Essays in Ephesians #17
Can you identify with imprisonment—for any reason? If not in jail, have you ever felt caged in by illness or depression, a limiting job or a controlling system? Do you know…
A Poem from Pursuit 2: Creation
Creation* One uttered Word— and the nothing— emptier than any vacuum, darker than all empty nights— burst into blinding, melting, hot, explosive, light— From Love’s unerring faith— beginnings came. Songs sang. Inside God’s pulsing heart, through eons of slow change, Love’s steady flame burned on, His plans securely framed. Under that first spoken Word now […]
A Poem from Pursuit 1: Diamond Dust
Diamond Dust * Late one cold gray winter afternoon, two sundogs shone in the western sky. As I watched, my gaze became transfixed on their rich warm color against the barren background. Thoughts returned of a lost friendship. It was an untimely love which I smothered and cut off. My choice was difficult. In hindsight, it was […]
Oil in our Lamps
Oil is a Bible symbol for the Holy Spirit. Whenever the text reads anoint, anointed or anointing, it refers to the oil of the Holy Spirit that is rubbed or poured on a person’s physical body. The actual or literal oil is always olive oil. In the natural, olive oil is valuable for food, for fuel, for illumination, […]
Nature Notes
What are my Nature Notes? When I send friends, family and a few others emails about new posts on Given Word Now, I usually…
The Glory of God
Around 1440 B.C., in an unusual mountain top encounter, God gave a man named Moses exact instructions on how to build…
Places 40: The Glory Cloud
In August 2020 I began revising and posting poems from Places. Now, shortly over a year later, here’s the last one, forty out of…
Places 39: The Trumpet Call
Pray now, before they lift the trumpets, draw breath to sound the call, before pure metal’s pressed on angels’ lips. Then, watch for hail…
Places 38: Safety
Safety Within, I’m often bound by pride. The heavy weight of self-will asserts it’s right to guide. Entitled, I alone decide to backslide from the innocence of trust. Lord, help my self, my very self to die— I’d not defy Your love. I would abide in Jesus, be sweetly fragrant on His vine; I’d let […]
Places 37: Time’s Fullness
Many years ago, after a humble man of God prayed for me, he encouraged me to write and prophetically said that I’d write two poems about trumpets. I’ve wondered if this is one of them. With feeble cries against God’s time Baal’s priests revert to boys; vast armies turn to toys; tin soldiers shaking sticks […]
Places 36: America
This prophetic cry for our nation is as relevant today as when I wrote it in 1997. Revisions were few. I changed a few present tense verbs to past tense and updated a couple images and changed the ending to a prayer. America—The U.S.A. My country—land of shopping malls, home of bubble gum and the Chicago […]
Places 35: Watch
Watch! Evocative trumpets sound from high and lonely promontories awakening holy bands across the land. Crying out for grace to stand, intercessors fall in glory on the ground. God will choose His own— Elijahs to oppose the Baals, Gideons to tear down the Asherahs, Aarons and Jeremiahs to speak, and Joshuas to lead. God sows […]
