If Jesus Came To Your House (Poem)

If Jesus Came To Your House

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you served to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there -
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the book you read?
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.

By Lois Blanchard Eades

1 Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Corinthians 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

From Broken To Beautiful (Poem)

From Broken To Beautiful

From broken to beautiful;
Made with the Potter’s own hands,
Transformed into gold and silver -
Part of God’s wondrous plan.

Vessels of the Lord’s mercy,
Of His forgiveness and His grace;
From a past of brokenness
To true beauty in its place.

Once separated from God’s family,
Now adopted as a child of the King;
Precious treasure in earthen vessels -
To the Lord, worth more than anything.

Vessels of honour, fit for the Master,
Sanctified, forgiven, and set free;
From forsaken to accepted in His sight -
Beloved, and transformed for eternity.

From broken to beautiful,
Given a new purpose for His glory,
Renewed, and made righteous in Jesus Christ -
That is salvation’s story.

April 15th, 2024
Jerry Bouey

The Lord can take the broken pieces of our lives, the broken or cracked pottery, and remake it in such a way that it brings glory to Him. Like Mary broke the box of spikenard and the savour of it diffused throughout the room when she anointed the feet of Jesus, so may our lives bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ and may His savour touch every area of our hearts and lives, affecting all that we come in contact with day by day.

John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Song of Solomon 1:3  Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

Song of Songs 1:10-11 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Hosea 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Duct-Taped Smiles (Poem)

 

Duct-Taped Smiles
(A Mother’s Day Poem)

As a mother, you reminisce over the many winding roads you’ve travelled;
Filled with wonder and with joy, though at times your threads seem a little frayed and tangled;
But the Lord has paved your path with love over each and every weary mile -
The cracked pottery of your life is covered with bandaged elbows and duct-taped smiles.

Each day of motherhood is like a book, with the pages a little tattered, a little torn;
By gleaning God’s wisdom through the years, those rough edges have softened and become a little worn;
The cover is more faded now, and you see some new creases here and there,
But the joy of being a mother is a blessing - naught else could ever compare.

Along the journey of their childhood, the memories of each precious loved one flood your heart.
To see them grow, following in your footsteps - so many wondrous miracles, oh where to start?
Showing them the Saviour and how He brought you through all those fiery trials,
Brings a tear or two sometimes, but also lasting joy, and even more duct-taped smiles.

The Lord uses motherhood to teach us lessons we may not at first understand,
But through the hard days, and through the growing years, you catch glimpses of His perfect plan.
When you see your children all grown up, remembering each little hand you used to hold,
It is then you realize, this broken pottery has been transformed into a treasure of purest gold.

March 30th, 2024
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to my friend, Deborah Cox, who helped me iron out the words of this poem. Thank you for being a blessing to me.)

Psalms 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

A Call To Remembrance (Poem)

A Call To Remembrance

I’ll never forget all the things You’ve done for me;
How You died on the cruel cross of Calvary;
You redeemed me from my sin and set me free;
Now Lord Jesus, I am Yours eternally.

I was a black sheep that had wandered astray;
As a Good Shepherd, You sought me that day;
You rescued me from all that kept me away;
Changed forevermore, I’m Yours, come what may.

Any good in my life is because of You;
Every breath I breathe, I owe it all to You;
You’ve taken my heart and made it brand new -
I’m transformed by Your love, by all that You do.

Looking back on my life, and all my past sin,
I praise You for Your grace that cleanses within;
I recall to my mind how faithful You have been;
And rejoice in the hope that You’re coming again.

February 27, 2024
Jerry Bouey

Ephesians 2:11-13 Wherefore remember… That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

More Than Enough (Poem)

More Than Enough

Mankind is always seeking for some lasting substance to be found;
Everywhere the heart can glean, he thinks valuable treasures will abound;
But it seems of the world’s riches, there is never enough to go around -
With all that I have in Christ, the Word of God clearly resounds:

More than enough wisdom to guide me in His sight,
More than enough strength for these battles that I fight,
More than enough truth - in fact, the Lord is my Light!
Whatever I face in this life, Jesus Christ is more than enough.

More than enough new mercies to help me through each day,
More than enough forgiveness when my steps lead me astray,
More than enough grace for those trials that come to stay -
With my Saviour, I have more than enough to face whatever comes my way.

More than enough promises for me to live a godly life,
More than enough peace to calm every sort of strife,
More than enough power to command that every storm be still,
In my Saviour is more than enough for me to do my Father’s will.

More than enough provisions which come from up on high,
More than enough comfort for every teardrop and sigh,
More than enough hope - one day, I’ll meet my Lord in the sky;
For all that I will ever need, Jesus Christ is more than enough.

January 31, 2024
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to Gary Carruthers, the man who gave me the challenge below.)

