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Rocky Mountains Poem

A poem based on The Rocky Mountains National Park tour. Mountains stand high above the clouds. Bowels of water slide down the hard-pressed rocks.   Here lies God's creation, standing proud.  Arrogant rocks give no sound. They refuse to move unless told to. Wind slithers and whispers its way  through the rocky shoulders.  Grasping at every turn, struggling to hang.  Snow rests on the edges of the mountain.  In deep sleep, spilling down the rocks.  Here comes the sun, coating its light on the arrogant Mountain.  The clouds hide, but it is too late. The snow cries into its fate. The wind flees, exposing the clouds to the sun. The ball of fire swings across sky, Lighting a path for wapiti and deer. They move into the pastures, breathing the air of last year. Eating the grass of the past Under the trees, they sleep.  Under the sun, mountains stand high.
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Colorado poem

                                                           Written while sitting in the backyard of The Conrads house.                                                          God, you are far more          satisfying than the greatest breeze  that skims my face.                                                  God, you are far more delighting                                                 then the mountain landscape ahea...
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He went ahead of us

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 In the book of Leviticus, God gives us the blueprint of how He wanted things to run in Israel. He designed the Israelites' temple procedures and daily practices to be purposely distinct and unique from surrounding cultures. The statues He taught the Israelites were all to present God's glory to the world. They were supposed to be a city on a hill, that would reflect God's compassion for all the world through the sacrifices of the animals. In the 16th Chapter, God's blueprint for the law of atonement is played out. This part of the law was only to be done by Aaron and his sons. God tasked them with handling the sins of the people and their forgiveness from God's wrath.  Before Aaron can enter the temple and fulfill its duties, he must first put on holy garments and, " bathe his body in water " (v4B).  After that: " He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering " (Levit...
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The Joy of Jesus on the cross

 What do the scriptures tell us about Jesus' experience on the cross? -He set His mind on the eternal joy that He would have with the Father.  The writer of the Book of Hebrews says,  " Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,   who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising  the shame, and  is seated at the right hand of the throne of God "(Hebrews 12: 2 ESV). The Psalms also say,  " Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices ; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy " (Psalm 16:9-11a ESV). -He remembered the glory He had at the beginning of time with the Father.  Jesus, praying to the Father says,  " And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.   I glorif...
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Galatians 6:1-4

 Paul, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ in the early church, writes to the churches in Galatia in this letter.  After commanding the Galatian Christians to walk by the spirit and not by the flesh in chapter 5, Paul commands his fellow believers to bear one another’s burdens in chapter 6.  Verse 1 says,  “ Brethren,  even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted ” (Galatians 6:1 NASB).  The convictions of sin that God works in us will always be stirred up so that we can turn and glorify God. When we approach a friend or enemy stuck in sin, we approach with gentleness, remembering that we are like them. We have all fallen short and God offers the same mercy He gave us.  Look in the mirror first though, make sure your intentions match God's perspective (James 1:23-25). His perspective will always Glorify Himself. God's wisdo...
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God's narrative

 What is the message that Christians so desperately want the world to know? What is the most important narrative ever told? Here is that message from the Bible in an acronym of the word gospel made by Dare2Share ministries.  - G od created us to be with Him.  We see this in Genesis 1:31, After God creates man, woman, animals and nature, He declares that it was all good in His eyes . " God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day " (Genesis 1:31 NASB) - O ur sins separate us from God. Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent in the Garden of Eden to eat the forbidden fruit. From this point on, every descendant of Adam and Eve are declared sinners .  Paul states in his letter to the Roman Christians, " For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God " (Romans 3:23 NASB) What defines what sin is? The ten commandments. These commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20...
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A great offering to God: A broken spirit (Psalm 51:17)

Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise".  God, who does not despise the contrite heart and who welcomes the poor in spirit into His kingdom (Matthew 5:3), inspired King David, the author of the 51st psalm to remind us what He desires from us daily.  David, a man after Gods own heart, knows exactly what God desires from us after we sin. He doesn’t desire our money, labor or a certain emotion to be given just right.  Instead, God desires a heart that sees its own cracks and understands how broken and rebellious it inherently is.  A confession of our brokenness and desperate need of God's mercy before Him will always heal us spiritually.  Sin destroyed this world, it caused a toxic infection to be upon all creatures. It causes humans to constantly stumble daily in anger, jealousy, pride etc.. which the devil uses to shame us. But thankfully God heals us from these internal wounds. Jesus Ch...
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