The halfbaked Bard

Jude 23 Hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Oh! Child of God, what is your approach to stain? Why compromise to wear a cloth Which the Lord loathes It brings intense detest to Him! But it allures you. Why? It disgusts Him. It actually smells so bad. But why are you attracted to it? Why do you admire? Why do you cherish? This is not just on the clothing It spreads. It disseminates into you It makes the air around you impure too. It brings in a stench. It stinks like skunk. But why has it becomes a fragrance to you? Why don't you realise your folly? Why do you compromise the best To settle for something that is actually the worst. Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. Love His holiness. And His purity. And detest whatever He detests. For sin cannot stand in His presence, but a forgiven sinner can. Image courtesy : gemini 

1 John:3:6 No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. 1 John:3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin. Where O dear is your aversion to sin? You who claim to love God You who claim to be loved by God Why do you still cling on to it, so precious? If Christ lives in you, if Jesus is enthroned Why do you harbour filth In the corner of your heart? Where the doors are kept closed, inaccessible to Him. He abhors, He disgusts what you love The one thing that you hold dear Why do you still hold on to it Knowing well, it is abominable to Him. Living in Him, abiding in Him Imbibing His character Drawing closer to Him Will naturally take you farther from sin. Knowing Him, indulging in Him In comparison to being in the periphery Looking for opportunities to sneak out And do things which I desire, what I want. This is not responding back in love. A love lavished upon us. A love poured out on us. Then why can't we...

1 John:2:28 And now dear children, continue in Him so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. So when He comes back Like a thief when He returns To take you back home Will you be ashamed to face Him? Will you be found doing the very things That He told you not to do? Will you be caught redhanded? Will you be facing a teardrop in His eye? Or gleaming face? ( Though He would be delighted). Will you be ashamed to face Him? Will you be found not doing what He asked you to? Will you be found complacent and lazy Not bothered. Not concerned. Not affected. Undeterred by the things that move His heart Or will you be confident to meet Him? Because you have done everything He has asked you? In your sphere, you have done it all And would you be able to hear Him say Well done good and faithful servant If He has asked you to do huge things Will you obey? If He has asked you to do a small thing Will you obey? Procrastination is the root of disobedi...

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James:3:5 A small spark is enough To destroy a lifetime of toil. But trees are older than men And a forest lasts for generations A small spark destroys it all Years of good work, years of hard work All lost in a single moment of foolishness Destroyed. Devastated. Creating trauma. The tongue is a fire too, says the Word. Years of good name you have created. The good words you spoke to a losing soul, The good deeds you did, which looked like Cold water poured over burning coals. All destroyed in a few set of words said in anger Even in secret or in public For God sees it all. If anyone is never at fault in what he says He is a perfect man. James:3:2 He is able to keep his whole body in check Can both fresh and salty water Flow from the same spring? Asks He. Control it. Bridle it.  Do not let it go Lashing around and destroying those tender hearts. Do not let years of hard work go waste. In fits of rage. In disc...

I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race. 2Tim:4:7 Oh! With confidence will I be able to tell To the fag end of my life On the last days of my life I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race. What has been entrusted to me What has been given to me Have I managed it well? The resources, the people, the blessings and the responsibilities. Will I be able to hear the sweet voice Well done good and faithful servant You have done well with what I gave you Would I have lived a life worthy of the one who called? What would be my emotion when I see Him? What would be my epitaph? What would He say when I meet Him face to face? What would be that one liner about me that He would say? Fighting the good fight Finishing the race given Is not by might; nor by determination. It says - I have kept the faith. Faith is the weapon with which you fight well Faith is the leg with which you run the race well Faith is the criterion He looks for Trust and obey; for there i...

2Tim:1:9 Who saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. Salvation is the Lord's doing. Not something that I have gained Salvation is a calling to a holy life A life holier than yesterday Salvation is given; a gift Not earned as a salary. Undeservedly given  For we do not deserve Him Because of our rebellion We deserved only eternal hell For all our good deeds Are filthy rags before Him We only deserved punishment  Salvation is for His purpose His glory; His grace And for our good He has been kind. It is His doing. Image credit: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/salvation/can-a-christian-lose-salvation.html

Free from accusation. Phil:1:22 As the devil stands to accuse me, He has his menacing smile on his lips, His heart sniggers to have me his claim, He claims he has already won. I stand with head bowed down And dejected, I stay there helpless I know his accusations are all true, None of them are fabricated. I am guilty. And as he opens his mouth in victory Another voice like the rushing waters proclaims, It is finished.  And the enemy's mouth was shut permanently. I saw my loving husband; still wounded  Wounds instilled by my own claws He says with an everloving smile Comey love, it is all over. Now there is no condemnation I am free from all accusation Now a year drop fell from my eye Now I know I have already won. Image courtesy: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=broken+chain

