Please Pardon My Poetry

Lone Ranger

Lone Ranger

Member
Elect
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
98
Reaction score
0
Points
6
While at HAC I got into the habit of turning sermons into poems. I guess I was partly inspired by Dr. Hyles' book, Please Pardon My Poetry.  Tonight I was cleaning out a file cabinet, preparing for another move, and I came across a notebook with a few of those poems from long ago. I thought I would post some of them and see if any others had some they had written from college days as well.

My Son, Give Me Thine Heart (Prov 23:26)

"Oh Lord, I want Thy Will to do,
    Please tell me where to start."
This answer from His precious Word.
    "My son, give Me thine heart."

"I give to Thee my feet, oh Lord
    To follow where You lead."
A voice from Heaven answers back,
    "Thine heart is what I need."

"Lord I will give to Thee my legs
    To stand, to walk, to run."
But still the voice from Heav'n replies,
    "Give Me thine heart, my son."

"Lord, here my hands I give to Thee
    Thy perfect Will to do."
The Savior answers once again,
    "Thine heart I want from you."

"Lord, here's my mouth to speak for Thee
    'Til all my friends have heard.
Here are my ears that I might hear
    Thee speaking through Thy Word."

"I'll give my eyes to Thee, oh Lord,
    No evil things to see.
My mind to learn Thy wondrous truths,
    And use it Lord for Thee."

But once again I heard that voice
    Still pleading tenderly.
"Oh please My son, give Me thine heart,
    'Tis all I ask of thee."

No more will I resist His plea.
    His Word at last I'll heed.
"Dear Lord I'll give to Thee my heart,
    Since that is what You need."
 
Love that! 
 
Forgetting Those Things . . .  Pressing Forth  (Phil 3:13)

An enemy met me today,
And caused me to trip on my way,
Made me stumble and fall on my ear.
It came from the things of my past.
A sin that I'd tried to outlast,
Came to haunt me and cause me to fear.

I wondered at why it could be,
That my past could intimidate me
When I'd taken it all to the Lord.
In His Word Christ has said He'd forgive
All my sins, so in Him I could live
Without fear of the sins' just reward.

God has said He'd erase every debt.
He'd not only forgive but forget.
So why should it cause me unrest?
God's forgotten the wrongs I have done,
When they're under the blood of His Son
They're as far as the east from the west.

So the reason they trouble my mind,
Is, I always am looking behind
At the hundreds of things I've done wrong.
It can't help but cause me to fall
When I fail to look forward at all,
'Cause my eyes are not where they belong.

Lord help me to live in a way
To forget sins forgiv'n yesterday,
Leave them behind and count them but loss.
They won't hinder my service for You,
Nor influence the things that I do
When they're left at the foot of the cross.

May I leave them and never look back,
Pressing forward, the Devil attack,
With God's Word as my two-edged sword.
Never letting my past drag me down,
I now press for a heavenly crown,
Ever keeping my eyes on the Lord.
 
Why Stand You Idle?  (Matt 20:6)

The time is a wasting, the minutes fly fast,
    The day is soon nearing its end.
The vineyard is ready, the fruit must be picked,
    So why stand you idle, my friend?

Oh young Christian brother with so much to learn.
    Your work here on earth is not done.
You must be discipled and grow in the Lord.
    So why stand you idle, my son?

The world around us despises our Lord.
    To destroy us is part of the plan.
The battle is raging, the foe draweth nigh.
    So why stand you idle, my man?

The Savior entreats you to tell of His love.
    Each minute more lost sinners die.
Oh Christian, their blood He'll require at thine hand.
    So why stand you idle, oh why?
 
Rick can't make a rhyme worth a lick!
 
Some of these poems I hadn't even looked at in over 30 years, and this is one of them. Yet when I read this again, it seemed I could hear the message and even remember the main points of the sermon. Yes, this message was topical rather than expositional.

He Lifts Us Up

Oh Christian are you troubled, your heart bound with despair,
Discouragement has cast you down; you're weighted down with care.

