Posts Tagged ‘ Poetry ’

Seeing Salvation

I consider this work a work in progress.

It can be considered a Christmas poem. It can be considered a piece on the Gospel. It can be considered a prophetic word.

In any event, it fits this week leading into Christmas, and it is a good reminder after the events in Connecticut and around the world this past week.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some thoughts on the two people, Simeon and Anna the Prophetess, who were waiting for the Messiah and saw Him in their old age. My thoughts concluded (indeed, centered around) expecting the soon return of the Messiah Jesus.

The entire reason for Jesus Coming to Earth was to save us from our sins and bring us into a right relationship with God. His return will be to finish the entire process, by bringing the physical up to speed with the spiritual, and bringing about ultimate peace on Earth for ever and ever.

It was easy for Jesus’ followers to forget His promise of coming back to life, and their new-found hope was a very pleasant surprise later at the resurrection of Jesus.

Because of His resurrection, we are able to give all of our troubles to Him, and we must remind ourselves of His soon return.

Now, see if you can find where I share each of these in this poem:

Seeing Salvation

They waited for years,
worshiping God daily in prayer.
God ever feeling more near,
as they awaited His Answer.

As their twilight years waned,
dutifully keeping their stations,
in came a couple with a babe.
They knew they were seeing Salvation. (Luke 2:21-38)

They walked with Him for years,
gladly hearing what He taught.
Now they only had tears,
with their Lord dying on a cross.

As their hope began to wane,
the women came with a proclamation.
The Lord was alive again!
Their faith was restored at seeing Salvation. (Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12)

We live for many years,
wandering all over this earth.
We have troubles and fears,
wondering if we have any worth.

As our strength begins to wane,
there is hope in each situation.
We must turn to the Lamb who was slain.
Our souls are renewed in seeing Salvation.

There are not too many years,
this world will soon be decimated.
For God-lovers are jeered,
while sin and pride are celebrated.

After His long-suffering has waned,
His wrath will pour out on the nations.
Yet we will be reborn in His Name,
when we finally are seeing Salvation. (Revelation)

We must remember that all people are seeking redemption.

Some seek it and must wait.

Some are swept up and almost miss it.

Some find it out of their pain.

All people one day will see the Redeemer bringing redemption to all of Creation.

At Christmas, we must remember that God loved us enough to save. He came to us, born as a baby. He lived a perfect life, and died as the only acceptable sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. He seeks us out, and will one glorious day return to claim His redeemed and redeem all of Creation.

That is the true promise of Christmas. Peace on Earth will only come at the final consummation. When we pray for peace on Earth, we are asking for Jesus to come and save us all, people and Creation!

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 12/16/2012

Head on over to Proverbial Thought for your daily dose of wisdom!

Last week I shared a poem about listening. Today I continue that theme.

speaks volumes

when i stop to listen
it speaks volumes
when you speak up
it speaks volumes
when i sacrifice for you
it speaks volumes
when i live to help
it speaks volumes
i rarely need to speak
when i live out this love
Christ dying for you and me
that spoke volumes

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 239.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 12/09/2012

Head on over to Proverbial Thought for your daily dose of wisdom!

Here is a good reminder, not just for Christmas, but all year long, in every circumstance.

No matter who we are, what we are going through, or how we feel, God is waiting for us to call out to Him.

We also need to remember that He wants us to hear Him, too.

listening

when You are speaking
i want to be listening
for when i speak
You listen to me
help me to learn this
help me Lord Jesus
to listen completely
because you listen
to me

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 228.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 12/02/2012

Sometimes theology is more than attempting to describe attributes of God and the Christian life. In fact, all of the time it is important to praise God for who He is and what He has done.

The poem for today is just that, a celebration of what He has made. As some friends and I were watching a sunset from the side of a mountain over a beautiful glade in the northern part of Arizona, I said, “I wish I had a camera to catch this beauty.” My friend exclaimed quietly, “You do! Mister poet, use your words!” So I did:

Sunset Point

Purple mountain majesty does not begin explain
the sunlight pouring over mountains and shining through the rain.
The darkness of the east encroaching on the horizon,
with impossible rainbows reminding of promises of God.
The mountainsides glistening in the refreshing drizzle,
and the setting sunlight refracting through each sprinkle.
The sun glowing red as it sinks lower in the sky;
The blues, reds, and purples of clouds reflecting the shine.
With the edge of the clouds nearing the far off peaks,
and rain leaking from them making it hard to speak.
The curl towards the sunset seems as an eyelid closing
and the sun going down beneath make it look as if God were dozing;
closing His eyes at the end of another beautiful day,
revealing His majesty in the blues, oranges, reds, and grays.
The hills beneath the sky rolling under the searing light
with the gently falling rain creating the most amazing sight.
The greens and browns temporarily alit with rainbows
make the scene shine all the more wonderful.
Towering mountains and cumulonimbus
overwhelming all of the senses;
the smell of the rain, the sounds of the wind in the trees,
the feel and sight of creation moving mightily.
Catching a sunset over the prominent mountains
and seeing God in the masterpiece of His Creation,
moving the hardest heart to stop and ponder
the beauty of this amazing natural wonder.
No human paintbrush could ever invent
the colorful palate of this environment.
No human mind would ever conceive
the rays sifting through rain and trees,
changing the landscape each passing moment
into a more breathtaking wonderment.
God barely trying in His fanciful play,
moving light through the falling spray
makes a more picturesque scene
than any man could ever hope to dream.
His creation proving to be far superior
to anything man has tried to manufacture.
The jutting peaks poking into floating clouds
with rain and sunlight falling mingled down,
and trees and grass and sand down below
expertly catching every delicate blow.
As the sun finally disappears behind the hills,
like seeing the dust fly up from God’s doorsill,
is the last drops of rain skipping off the light beams,
and the clouds and earth coming together to meet.
As the darkness overtakes the sky and terrain,
and the clouds block out the sun’s final rays,
the rain begins to slow and then diminish
and the day come to an end in a glorious finish.

