Whatever is Pure, Inspiring Christian Poetry, Devotionals and Testimonies October, 2005

I toyed with my Farmer's Omelet as I sat enthralled, listening to my dinner companion, enjoying a good laugh. His stories of faith and of God's provision in his personal finances and obtaining work spoke deeply to one of our table companions who was soon to be laid off, even as we laughed openly at John's slightly self-derisive humour. John and I have a few things in common, you see, we both know what good food is like and we both carry a few extra pounds to prove that knowledge, much to our dismay. His tales brought me back to my late teens and my early years in my Christian walk and another time I shared a lunch table under much different circumstances.

My lunch companions that day were eating off of metal dishes. The food was anything but good but it was nourishing, at least, that was our hope. When I gazed into their faces as they talked, I saw a lot of pain, much life experience and a depth in their Christian walk that I frankly envied. Their arms bore many tattoos, the occasional cuss word slipped from their tongues but the was a fellowship of the heart there, follower of Christ to follower of Christ.

The location might surprise you, it was a high-risk, medium security prison. My lunch mates? Many would consider that admitted murderers, drug pushers and violent offenders could pose a danger to a little nineteen year old girl who sat across from them in that prison's guest cafeteria. I am sure if my mother had known where I was going, she would have had a justifiable heart attack.

I am grateful for that lunch though, a group of Christians had invited me along. My job was to carry the song books and chat with the inmates. I was a baby Christian at the time. Many of the men I dined with that day had been walking with the Lord far longer than I. I sat there, listening to their counsel, not as someone who came to minister but one who just wanted to learn. All believers to me back then were people to embrace openly. I saw no difference between me and them. I wasn't there to 'minister' from my great depth of knowledge. I was there, just to make some new friends.

Today, as I listened to my new friend John, we discussed prison food. You see, he has struggled most of his adult life with addictions and as a result, he has ended up on the wrong side of the law more than once. We laughed and swapped stories. At one point, he looked at me. I am sure you know that same look, one that searched my motivation s and my heart. How I praise God for His mercy in teaching me early lessons. I truly believe that he did not find judgment in my returning smile. I truly hope he saw a friend. A friend who perhaps someday might speak truth into his life and a friend who will be blessed by the wisdom John has learned along his path as well.

© Katherine Walden
Please contact for permission to reprint or use in any format.

Next year I need to set a goal of selling $6,000,000 for the year. Now I'll be completely honest with you - when I think about that, when I consider it, I come to the conclusion that there is NO WAY I can do it. Absolutely no way I can see it coming to pass. And, actually, that's OK.

So I go the next step further and I go before God in prayer. And I tell Him the same thing, "God, I can see no way that I can sell $6,000,000 in 2000." And He agrees. He tells me "Consider Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith." And that's the point.

All of us have something that fits that category - a "thing" in our life that we can see no way to accomplish.

There are two phrases in the English language that cause us more fear, uncertainty and doubt than any others. If you put them side by side and analyzed them you would see that they cancel out - that they are exact opposites - yet each of us has used them at one time or another.

Here is the first phrase - "Oh, yeah? I'll believe it when I see it." That phrase is the practical in all of us. If someone makes a claim then we want to see the results. If I say, "I'm going to sell $6,000,000 next year" then it just makes practical sense to say, "I'll believe it when I see it."

But then we hear God saying again in Hebrews, "Consider Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith."

This was what the Thomas said after the rest of the bunch had seen Jesus appear to them after His resurrection. "Unless I see the holes in his hands and put my hand into the wound in His side, I will not believe." He and all the others had seen Jesus die, had seen them pierce his side, had seen the awful nails driven into his hands. Thomas was simply saying, "I'll believe it when I see it."

But wait! There's still that other phrase. What is that second, opposite phrase? It's the phrase we use after rubbing our eyes - we say "I can't believe my eyes!" All of us have used these - both of them!