I have learnt how to be content with whatever I have Phil:4:11 The rat race is dirty The rut looks disgusting. To win at any cost. To grab more than what you require. To need more, to want more, to desire. Your heart is a bottomless pit. The bag that fits in anything. The belly that accomodates everything. And therefore your heart is looking messy. It is filled with all sorts of junk. A dirty mixture of the world and the word. Disgusting and abhoring it looks. To be content with what I have To be satisfied with what God has given To be grateful for what is in my plate. Clears the whole chaos. To accept only what is needed To say no to things which you don't need. No to hoarding. No to accumulating. Especially things which are of no use. Contentment is satisfaction. Contentment is thankfulness It is the antonym of greed. The antithesis of chaos and confusion. Contentment brings a smile Contentment brings joy. It brings a sigh of gratification. And then there is peace. To...

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Gal:3:26 Enemy I was; born to hate Him. Told to hate Him; I was His sworn in enemy. I had declared rebellion. I did not have anything to do with Him. And His good and perfect will. I was comfortable in my own way. In my old master's way. Rather, I was really really uncomfortable there. His hatred to sin, made me His enemy too. Yet. He loved me. I don't understand. Though I was far away behind the enemy line, He saw me. For He was my Creator. For He was my Husband. But I turned my face away. In hatred. Someone had to pay the ransom to set me free. Even when I was unwilling. Grace, prompted Him to do it Himself. Unending love; He gave Himself over for my sake. To be tortured, to be 'punished', to be killed. So that I could be saved. I saw that far beyond in that line. Insignificant as I am, did He do it with me in His mind? He looked at me with passion. He told my name - 'for you I endure' and ...

We would not crave evil things. 1Cor:10:6 Despite knowing His love unconditional to me. Despite knowing that it was my wretchedness That nailed Him to the cross. Why would I crave the very things He abhor? The very things my husband hate. I end up desiring, longing for  This lover who gave His life and privileges for me. Him, I disappoint yet again. For it is the heart's motive that He looks for. It is the heart's desire that He looks into. What my heart longs for And who my lover yearns for? Selfish; idolator; immoral; gambler Dissatisfied; discontented; complainer. Adulterer in the heart. Murderer in the mind. Every thought in my heart, brings a teardrop in His eye. Why am I tuned like this? Why am I so fallen?  Oh! Wretched man, that I am Who will deliver me from this hopelessness. The word "grace" is yet beautiful  Favour when I don't deserve it. Difficult as I am, He still loves me. Improbable to be rectified; He still gives grace. He would transf...

Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.  1 Cor:1:30 Nothing that I did, I could please God. Nothing could gain me favour in His eyes. Nothing can earn me any reward. For it is said, all these are like filthy rags. A God who is infinitely holy. How can He look at my infinitesmally small good deed And be pleased. In contrast my sin is huge. He can't even weigh it on a scale, as is the norm. Love your neighbour as yourself. Anger is equivalent to murder. Lustful looks as same as adultery. An infinitely holy God's standard. No matter how high I jump, I can never reach. The standard of this Holy God. No good deed could ever please Him. I was helpless in that ditch. But the everlasting Father, as He is. Love incomparable, loves me and As He wants to save me. Came down to that ditch to rescue me. By His dying on the cross, He paid the debt, The ransom which I did not have to pay. It was His doing. He did it. Not me. Nor any of my attempts. The smartest, the wisest, the rich...

For the Word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. 1 Cor:1:18 For others let it be foolishness. Let them laugh at you. Let them call you names. That is because they don't understand. But let that not be a hindrance. For you to seek Him. For you to make a stand for Jesus. Amongst the very same people who label you. It's been grace that you have been granted this wisdom. Are there not people wiser than you? But God was gracious to reveal Himself to you But do you cherish it? For you it is the power of God. Which saved you; which will protect you. And sustain you and provide for you. God is on your side, then who can be against you. Image credit: https://www.freepik.com/premium-ai-image/glowing-key-with-glowing-light-middle-it_42000384.htm

Now to Him who is able to establish you -- be glory forever Amen. Rom:16:25-26 Lord, establish me, this new year. Things concerning me according to your will. That I may know you more, I may seek you. That I will walk in your path. Lord, establish me, this year. Things that you have put in my heart. Concerning my being, my character. To be like you. To reflect you. For it is you who gave the desire. As well as, you are the one who sustains it. You are the one who would enable me. And equip me. Not my strength, nor by my merit. I am weak, Lord. But Thou art strong. The Spirit in me, would help me. To be what I ought to be. And unless I submit myself To be established by you. It wouldn't work out. Not my will but Yours. It demands dying to my own self. It requires denying my own desires. And ambitions. And plans. That not me. But He.  Painful. But worth it. Image credit: https://stockcake.com/i/puzzle-completion-moment_178354_30489