Romans 5:5-8 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:31-32 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The following was written by a man in my church as a challenge to others a couple of years ago. He passed it on to me to use as a theme for a possible poem.

The owner of a Rolls Royce wrote a letter to the CEO of the company and asked him what the horsepower was of his vehicle.

His reply was a one-worded letter: "Adequate.”

Of course there are many more features of the Rolls Royce than the horsepower that we could describe as adequate, the many features of the controls, appearance of the interior, design and leather of the upholstery, and the statement this car makes from its outside appearance.

My thoughts turned to my God and I began mentally listing all the ways in which I considered Him to be adequate.

Omnipotent: All POWERFUL, created the universe, the earth, the sun, moon and stars, our lands with all kinds of animals, our vegetation, trees, oceans and lastly human beings, which He did in just six days, His power, more than ADEQUATE.

Omniscient: KNOWS EVERYTHING, Even the very hairs of your head are numbered, not counted, but numbered. Just one example from Matthew 10:30. His knowledge, More than ADEQUATE.

Omnipresent: PRESENT EVERYWHERE, Omnipresence means that at the very minimum there is no place to which God's knowledge and power do not extend. You cannot hide from God. More than ADEQUATE.

Immutable: GOD CANNOT CHANGE, Hebrews 6:17,18, The promise of blessedness which God has made to believers is not a rash and hasty thing, but the result of God's eternal purpose. (2.) This purpose of God was agreed upon in counsel, and settled there between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. (3.) These counsels of God can never be altered; they are immutable. He is the same from everlasting to everlasting. More than ADEQUATE.

These are considered the attributes of God, but there is one more very important thing, and some theologians would disagree with this but I don't think the following statement about love is an attribute of God.

GOD IS LOVE! This very brief statement is from 1st John 4:18. At His very core, God is Love. Love so great that He gave His Son to die a very cruel death to save us from our sins. More than ADEQUATE!

There are many more examples of how God is adequate in Scripture. His promises, hundreds, maybe thousands of them (I didn't count them), but I would challenge you as you come to them in your reading, stop and think of how adequate that particular promise is FOR ME/YOU today.

Gary Carruthers

(Used with permission)

Martha And Mary (Poem)

Martha And Mary

Martha and Mary, two sisters together one day.
Each sought to follow Jesus in their own unique way;
Martha was so busy still, but Mary would not be dismayed:
She wanted to spend time with her Master - with Jesus, come what may.

Nothing wrong with serving, but what is the end goal of your life?
Do you desire the Saviour more than the bustle and the strife?
Would you rather be so focussed, with everything placed so neat -
Or does your spirit and soul crave to worship at His feet?

In all of our opportunities, with each day that we face,
What’s the outcome, what’s the priority, when everything finds its place?
Did we seek to spend more time with Jesus, love Him more than all these things;
Did we fill our hearts with activities or with worshipping our King?

Are you more like Martha, or is Mary’s desire more your size -
Are you looking at the world, or keeping your eyes upon the prize?
Here is your dilemma - I don’t want to be contrary -
But whose example will you follow: Is it Martha or is it Mary?

January 30, 2024
Jerry Bouey

Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Taken from Spurgeon’s Morning And Evening Devotional for the Evening of May 9:

"Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field... let us see if the vine flourish." Song of Solomon 7:11,12

The church was about to engage in earnest labour, and desired her Lord's company in it. She does not say, "I will go," but "let us go." It is blessed working when Jesus is at our side! It is the business of God's people to be trimmers of God's vines. Like our first parents, we are put into the garden of the Lord for usefulness; let us therefore go forth into the field. Observe that the church, when she is in her right mind, in all her many labours desires to enjoy communion with Christ. Some imagine that they cannot serve Christ actively, and yet have fellowship with Him: they are mistaken. Doubtless it is very easy to fritter away our inward life in outward exercises, and come to complain with the spouse, "They made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept:" but there is no reason why this should be the case except our own folly and neglect. Certain is it that a professor may do nothing, and yet grow quite as lifeless in spiritual things as those who are most busy. Mary was not praised for sitting still; but for her sitting at Jesus' feet. Even so, Christians are not to be praised for neglecting duties under the pretence of having secret fellowship with Jesus: it is not sitting, but sitting at Jesus' feet which is commendable. Do not think that activity is in itself an evil: it is a great blessing, and a means of grace to us. Paul called it a grace given to him to be allowed to preach; and every form of Christian service may become a personal blessing to those engaged in it. Those who have most fellowship with Christ are not recluses or hermits, who have much time to spare, but indefatigable labourers who are toiling for Jesus, and who, in their toil, have Him side by side with them, so that they are workers together with God. Let us remember then, in anything we have to do for Jesus, that we can do it, and should do it in close communion with Him.