When Heaven Spoke
Three years before I was born (going by what I've truthfully been told),
My mother and father were baptized, and thus entered the Shepherd’s fold.
And by that I mean, they gave their lives to God, but how, I’d like to share,
'Cause it’s all about His amazing love — yes, it’s all about His care.
Okay, here we go:
My parents didn’t know which denomination new Christians should choose,
'Cause they'd had visits from differing groups, and hence that old question, “Whose?”
Yes, they wanted to follow God, and attend a church somewhere also,
But oh, which denomination should they embrace, they wanted to know.
As the visits to their home came and went, that question burned in their mind,
'Cause the answer was an answer that they now badly wanted to find,
'Cause on their mind too, was God’s great moral Law — the Ten Commandments — that
One group had rightfully pointed to, as around the Bible they sat.
(And by group I mean, one of those denominations).
This group showed how God’s Law had not been done away with at Calvary
(Contrary to what many Christians have swallowed, erroneously),
And that God still wanted each Commandment kept, just as He had laid down;
Such proof of one's genuineness, rebellion not worthy of a crown.
God’s Law in the heart, you see.
Well,
One day when my mother was busy ironing, she paused, seeking God in prayer,
And with the Father, her concern and growing frustration sought to share.
Thus there she stood, with her eyes tightly closed, light bathing the sunroom wall,
And the God who hears every prayer, then responded to her quiet call.
Oh yes, and how, 'cause as my mother raised her head and opened her eyes,
She saw the answer written across the sunroom wall, and felt joy rise.
Yes, right across that sunroom wall in letters that she could clearly see,
Was a Bible text which stated, “To the law and to the testimony:
If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
(Isa 8:20, KJV)
From then on, they became ardent Commandment keepers, and willingly,
Thus knowing that those who truly love God, respond obediently,
Not to be saved, of course ('cause only grace saves), but out of gratitude,
'Cause those who’re genuine will certainly have the right attitude.
You see, though God is a God of love, He’s a God of justice also,
Knowing that law has its rightful place, both above and on Earth below.
'Cause without law, either in Heaven or on Earth, there’d be anarchy;
In other words, no order, no direction and no security.
Hence why good parents discipline, they knowing too that rules are needed,
And that true happiness only comes when such boundaries are heeded.
Though they want their kids to respond to such out of love (naturally),
They realize that despite such a response, rules are still necessary.
Well, God’s a parent too, He our heavenly Father, who clearly knows
That our response here, the true condition of our heart invariably shows.
And hence why it’s that response that He is most interested in,
Because such a response will show whether we are in fact genuine.
And those who are truly genuine, happily carry out God’s will;
That is, they keep His Commandments, 'cause not doing so, just wouldn’t gel.
'Cause after all, how could they not, if they’re truly genuine, true blue,
When God — via His Holy Word — has said that that’s what He wants us to do?
And that is what God showed my Mother, whose deep prayer was answered that day,
Via a divine occurrence — miracle — that clearly pointed the way.
And that revelation is one reason why I’m a follower too
Of the God whose moral Law conveys His love, and shows one what to do.
Yes, I’m so thrilled that God showed my dear mother what she should do that day,
And that He revealed His will in such an amazing, dramatic way.
I’m also thrilled that I can share this thrilling testimony with you,
Praying with all my heart that you’ve become a Commandment keeper too.
By Lance Landall
“Do we then overthrow [make void] the law by this faith? By no means!
On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Rom 3:31, ESV).
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled [realized] in us, who walk [live] not
after the flesh [selfish desires], but after the Spirit [the indwelling Spirit of Christ;
willing obedience that stems from love]” (Rom 8:4).
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For as the body
apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead
[it is made void, invalid]” (James 2:24,26, ESV).
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment…” (Heb 10:26,27, ESV).
Here’s the key:
And using borrowed thoughts: In the context of salvation (Justification – right standing before God), law keeping is of no avail, but in the context of Christian conduct (Sanctification – right living before God), God’s law has value and validity.
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce
impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are
self-controlled, upright, and Godly” (Titus 2:11,12).
Notes:
1)
A number of my poems also cover God’s grace, and are best read in conjunction with this poem. Therefore, you may wish to visit my page: Understanding God's Grace, and there you
will also find a poem titled: Christ Did It Because We Can't.
You may also wish to visit my page Things About God's Law That We need To Know.
2)
"Sun room"
This
was a room that my father had added to the back of the house. It was
designed with rather large windows on two of the walls. The
purpose of them being to allow more sun into this room where one
could sit in that very warmth. It was not a conservatory.
3)
The first line of the first verse was corrected in this poem on 20 November 2018.
