Moving at the Speed of Love

Psalm 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
 
His glory manifested on clear nights:
The universe a starquilt in the sky.
Uncountable the lights, unending heights;
Created out of love for you and I.
Be still and feel the distant suns declare
The sovereignty of God with awe and fear.
No artist at their best could ere compare
Nor scientist create or try make clear.
How can we doubt at all there is a God
When all around us is His workmanship?
It’s infinite in size, no mere façade,
Firm proof of His almighty authorship.
            It’s humbling to know how dear we are,
            That He made this for us from star to star.

Matthew 24:37 - But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
 
The days of Noah stank with sin and hate,
And violence filled the earth in every land.
Corruption was the norm and reprobate;
Then evil was accepted, good was banned.
The world’s mutated, twisted even more
Than when foul monsters roamed the hills and towns,
And just a remnant stands, their hearts cry for
The ones who will be lost when Christ calls down.
Keep both your eyes upon the Master’s gaze;
Ignore the wind and waves around you now.
Believe in Him and not these wicked days
When evil’s good and good is bad somehow.
            Keep watch, believe that Jesus will return
            To take you to the marriage feast you’ve earned.

It’s always darkest ere the break of dawn
Until there’s nothing left of night for light.
The lion stalks the prey his eyes set on,
To show in death of one a life ignite.
God made us in His image from the start,
And when we’re born again into the Son,
The Holy Spirit tears our world apart
With death to self, His life in us begun.
He died for all our sins so we could be
Before the throne of God to praise His name,
Was resurrected so that we’d be free
To grow into His likeness, that’s the aim.
            Surrender all your will to Christ tonight;
            The less you are, the more He shines so bright.

Matthew 5:37 - But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
 
Beware deception coming from the tongue,
For it can take a life unto its own;
Before you know it, loyalty is sprung
To something you would never fain condone.
Remember who you’ve given your life to,
The One who gave you speech and thought and will.
When you belong to Jesus make it true
That even all your words are His to fill.
Your ‘yes’ should not be ‘no’, nor your ‘no’ ‘yes’,
Or else you speak in lies and slip to sin.
So always seek to edify and bless,
And look to Jesus fore your words begin.
            The more you talk against the Spirit’s guide,
            The less advice you hear from Him inside.

I Corinthians 11:1 - Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
 
As you begin to imitate the Lord,
And He begins to occupy your soul,
Discipleship will nat’rally move toward
That as you learn you start to teach the goal
Of being like the One who lives in you,
Surrendering your will, your all in all.
So, as you walk within the Spirit true,
His light that shines from you will bid them call;
Those thirsty for the living water flow
Will bid you point the way that you do go.
To be like Christ you’ll surely help them grow
Into His selfsame image that you know.
            If I desire to be like Christ above,
            I’ll teach His path to others with His love.

Colossians 3:9 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds
 
As dead in Christ and now in Him you live,
No longer have to deal with sin and shame,
For that old self is gone; He did forgive
And freed you from the devil’s deathly claim.
Here Jesus is the Truth and now are you,
For He lives in you now forevermore.
There’s no need to relate to what’s untrue,
And no need to speak lies like once before.
But if you find yourself within the flesh
And speak a lie no matter what the cause,
The Spirit will convict your heart afresh.
Repent to God, to those you lied – no pause!
            To all the truth the Holy Ghost will guide;
            Now learn to be attentive and abide.

John 20:16 - Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
 
The sweetest sound in heaven and on earth
Is Jesus calling softly out your name.
He knew you long before your mortal birth
And waited all this time for just this aim,
That when you hear His voice your spirit sighs,
A recognition of the Master’s voice,
Then O the love you feel so deeply rise,
And every atom in you does rejoice!
Celestial notes from angels can’t compare
To just a single whispered word from Christ.
So intimate, so precious and so rare!
Eternity is found as this sufficed!
            Pay close attention to the words you hear.
            It may be the Beloved’s voice so near.

Romans 10:3 - For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
 
The righteousness of God is plain and true,
But don’t assume you’ve got it figured out,
For ignorance can have you gripped by two:
Not knowing and ignoring it throughout.
With faith you find God’s righteousness indeed,
Believing Christ is Lord rose from the dead,
Then give your all to Jesus and concede
It’s not your righteousness but God’s instead.
Submit yourself to Him and Him alone.
Submerse yourself in Jesus, seek His voice
Until you can walk boldly to the throne,
His righteousness secure and so rejoice!
            Don’t stablish righteousness upon your own.
            Instead let God’s pure righteousness be known.

James 1:27 - Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
 
The word ‘religion’ has a bad repute;
Most Christians tend to run away from it,
But in its purest form is resolute:
The very depth of love you can commit.
Compassion borne from Christ inside of you
Will draw you to the destitute and poor:
The widowed, orphaned and the desperate few
Spurs you to service that you can’t ignore.
Be subject to the Spirit and He’ll draw
Your heart’s desire from the world at large
Where men obey the fleshly rules of law,
And toward unspotted realm where God’s in charge.
            The true religion takes a servant’s path:
            A walk of grace and not the walk of wrath.

II Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
 
To be in Christ you must pick up your cross
And die with Him upon that lonely hill.
Once crucified, the sins you bore are dross;
The price you had to pay He’s now fulfilled.
Now dead in Christ, in Christ you are reborn
As He is resurrected from the tomb!
God’s grace replaces law, the veil is torn;
You live in Jesus, straight from Spirit’s womb.
The flesh has passed away, its nature passed,
And with it all the power that Satan bore.
A new creation now in Him surpassed
To grow into His likeness more and more.
            The old man now is gone – bid him adieu.
            Behold! In Christ alone you now are new!