Compel Them To Come In (Poem)

 

Compel Them To Come In

(Luke 14:16-23)

All things are now ready, sinner, come in from the cold,
Come in from the streets and lanes, enter into His fold.
Calling for the blind, when your sins have blocked your view.
Calling for the lame, when your sins have crippled you.

Calling for the poor, there is great treasure still in sight;
Come in from the darkness, come into the light.
There is yet room in Heaven for whosoever will,
Come into the Father's house, and walk on Zion's hill.

Turn away from your sins, the Lord is calling still.
Compel others to come in that My house may be filled.
Go out into the highways and the hedges, and compel them to come in.
Go into all the world and tell others about Him.

Tell them all about the Saviour who died to make men free,
Tell them all about Jesus and His love for you and me.
Go out into the highways and the hedges, and compel them to come in.
Shine the light of the Gospel into a soul dark and dim.

Witness of the Lamb of God who paid sin's dreadful price,
And tell everyone you meet about His great sacrifice.

January 27th, 2003
Jerry Bouey

And the servant said,
Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded,
and yet there is room.
And the Lord said unto the servant,
Go out into the highways and hedges,
and compel them to come in,
that My house may be filled.
Luke 14:22-23

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev. 22:17

The Alabaster Box (Poem)

 

The Alabaster Box

(Mark 14:1-9)

She did it; she broke it, there was no turning back.
It was all or nothing; now the box was forever cracked.

The ointment was poured forth, diffused throughout the room.
Jesus' body had been anointed, prepared for burial in the tomb.

It was an offering of love and devotion to her Lord,
But He remembered it forever, recorded in His Word.

It wasn't broken for show, only Jesus knew her heart.
But as the spikenard flowed out, the aroma filled every part.

The good work has been done, but there's a lesson to learn:
In all of life's opportunities, now it's my turn.

The alabaster box of my heart was broken one day.
On the altar of service, there the precious ointment lay.

Dedicated to my Lord - fervent and sincere.
I gave it all to Him, and the cost was dear.

The sacrifice was offered, well-pleasing to God.
I presented it with tears, and a soul that was awed.

Thank You, Lord, for Your plan that includes even me.
And in reasonable service, my life is broken for Thee.

July 23rd, 2002
Jerry Bouey

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1

Mark 14:1-9 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Dedicated to Bob Garner and Chris Gallegos, whose two messages preached at People's Baptist Church (June 9/2002 and June 26/2002 respectively) were influential in me submitting to the Lord's call of preaching on my life.

"Mark 14:1-9

Yes, she has done what she could.

The alabaster box was broken, the ointment poured forth, in service and honour of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Saviour.

I give myself to You, to do what I can for Your glory and the sake of Your kingdom, The box of my life has been broken. I pour forth my heart and will at your feet, in service to You, my Lord.

I surrender all to You, Jesus.

June 26/2002"

Message written in the front of my Bible.

The Tempest Of The Lord - Psalm 107 (Poem)

 

The Tempest Of The Lord

(Psalm 107:23-32)

The tempest rages sudden,
Cruel winds prevail strong,
Though jagged lightning spears the sky,
The night seems dark and long.

The storm crashes down upon them,
Pounding waves overflow,
All thoughts of mercy fade away
To fear, and anguish below.

Mounting high to heaven then
To the depths, plunging down,
Troubled souls melting, at wits end,
No refuge to be found.

But then out from distressed hearts,
Comes a wretched, ragged cry,
The storm calms down, the waves are still,
The Lord of hosts draws nigh.

Chastening, then conviction,
Turning away from sin,
Praying and seeking forgiveness,
Restored to God again.

Peace floods the trembling soul,
The haven is in sight,
A rainbow pierces through the clouds,
And scatters darkest night.

Bless the Lord for His goodness,
Exalt Him for His grace,
Give Him thanks ye children of men,
Oh give Him love and praise.

August 11th, 2000
Jerry Bouey

Matthew 8:23-27 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!