We say, "Yeah, right, I'll believe it when I see it" then, at some other time or circumstance, say, "I can't believe my eyes!" Which one is right? Which one is true? They can't both be right, can they?

Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry teaching about these phrases, though He may not have said them in that way. He fed 5000 with plenty leftover from an impossibly small amount to begin with. He fed 7000 with plenty leftover from an impossibly small amount of food. Later, he and Peter walked on water and said to Peter, "Where is your faith"? Another time he stilled the storm and asked them, "Where is your faith?"

Here is the answer to which of the two phrases is right. After Thomas had made his "I'll believe it when I see it" statement, Jesus appeared to them. He said to Thomas, "Put your hand in my side and place your fingers here in holes and be not doubting, but believe." Thomas fell and worshipped and Jesus continued, "You believe because you have seen? How blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Jesus was clearly telling us which phrase was true and which was not. So you're still not sure? As a Christian you are called to "consider Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith." One translation of Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Paul said "for we walk by faith, not by sight".

So the true phrase of the two for believers is this "I can't believe my eyes!" It's true! As Christians we are not to be dominated by our sight. And for us, the correct way the other phrase should be said is "I'll see it when I believe it." Jesus demands that we believe first with the manifestation (or being made visible) happening after.

Before he fed 5000, Jesus told Andrew, "You give them something to eat." Do you think he was making a joke? Andrew replied with a very human answer, "Should we take a whole bunch of money and go buy bread? It wouldn't be enough to give each even a mouthful". Jesus then used his faith and multiplied the bread and fishes.

He continually demonstrated for them that they had to believe then they would see. Twice he spoke faith statements when people were already dead. He said of Lazarus, "He sleeps." He said of the synagogue ruler's daughter, "she is not dead but sleeping." He believed and then he saw.

Look at it another way. Who were two individuals that Jesus said had great faith? Remember that he often addressed the disciples as "You of little faith". First the women with the issue of blood. Fundamentally she said, "I'll see it when I believe it." She said, "If only I touch the hem of his robe, I will be healed." Secondly, the centurion with the servant who was dying said, "When I believe it, I'll see it."

"For I am a man under authority (just like you obviously are Jesus) and when I say something it gets done. Therefore I believe I'll see my servant healed if you'll just say the word."

The children of Israel stood at the Red Sea with Moses saying "God will deliver us" and many of them must have said, "Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it". How many of them, as they walked through the sea, rubbed their eyes and said, "I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

As Christians we are called on to say "I won't believe my eyes. I won't go on what I can see. I'm not moved by what I see or what I feel, I'm moved only by what I believe."

Finally, what we are called to do is to "consider Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." He gives us faith, he develops our faith, when we allow him to renew our minds, to change our minds, to make us different in our thinking.

Many of us will never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or some other body builder. But if we started today, and worked out every day, we have to admit that someday we would look different than we do now. In this life we will never achieve perfection of faith, but if we start today to consider Jesus in all the areas of doubt, fear and unbelief in our lives - if we say "Jesus, renew my mind, restore my soul, develop and perfect my faith" then, someday - maybe sooner than we think - we'll begin to think and act according to "I'll see it when I believe it" instead of "I can't believe my eyes."

The Autumn light of Dusk.