You're struggling to catch your breath; you're sinking, oh so fast.
You've gone down once, you've gone down twice, the third time seems your last.

The darkening clouds o'er spread the sky; they're blocking out the light.
You cannot see to find your way; the pathway's dark as night.

You're buffeted from every side; you're bruised beyond compare.
Your weary back is bent beneath the load which you must bear.

It seems the Lord's forsaken you. It seems He doesn't care.
The Bible doesn't seem so sweet. God doesn't hear your prayer.

When troubles come to knock you down; you take it on the chin.
The victory comes by giving out and not by giving in.

When you're cast down so far it seems the mud gets in your eyes.
Your only hope is when you help somebody else to rise.

The load your shoulders have to bear is more than you can stand?
Yet someone's load is twice your own. Why not give him a hand?

You think you're drowning in the flood as waters 'round you sweep?
Compared to many other folk, your ocean's just waist deep.

When darkness comes; you cannot see; there is no hope in sight.
You'll see the path grows brighter when you're someone else's light.

You think the wounds you've suffered sore are more than you can bear?
Yet see His side, His hands and feet, the thorns He chose to wear.

The reason troubles get us down and drown us in despair,
Is that we only think of self. For others we don't care.

As we would spend our lives in helping other folk to stand,
The Lord looks down and lifts us up with His own nail-scarred hand.
 
Part of my inspiration for writing poems during the messages had to be trying to stay awake. It was a way to engage my mind even more than just taking notes.

Sowing and Reaping (2 Cor 9:6)

God's laws are true, they will not fail.
    His promises He'll keep.
So we must listen when we're told
    The things we sow, we'll reap.

Though you may think that no one knows
    The things you do and say.
Each wicked seed, each sinful thought
    You'll reap in tears some day.

The criticisms that you make,
    The gossiping you do,
Will never feel quite as good
    When pointed back at you.

"Oh," but you say, "I'm having fun.
    I have no cause for weeping."
Don't be a fool. 'Tis later on
    That heart-aches you'll be reaping.

That first small drink, that cigarette,
    May satisfy the present.
But years from now when health is gone
    They will not seem so pleasant.

"Oh, but he love me!" so you say.
    "That's why we kiss and pet."
But mark my words, some day you'll pay
    And look back with regret.

Oh Christian friend, these laws are real.
    Take heed to what they say.
The things you really want to reap,
    You'd better sow today.
 
Heaven

Heaven, place where Jesus stays.
Heaven, land of endless days.
Heaven, comfort doth afford.
Heaven, we will see our Lord.
Heaven, heartaches won't endure.
Heaven, thoughts will all be pure.
Heaven, discouragements all past.
Heaven, darkness cannot last.
Heaven, tears will cease to fall.
Heaven, God will dry them all.
Heaven, death will no more frighten.
Heaven, no more loads to lighten.
Haven, pain will not be found.
Heaven, sorrows won't abound.
Heaven, sin will tempt no more.
Heaven, Adam's curse is o'er.
Heaven, where there is no night.
Heaven, everlasting light.
Heaven, walk on streets of gold.
Heaven, never to grow old.
Heaven, evermore to rest
With the One we love the best.

Heaven, no more souls to win;
No more lives to save from sin.
No more preaching to the lost;
No more pointing to the cross.
No more hungry mouths to feed;
Chances to supply a need.

No more tender lives to guide
To the precious Savior's side.
Christ's salvation ne'er to tell
To the millions bound for Hell.

Heaven, all things will be new.
What will Heaven mean to you?
 
OK. So nobody else wrote poetry during the services in order to stay awake? Did you just go to sleep, or did you have another method of occupying your mind? Did anyone take sermon notes, and if you did, do you still have them?

II Cor 4:8,9

When troubles come on every side,
    It seems there is no rest.
Lean on His strong and mighty arm,
    In Him be not distressed.

Are you perplexed, no way to turn,
    You don't know what to do?
Above all else do not despair.
    He will not fail you.

Have you been persecuted friend?
    Yet not as much as He.
He'll not forsake you in your trials.
    Right by your side He'll be.