4)
My parents were married in 1936 and baptised in 1948.
How Could Any Argue With This?
When God said He’d write His Law on our hearts, it wasn’t minus this or that, and
Nor was it the Jewish ceremonial law, which all surely understand.
God’s Law and their law distinct, theirs outside the ark, and His inside the ark, and
Now written on our hearts, still needed close at hand, which all surely understand.
And the reason I say, “which all surely understand,” is, ’cause it all makes sense,
Christians not meant to be a lawless lot, and God not speaking in the past tense,
But rather, His Law always within our hearts, though not in order to save us,
But to guide our every thought, word and action, we only saved via Jesus.
Yes, grace saving, Law directing, so why are most acting like God’s Law has gone,
’Cause if He wants it in our heart, it’s quite clear that it’s not to be trampled on.
His grace not giving us the right to reject it, ’cause it clearly has its place,
And why those who don’t keep it will hardly be able to look Christ in the face.
So, given all this, how would you feel it you were Christ, and most ignored your Law,
Thinking they’d still get to Heaven, and yet, evidence of rebellion you saw.
Well, I can imagine you wouldn’t be too happy, they hardly genuine,
And hence why when it comes to God’s Law, He most definitely wants it within.
And not just as an engraving, but a living, breathing expression that glows,
Each Commandment a reality in our life, and which a Christ-like-ness shows.
Not one Commandment without merit, nor in need of change, and why I have asked,
How could any argue with this? And pleasing God being a joy, not a task.
You know, God’s saving grace is the most abused gift ever known, and sadly
It all courtesy of so many foolish Christians today, who, seemingly,
Have erased or badly smudged that Law that God said He’d write on their heart, and thus
They hardly true followers of the Law-giving, Law-keeping, gracious Jesus.
All why it’s time to awaken to His Law’s centrality in our lives, and
Its great need today given the selfishness and lawlessness found in each land.
Not one Command spoiling or injuring, though one might think so given the cry:
“God’s Law has been done away with,” which Paul himself confirms is naught but a lie.
Oh, mercy, Lord, as if You’ve now sanctioned stealing, murder and adultery,
And said that we can have other gods, or that Your name is no longer Holy.
Or that even that Sabbath rest is outdated, You still the Creator, and
A God of truth, not lies, who coveting and rebellion condemned, and idols banned.
By Lance Landall
“But
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
those days, declares the Lord: I will put My law within them, and I
will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall
be My people” (Jer 31:33, ESV).
“For this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares
the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their
hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be My people” (Heb 8:10, ESV).
God's Signature
When artists paint a picture, they leave their signature, and for good reason too,
And that being, that others may claim it as their own, like some have been known to.
And all why God signed His creative work, lest it be attributed to who,
Or what, in the case of evolution, though riddled with holes that prove it untrue.
All why the fourth commandment says to REMEMBER that seventh day Sabbath rest,
And thus it not just the signature of Earth’s creator, but also a test.
That Sabbath unchanged, and all why we see the Jews still keeping it, though for all,
Established at creation for humanity, and why all should heed that call.
Before Mount Sinai, no manna was to be collected on the seventh day,
God’s people well aware of its significance, but oh, how God’s people stray.
It no different today, and why that Saturday rest remains for us,
God not having changed it for another day, it honoured and kept by Jesus.
Within the fourth commandment, we see WHO created the Earth, and then told us
“Keep it holy, refrain from work and play,” a day that Satan’s always hated.
After all, it points to God, not him (and Satan’s so jealous of that glory),
And which when not kept, or if exchanged, plays into the hands of a liar’s story.
Oh yes, there’s no memorial like it, all knowing who the Creator is,
That the handiwork, beauty and purpose of it all, you and I too, is His.
All why we need to reflect Him as surely as that Sabbath day, that all may see
That same creative thought and care within us that points to Him too. May it be!
By Lance Landall
Do you realise that the Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ’s sacrifice and Second Coming,
not His resurrection?
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor 11:26, ESV).
The
New Testament does not contain any command, or even suggestion,
regarding a weekly or annual Sunday celebration of the resurrection. In
fact, Christ celebrated the Lord's Supper on Thursday evening (Luke
22), and the disciples sometimes did it every day (Acts 2:42-46). In
other words, there was no particular day.
The
Lord's Supper is celebrated in order to remember the rescue of all
humans from slavery to sin. This communion service keeps the hope of
Christ's second coming alive in our minds, and how we can look forward
to it with real joy. It also reminds us of the permanent connection
between God and humans that was created by His death on Calvary, and
helps us to understand what Christ suffered in order to pay for our
sins and save us.