Read also Jonah 1-2

I Sleep, But My Heart Waketh (Poem)

 I Sleep, But My Heart Waketh

I sleep, but my heart waketh - my Shepherd is near -
The voice of my Beloved is knocking;
I’ve grown so comfortable here in my room -
Outside, in the cold, I hear Him talking.

“Arise, and come away with Me, My love,”
He tenderly calls to me, but I waver.
Though due to my sin, He withdraws Himself;
Yet, in the night air, I still smell His savour.

Slowly, I rise, but can’t feel His presence:
The dark street seems so desolate and empty;
I cannot find where my Beloved has gone -
My own lukewarmness made Him depart from me.

The watchmen of the city wounded me sore,
They tore my veil away and left me senseless;
Stripped of my covering, there was nowhere to hide;
My own compromise had left me defenseless.

My heart leaped in anguish and I cried out in fear;
Repentant, I sought Him whom my soul loveth;
No longer desiring to be left on my own,
Quickened again, I called out for my Beloved.

“What is thy Beloved more than another beloved?”
The daughters of Jerusalem wondered,
“Where has He gone, that we may seek Him with you?”
And then, within my heart, the answer thundered:

“My Beloved is gone down into His garden,”
Feeding among His children, He meets with them there -
I am still my Beloved’s, and He is still mine!
Rejoicing, restored, I seek Him now in prayer.

May 9th, 2022
Jerry Bouey

In the Song of Solomon, Solomon, the Shepherd, is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and the woman in the song, the Shulamite, represents the believer. This poem is based mostly on Song of Solomon chapter five, with some references to other verses within that book. That chapter covers a time of backsliding in the believer’s life until she gets her focus back upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and is restored to her Shepherd and Saviour.

For a study based on this theme/chapter, please read: Is Your Armour On?

Less people must read and study the Song of Solomon than I previously thought. Instead of digging in deeply to this poetic allegory that presents an awesome picture of our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, they neglect this book completely or quickly read through it without attempting to understand it - which is sad and frankly discouraging. If we can study and trace out the symbolism of the book of Revelation through the rest of the Bible, surely we can do the same with this book. It is a blessing to understand the picture and how it fits our walk with the Lord, our struggles, and our victories, ending with the longing for our Beloved Bridegroom to take us home to be with Himself - just as the final book of the Bible ends with (Revelation 22:20).

I challenge you to compare what is said in this poem with chapter five of the Song of Solomon. Do not be afraid to dig in deeper or make others (like me) seem to be out to lunch because you personally haven’t bothered to take the time to see what this book of the Bible says for itself and have only the wacky words or comments of some carnal or unsaved preacher to go by who tries to make this book about sex. The believer in the book is not even married to the Shepherd yet (see Song of Solomon 3:11 and Matthew 1:18). The whole Bible warns against fornication and adultery (and the New Testament word for fornication is porneia - which we are commanded to flee from in 1 Corinthians 6:18), and we are commanded to be pure and holy in our walks with the Lord; therefore God is not going to write a pornographic sexual song for His people. If you have that viewpoint and this book makes you uncomfortable because you are bringing sin and your carnal thoughts into it, then the problem is with you - not with this devotional or the Song of Songs, which many sound believers of the past have referred to as the Holy of Holies of the books of the Bible.

I know I am standing on good ground in my interpretation of this book because I have taken the effort to trace out much of its symbolism through the rest of the Bible (as I do with any symbol or type found in its pages - which I might add is always consistent through the whole Bible), and I have studied out some of the great preachers of the past on this book - Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, Hudson Taylor, and some others - and have found them standing in the exact same place as I am - or to put it better, I have found I am standing in the exact same place as they are. Don’t take my word for it, check out their writings, their commentaries and books that touch upon this poetic book, and see for yourself. Don’t neglect this wonderful book because you don’t understand it yet. All Scripture is holy, pure, and written for the benefit and blessing of all God’s children, from the youngest believer to the oldest saint (therefore God would never allow or put anything impure or unholy in it), and it all teaches about our Saviour (see 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 3:14-16; Luke 24:25-27; Psalm 40:7 and Revelation 19:10).