Is it that you have been cast down
    Or stumbled in the way?
Just get back up; you're not destroyed.
    His strength shall be your stay.
 
To stay awake, my husband had a running contest with himself in which he timed how long he could hold his breath. No poetry.
 
My Heart

A heart I have, oh Lord today,
    That dictates what I do and say.
If I would live my life for You,
    This heart must needs be made anew.

The evil heart please take away.
    Deceit and lying cannot stay.
The foolish heart, the heart of pride,
    Are wicked hearts with sin inside.

The stony heart that's hard and cold,
    Make into something You can mold.
Take Thou my heart that's oh so slow,
    And teach it Lord Thy truths to know.

The troubled heart that knows no rest;
    I want Thy peace within my breast.
These weak and sinful hearts destroy.
    Their presence do not bring me joy.

A broken heart I offer Thee;
    Remake that it might stronger be.
A contrite heart today I give.
    My sins confessed, Thou wilt forgive.

A brand new heart is what I need;
    A heart that's Thine in word and deed.
A heart believing in Thy Word,
    A heart that moves when it is stirred.

A heart that's seeking for the light.
    A heart that's fixed and stands for right.
A wise heart, yearning for Thy truth,
    To have Thy wisdom in my youth.

A heart condemning when I sin.
    A heart that's clean and pure within.
A heart in which Thy laws abide;
    Thy righteousness it doth not hide.

Yea, all these things my heart must be,
    That I might wholly live for Thee.
 
God's Alarm Clock

Wake up oh Christian brother; the time for sleep is o'er.
There is no time for laziness; don't lie there anymore.
Oh don't be so lethargic; don't waste your time with dreams.
No more can you afford to nap. It's later than it seems.

Get up you lazy scoundrel; don't waste your life away.
A job there is that must be done and must be done today.
God's calling out for workers to labor in His field.
He has a task for you to do if you to Him will yield.

Clean up your life oh Christian. You now must spotless be.
The sins that soiled you last night should not remain with thee.
So brush your teeth and wash your face. Be clean in every part.
The Word of God will cleanse your mind, your spirit and your heart.

Dress up with righteous living. Put on your robe of white.
Put off the old man with his deeds that governed you last night.
That anger, wrath and malice; with you should not abide.
Forbearance, meekness, kindness; should cover you inside.

Grow up and be ye perfect, mature in every part.
Learn how to read your Bible and hide it in your heart.
Be sure to pray for others and witness day and night.
A Christian is a soldier. Learn what it is to fight.

Yes, God's alarm clock's running. Wake up, get up, be clean.
Dress up, grow up, be watchful. The foe can now be seen.
The darkness of the world can still cause us to stray.
Walk in the light of God's Word. Your night will turn to day.
 
This is the last one from this notebook that I had just rediscovered. Most of these poems I had not seen to review in 30 years, with one exception, the first one I posted, My Son Give Me Thine Heart. That poem is hanging on the wall of our living room in the form of a counted cross stitch hanging which my wife stitched and surprised me as a gift at our wedding, 37 years ago.

This is Not Your Rest  (Mic 2:10)

O weary soul when serving God
    Be sure to do your best.
Don't let temptations slow you down;
    For this is not your rest.

Don't stay in bed you sleepyhead;
    With sleep be not obsessed.
The time has come to wake and work;
    For this is not your rest.

Do sports control your mind and soul?
    If you would pass the test;
The time to play is not today;
    For this is not your rest.

Are you a servant of the Lord,
    Your work the Lord has blessed?
Don't stop because you think you're done;
    For this is not your rest.

The Devil's armies flood the field;
    They're fervent in their quest.
They'll overcome if nought is done;
    So this is not your rest.

Don't quit the ranks, but join the fight,
    Win souls and do your best.
Some day the Lord will take you home;
    But this is not your rest.

In Heaven fair, no sorrow there,
    And Satan won't molest.
We'll see the Lord and hear His words,
    "My son, this is your rest."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top