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, pages 210-220.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 11/25/2012

Here is another reminder to get your daily dose of wisdom from Proverbial Thought. Seriously, sign up to receive updates if you have not already!

Speaking of being thankful, this poem fits in … probably not the way most people immediately assume, if ever.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-20

The poem is also based on this other passage from Paul:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10

“I am finding that I am thankful
for my faults.”

filled with faults

every person is filled with faults
i used to complain about them
why would God make us suffer
because of faults we have
i am finding that more and more
i am thankful for my faults
they remind me to be humble
to see that i need Him and others
they teach me to overcome
with Christ fighting for me
there is nothing that can defeat me
i understand it all now that
it is okay to be filled with faults
they are actually gifts from God

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 209.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 11/11/2012

Forgiveness is a sticky issue. For many on this particular day, Veterans Day (US), it can be hard. Asking someone to forgive those who have sent loved ones into harms way or those who raised/created a weapon that killed a loved one is hard.

We also seem to find it hard to forgive those who have lied to us, stolen from us, cut us off in traffic, or take too long at the grocery check out.

As is often said in Proverbs, it is all because of pride. (Speaking of which, do not forget about Proverbial Thought!)

seeking forgiveness

i sought forgiveness from You
now i must humble myself more
and seek forgiveness from others
then as i seek more forgiveness
i must also turn and forgive
as i learn how to forgive
it is because of forgiveness
the forgiveness of the others
and becoming more humble
as i seek forgiveness from You

thank You

my Lord

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 195.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 11/04/2012

Two things:

a) Are you in a place where you need to set your clocks back an hour? Today is that day, my friends!
2) Do not forget to find some wisdom over at Proverbial Thought!

There is a constant struggle we endure, or at least that we should endure. A problem with many in the Church today is that they either never inspect their lives or do not go deep enough.

Where is your heart?

Are you more concerned with what the world thinks, or are you more concerned with what God thinks?

is my heart right

I cry out,

“Lord!”

“Lord!”

But is my heart right?

Am I going to be with You,

Or are You going to say

“I never knew you!”

O, my Lord,

Redeem my spirit from the pit.

Redeem my spirit from myself!

Teach my heart to seek You.

Teach my soul to yearn for You.

Lord,

Do not let me walk that broad path,

Thinking I am on the narrow path,

Just because I am calling You Lord.

Do not forget me.

Keep me from following my self.

Help me to always listen.

Thank You for Your Love.

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 186.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 10/28/2012

Do not forget to get your daily dose of wisdom from Proverbial Thought.

Perhaps you have heard the saying “Freedom is never free.” As carriers of the gospel message, we share with others how the price was paid for our sins by Jesus Christ. Many times, we carriers also must pay a high price.

price to be paid

for goodness to spread
for Truth to be proclaimed
for love to be known
for God to be famed
there is a need
a price to be paid

a price for all of this
is paid frequently
though not as often
as there could be
the price to be paid
needs to be paid by you and me

the Name advances
by this special price
it is a price that
no one could deny
it is the ultimate love
that we lay down our lives

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 179.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 10/21/2012

[Your usual reminder to check out Proverbial Thought]

My wife and I had our first date at a church dedication ceremony, and we started our relationship by dedicating it to God. Good start, eh? (Yes.) We built our relationship for the next year and a half, and then we got married establishing a lifelong commitment. Now we are working on decorations and reinforcing our foundation and walls.

That is not the point, though. The real point is that God sets things apart in eternity, then builds and establishes them in their proper time.

Including us. This poem talks about me, but it is about each and every person who comes to God in faith.

daniel michael klem
Designed: Before Eternity Past – I think it was a Saturday
Constructed: October 26, 1983, 6:03 am – Wednesday
Established: January 9, 2000, 6:42 pm – Sunday

established date

thought of in eternity past
loved and thought of through all time
held in His arms until
the moment had become right
now created and moving
but merely existing
the big change to come
true life yet to begin
finally years after construction
the Truth gets inside
the real change beginning
to make things right
while it has taken time
to get from what was made
when Christ enters in
that is the established date

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 177.

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 10/14/2012

Life is not always easy. In fact, for Christians at least, we are promised problems (John 16:33). We should accept that blessing, even when it is hard and a struggle to get through. (This also qualifies as a “stupid prayer”.)

the only way to move

i want to go where You want me
i want to be where You send me
help me get there quickly
keep me struggling through things
so that i always seek You
it is the only way to move

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 175.