and theological past by neglecting the inclusion of hymns from weekly services.
I know. Many churches still play some hymns, and many play updated hymns from modern pop and rock bands.
In fact, today I offer a hymn done by one of those modern rock bands. Fortunately for us, they did little to it!
I will not waste any more time by explaining it. Just listen to the goodness!
Newsboys – All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the Royal Diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Bringing forth the Royal Diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
You are Lord of all!
You are Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
And crown Him Lord of all!
And crown Him Lord of all!
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 02/01/2015
Make your central focus the wisdom of God, and get started at Proverbial Thought!
Here it is:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Hebrews 1:1-4, ESVIn saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
Ephesians 4:9-10For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:36For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. . . . And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption
1 Corinthians 1:22-24, 30yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
1 Corinthians 8:6He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
Here you are:
Central
what do we put our attention on
with so many things going on all around
with this world and all the hocus pocus
even Christians tend to lose their focus
in a world chock full of wickedness and evil
i want to make sure i keep Jesus Christ central
especially since all things were made through Him
and the Word itself says He is God s Wisdom
if He is Central to all of Creation
and God has called Him His only Son
should He not be our primary focus
should we not center our lives around Jesus
i refuse to put my attention anywhere else
for through Him i see everyone else
if Jesus is Central to all created things
my central focus will be the King of kings
My Soul’s Quinceañera? (My 15th Re-Birthday)
For starters, I know that a Quinceañera is a celebration for young Latinas becoming women at the age of 15!
In reply, I refer you Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
That being said …
Fifteen years ago today, at 6:47 pm (CST), the Holy Spirit got a hold of me, and to the glory of the Father I knelt down for the first time to make that blessed confession (see Matthew 16:15-16):
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [Daniel M. Klem] replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Has your soul been wrapped in the arms of the Savior?
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:3-21, ESV
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 12/21/2014
Find the source of wisdom through the thoughts at Proverbial Thought!
Second week in a row with a fresh poem! I wrote this yesterday while driving across the USA to see family and friends … or, more chronologically, friends and family.
It is shorter, but it rhymes and is a quick reminder of who Christ is.
Son of …
Son of God, from up above,
You are worthy of praise and love.
Son of David, from his bloodline,
You are Lord and King divine.
Son of Man, from Adam’s seed,
You are our example and greatest need!
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 12/07/2014
Change your understanding and find wisdom at Proverbial Thought!
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2, ESV
you me
Let us change, and
(written with Kendra Page)
Let us change the world,
you and me,
with the help of God
for His Glory.
Let us change a life,
you and me,
by sharing His Love
with somebody.
Let us change our hearts,
you and me,
and focus back on the One
Who set us free
Let us change our thoughts,
you and me,
and rid them of anger, lust,
envy and greed.
Let us change our actions,
you and me,
by standing strong for God,
not being lazy.
Let us change our minds,
you and me,
by realizing God
is all we need.
Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 11/02/2014
Find the beauty in God’s Word at Proverbial Thought.
Almost exactly seven years ago today (two days ago, actually) I met a young woman who inspired this poem.
You may have already figured out I am talking about my wife. The mushy part of the story is that I knew the moment I looked into her eyes that she would be my wife. I could also detect what I came to see over the coming days. Her truest beauty came from the One living inside of her.
more than skin deep
beauty that is more than skin deep
because of a deep love of God
if she only knew just how deep
the Father wants her to feel His love
her heart cries out for justice
in a world full of pain and grief
her soul cries out for the Lord Jesus
to put her troubled soul at ease
it has not been enough just to say
God had one Son Whom He sent
through His life lived and then paid
she knows she has a Perfect Friend
this love that so emanates
from her Savior working in Heaven
flows out as she emulates
the Lord Who is the Perfect One
this beauty that goes beyond skin deep
comes from the love of her Savior
it makes the inside soul and mind and body
a holy temple dedicated to the Lord
though on the outside her beauty is great
you need to see what she has inside
the love of her God so permeates
that you can see in her Jesus Christ
so walk with her and see this life
see the love that is so complete
and that this love from Jesus Christ
makes her beauty more than skin deep
a simple man of God
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
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