As I sought to choose hymns for the evening service at church I desired to choose one that suggested the text, II Peter 2:1-9. I struggled to pick a song that spoke anything signifcantly about judgment. My wife said so simply, “Who wants to sing about that?” Well, of course she is right, but people of the church did not always fear to sing about death and the consequences of rejection of Christ. Having laid the foundation for strong faith in chapter one, remembering what makes for salvation and godly living, Peter sets out in chapters 2 and 3 to guard the believers against two threats to strong faith: one within the church, namely false teachers, and the other outside the church, namely, mockers. Early in chapter 2 reminds me very much of Jude who says in verse four of his short epistle, “Certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation.” If their judgment is so certain, I wonder, why should we even discuss it? It is a warning to others for God says through Ezekiel, “Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?” ‘Say to them,”As I live!,” declares the Lord God, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?”‘” (33:10-11) The following poem comes in lieu of the hymn that I did not find:
From hell to save my Savior came
To raise the dead and heal the lame
He taught of His Father full breadth
Of both eternal life and death
Second coming differs from this
Bought ones ascend to heaven’s bliss
While those who refused life in Him
Face an eternity that’s grim
Saints, pray and preach to your last breath
Hold them back who stagger to death Prov.24:11
O, Sovereign Lord lend us Your aid
Show us ones whose sin debt is paid
O, Sinners heed Christ’s pleading call Ezek.33:11,Rom.10:13
Of rescue that goes out to all
Call for mercy with all your might
Escape your end of flame and fright
Jesus is the Savior and Judge
On His justice there is no smudge
Receive from Him payment for sin
Or ever hurt without, within
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CreatorWorship 
Room 417
Posted in Beauty, Cultural commentary, General, Poem, Random thoughts, tagged Beauty, Cultural commentary, Poems, Random thoughts on June 10, 2009| 4 Comments »
On the hallway wall next to the door is posted “Room 417 Storage”. In this fairly new facility it is used as an occasional office. The majority could not tell you where it is or for what purpose it is utilized. I was assigned to sit in silence in Room 417 with three other people for two and a half hours. I’m a teacher; you figure it out. Here are my impressions of the space, the activity, and our path.
In a claustrophobic room Painted white no decor there Neither flower nor mind could bloom Though florescent lights and vented air
White noise from conditioned air Abundant plastic, metal too Nothing the senses would find fair Though clean and bright and also new
Sanitized of all that harms Disease, sharp corners, tanning rays Not a thing the spirit alarms Though emergency exits map ways
Thus the danger to our lives All is well but dead inside No awareness that life never thrives Except in Sonshine and change of tideRead Full Post »