Of God and My Beliefs

            Once For All

I often sin, time and again,

Weighed down with guilt and shame;

And so let Satan seem to win

As still I sin the same.

I pray to God, His pardon seek,

And give my sorry plea.

I ask Him, rid me of the reek

That sin has left ’round me.

I hardly raise my head from prayer

When Satan tempts again,

And for the pleasure then and there,

I willingly give in.

This happens o’er and o’er till I

Feel retched, pitiful.

So to the Lord again I cry

That He would cleanse my soul.

And as before He pardons me,

For Jesus died for this—

That from each sin He set me free,

And none then did He miss.

But then—again—that same old sin,

Committed as before.

But with God’s help I’ll surely win

And conquer more and more.

            Declaration of Dependence

Can man live alone,

As oft’ he is prone—

No help from the throne

Of Christ to atone

For sins too well known,

The seeds death has sown?

To live in this way

Is dying I say—

No God to obey

(Though present each day);

No thought e’er to pray

Till things go astray.

But God, through his son—

Who o’er death has won—

Has paid full the sum.

So let us not run

From God, three in one,

But Gratefully come.

            God: My Guide

I’m just a boy without a plan

For what I’ll do when I’m a man;

But God will use me for His good,

And I will do the best I can.

            Sight Without Light

A stranger thing is hard to find

Than opening your eyes

To find no change in light or sight—

A frightening surprise.

But ’tis like this inside a cave

When manmade lights aren’t on.

Your eyes cannot adjust to this

O’er time however long.

But here’s a picture of the man

Who thinks himself quite wise:

Through science an philosophy

He opens up his eyes...

But oh! so little does he see

In light of all God’s made;

So seldom does he understand

The statutes God has laid.

The truly wise are humble, then,

And realize what they know

Is just a fraction of the truth

That God is pleased to show.

            Evil Envy

I have a sensitive conscience.

I know when I do wrong.

And when I do (so often true),

I pray my sins be gone.

To many sins I seem immune,

At least in my poor mind.

I seek a life of purity

As God would have designed.

But there is something in my heart—

An evil dwelling there:

I find I long for what is wrong,

Though such sins I’d not dare.

I envy Godless men so free

To sin not fearing Him.

While still of course I don’t foresee

Myself to be like them.

This love for wrong is simply sin,

Though not as plainly seen.

To do what’s right yet love what’s wrong

Is hardly pure or clean.

And so I ask my purging God,

Who sent his son to die,

To purify my craving heart

And righteous thoughts apply.

            Turn Around

What I need is a change of heart—

A turnabout and brand new start—

To leave the sin that round me lurks

And live a life of faithful works;

And this alone through Christ, my Lord,

Who pays the debt I can’t afford.

Perfection and Redemption

To think this wicked, selfish world

Was once a perfect place

Where humans walked and talked with God,

Their maker, face to face.

And all this godly paradise

Was lost with one small bite

When Adam and his wife ate fruit

To gain a godlike sight.

But oh! their eyes were opened then

To what they ne’er should’ve seen:

The knowledge of great evil all—

The vial and obscene.

And so the world lost all its right

Of fellowship with God,

Cast out from Eden’s paradise,

Unfit to tread its sod.

But God was gracious even then

And sent his Son to Earth

To bridge the gap that we had made—

To overcome the curse.



            No Record

                                   

God keeps no record of wrongs!

Do you realize what that means?

Though we live in a state of constant rebellion to what is right,

Through Christ, we’re perfect in his sight.

                                   

To see a wicked, wretched man,

I need only find a mirror;

But the reflection that I see

Is not what my Father sees in me.

                                   

This is the wonderful news of salvation:

That we are saved despite our sins;

Not that we deserve by works to live;

Yet live we may, for Christ Himself His life did give.

Thanksgiving Hymn

Praise to the Lord, our Father above

Gracious Redeemer and God of great love.

Thank you for all that you have given this day

And every day, that gathered we say:

Wonderful Savior and Father of Lights,

Majestic in power and justice and might,

You give good gifts and you know what is right

And this day we praise you and in you delight.