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

To hear my presentation of this poem in church, please visit this page:
I Sleep, But My Heart Waketh

My Servant, Israel (Isaiah 43) (Poem)

 My Servant, Israel 

(Isaiah 43)

Fear not for I have redeemed you

Fear not - I have called you by name

And you are Mine!

When you pass through the waters

Fear not - I will be with you all the time.

Through rivers you will pass

But they will not overflow

Through the fire you will walk

As the flames and embers glow

But you will not even be scorched

Nor shall you suffer a burn

For the Lord, the Holy One is your Saviour

Oh Israel, won't you learn?

You are precious in My sight

I have honoured and I will love you

Though you blindly walk in night

My glory will shine above you

I, the Lord, have formed you

Behold, I have called you by My name

I will exchange your life for others

And ransom you with the same.

Fear not, My children

I will gather you to Me

Though you have ears and you have eyes

You are deaf and cannot see

I have made you to be My witnesses

Oh My servant, hear My voice

There are no other gods, but Me

I Am your only choice.

It is I who have declared

I have proclaimed and I will save

I will rescue from captivity

All of Mine who are enslaved

I Am from eternity

All I have created I hold within My hand

Is there any other who can deliver?

Tell Me now if you can.

Remember not your past, oh Israel

Though it was for you I parted the Red Sea

I did this for My people

So you would praise and glorify Me

Behold, now I will do something new

Something that has never before been done

I will wipe out all your sins for My sake

If you will just call upon My Son.

March 23rd, 1995

Jerry Bouey

"For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him,

should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Jacob's Well (Poem)

Jacob's Well

(The Samaritan Woman in John 4)

About to draw some water from Jacob's well
The Samaritan woman heard Him speak.
She wondered, Who is this man; why is he here?
He looks so wearied, dusty, and weak.

You are a Jew, I am a lowly Samaritan,
What have you to do with me? She tried to think,
We are the ones you look down upon,
We are your enemies, yet you ask for a drink.

Who is this man that speaks of living water?
He has nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
What is this passion that I long after?
This water, how can I obtain it? Is it mine to keep?

And what is this - He speaks of eternal life?
He offers a well springing up inside.
How can he know I am a despised housewife?
He knows my deepest shame, I cannot hide.

He must be a prophet, he knows the true me.
What can I ask him - Oh, let me see,
"Sir, where is the place we are to worship God?"
He speaks so boldly, yet the answer's odd.

Salvation is of the Jews; yes, I've heard it before,
But he goes on to say oh so much more.
God is a Spirit and He is seeking for those
Who will worship Him truly. I'm sure He knows.
In spirit and in truth, strange words he speaks.
Suddenly, Jesus says, "I Am the Messiah you seek."

He is the Christ! She drops everything and leaves,
So excited to tell others that they may believe.

November 21st, 1995
Jerry Bouey

The woman saith unto him,
I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ:
when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
John 4:25-26

The Rich Man (Poem)

The Rich Man

(Luke 16)

I’ve gone home – but not to Heaven,
There’s no comfort in this place.
I am tormented in this flame
And worms are my covering of disgrace.

I’ve gone home – but not to Heaven,
I find there’s no escape to be had.
There’s a great gulf I cannot pass,
And this thirst near drives me mad.

I’ve gone home – but not to Heaven,
Alone, in endless darkness, I look around.
But the weeping and gnashing of my own teeth
Are the only cursed sounds.

I’ve gone home – but not to Heaven,
Excluded forever from God’s face.
I rejected Jesus Christ, the only Saviour,
And here there’s no more offer of His grace.

I’ve gone home – but not to Heaven,
Where am I? Oh, please do tell…
I am the rich man who knew Lazarus
And I am tormented in this eternal Hell.

In my heedless life, I took my ease.
Oh, how I mocked and ridiculed.
Now I languish forever in this prison,
And realize how much I played the fool.

All the Scriptures come back to haunt me;
Oh, every word of the Prophets was true.
If only someone would tell my brethren,
Lest they come to this place of torment too.

March 26th/02
Jerry Bouey

This is the story of the rich man in Luke 16. I had written a poem called I've Gone Home - which has become one of my most popular poems. It was an attempt to give a Scriptural glimpse of Heaven to offer comfort to some friends of mine who had lost a saved loved one. Then my webpartner on EarnestlyContending (Angela Trenholm) challenged me to do a poem on Hell, starting with the same phrase, "I've gone home," but then leading to a description of Hell instead of Heaven - as a warning and exhortation for those who are not saved to trust the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation before it is too late.

I like to think of I've Gone Home as Lazarus' story, and use both poems to present the contrast of what Heaven and Hell are truly like Biblically.

Are you prepared for eternity? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and give you a home in Heaven when you die. The Bible does clearly refer to where we go after we die as our "long home", because that is where we will spend eternity:

Ecclesiastes 12:5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Where is your home in eternity? Heaven or Hell?

If you are not sure that Heaven is your home, please prayerfully read the following Gospel tract, which will show you from the Bible how you can be saved and be assured of a home in Heaven: God's Simple Plan Of Salvation. Why be unsure when God says you can know? Take God's Word on it!

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Valley Of Faith (Poem)

The year this poem was written was the first year I conquered the depression in my life (and have not been overwhelmed with it since). I remember meditating upon Psalm 23 and thinking it was a wonderful testimony of David's trust in the Lord his God. I wanted that same testimony to be mine (not just to be able to claim the promises contained herein, but also to have others look at my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, and say that this is my testimony too). This poem came out of those musings.

The Valley Of Faith
(Based on Psalm 23)

The Lord is my Shepherd.
He’s proven faithful throughout the years.
Though I walk through death’s dark valley,
His grace calmly soothes all my fears.

As I closely follow His leading,
He provides for my every need.
Oh, the waters are so peaceful,
And the pastures are rich indeed!

When I get weary and heavy laden,
When the labour of love takes its toll,
I go to the Shepherd for refreshing,
And He gently restores my soul.

As I lean upon the Shepherd,
He guides me in the path that's right.
When the shadows seem so gloomy,
The Lord is my Lamp and my Light.

The Shepherd's name is so precious;
Like ointment poured forth to me.
Jesus' name means He's the "Saviour",
And He gives life abundantly.

Yea, though I walk through this valley,
No sudden fears will bar my way.
His rod and staff are there to guide me,
And bring me back whenever I stray.

Though my enemies may surround me,
My Lord, omnipotent, still provides,
And though evil forces may assail me,
Within, God's perfect peace still abides.

Anointed with God's Spirit,
And overflowing with His love,
My cup indeed is running over
With showers of blessing from above.

Amazed with His goodness and mercy,
By His grace, in this pasture, I roam.
How I rejoice to see that day
When the Good Shepherd leads me home.

October 12th, 2001
Jerry Bouey

I Am the Good Shepherd:
the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.
I Am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep,
and am known of Mine.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me:
And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.
John 10:11, 14, 27-28

The Prodigal's Return (Song)

The Prodigal's Return

The Far Country could never satisfy,
Oh what a foolish soul I have been.
I've come to myself, and I wonder now,
Will my Heavenly Father take me in?

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned -
I have wandered astray for many days;
Now broken inside, I'm coming home again -
I'm so tired of my wayward ways.

My thoughts run faster than my feet can go -
What kind of reception awaits me there?
No, I won't falter, I have to know,
"Will He receive me?" my only prayer.

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
No more wandering about in a daze -
Cleanse my heart, make me whole again,
Restore the joys of yesterdays.

What is that on the horizon?
Is that my Father waiting there?
A thousand thoughts hedge my ways...

But with arms opened wide,
He receives me to Himself;
My heart's so filled with love and praise.

Like the Prodigal, I've come home again,
So tired of my wayward ways -
Now a peace within and a song of joy;
My heart's so filled with endless praise.

My heart's so filled with endless praise...

May 12th/06
Jerry Bouey

Luke 15:17-20 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.