In the Autumn light of Dusk.
There falls a gentle and quiet hush.
Let your peace and prayers return to God with gentle love.
The light shines in the darkness. The darkness can never penetrate heaven above.
The Light of God purifies and falls like a gentle dove.
There is a coming together. A universal prayer.
The Evening brings divine peace and giving peace. God does care.
The divine energy at this nocturnal time will permeate your soul.
You feel despondent, your life is in a lull.
At evening time let your prayers ascend to God.
He will break the darkness with an iron rod.
Become in harmony with the creative life force.
There is never any remorse.
Our world is what we have created from the beginning of time.
Open your heart, your destiny you will find.
As the birds of the night begin their melancholic song.
Remember in your heart you have done no wrong.
The darkness is here only for a while.
The light of day that follows will bring a smile.
In the summer light of dawn the colours are splendiferous and beautiful.
The music is bright and flowing like an endless crystal pool.
There is no darkness now, it has past.
With renewed energy you can run very fast.
There is no more oppressive heaviness weighing you down.
There is only the sound of peace and a triumphant sound.
Embrace the new opportunities that have been given to you.
The wonderful words of light are true.
Walk in the wonder of happiness, victory and peace.
You have conquered the darkness, all your troubles will now cease.
You have overcome the troubles that you have put before you.
Accept life's lessons, Embrace the truth.
Accept you are here and who you are.
You will then go far.
Do not be enslaved by ambition or greed.
Living in the light, living in peace is the only creed.
The Crown of life is yours forever.
The darkness will not return. Never

© Andrew Pell 25/06/2005
apell@tpg.com.au
Please email for permission to use, reprint or print.

I Am Homeless
I came here because my house burned down last night
We lost everything
We had nowhere else to go
I am so scared and don't know where to go from here
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless

I am here because my boyfriend beat me so bad
I was afraid for my life and for my children
If you could see my battered body and broken spirit
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless

I am here because my husband passed away
And I could no longer pay all the bills
I tried so hard, and could not do it alone
I have five children with me
We are scared
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless

I am here because I lost everything in a divorce
My wife, my kids, my home
I was broken financially trying to fight to keep them
I am trying to put my life back together and I am scared and alone
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless.

I am here because I ran away from home
I couldn't take my father's abuse anymore
I have no hope left
I am scared
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless.

I need to see God's love right now
I feel so alone and scared
Would you please pray for me?
I am homeless.

© Jamey Wysocki
snowangel91867@yahoo.com
Please email for permission to use, reprint or print.

I grew up with domestic violence. From my earliest memories of my childhood, I remember my parents fighting, and how scared I always was. My father is an alcoholic, and often became violent after hours of drinking. I spent many years living in fear that I would come home from school one day and find my mother dead. As a child, I spent many nights crying myself to sleep, afraid of what tomorrow would bring. My mother became depressed and emotionally detached from us...she could not be the mother we needed. We had to learn how to take care of ourselves. When I was 15 years old, my mother left one day without warning, and never came back. She left us 4 kids with my dad, who became even more violent after she left.

My dad soon kicked us older kids out of the house in a drunken rage, and we went to stay with some friends. I soon found my mom, but she did not want us, and I asked her to emancipate me at 16, because I could not go back to the life I had. But I did go back to the life I had... in the relationships that I became involved in... I got into relationships with men, who were like my father. The abuse I seen happen to my mom, was now happening to me. I have failed marriages because of abuse. I spent many years feeling like I had no worth. I felt betrayal, rejection, guilt and shame over what happened in my life. I had no self-esteem for years. I never knew peace. I felt so abandoned and alone. I never really knew any stability in my life and I always felt as if no one really loved me or wanted me.

I was so use to abuse being a part of my life, that I lost any hope of ever being freed from it...and I didn't know how to get freed from it. It all seemed hopeless for a long time. The hardest thing to deal with was feeling like I failed God. I never thought God would accept me after all I had been through and done, and I felt so unworthy to even be in church. And I tried to deal with it all on my own. It took a long time for me to realize that I needed Him, that I could not go on any longer the way I was...and one day I cried out to the Lord with all my heart, and I cried and cried until I had no tears left.

God picked me up, right there, just as I was, all broken and bruised, and He accepted me into His loving arms. It was then, that I committed my life to Him, and I knew in that moment that I never wanted to be without Him again....I love Him with all my heart. All I want now is to follow Him and serve Him. How great is His love for us, that when we have went our own way, He never stops loving us. That when we come back to Him, His arms are always open, ready to embrace us. I spent many years wondering where God was when I went through all the abuse and pain in my life. And I realized He had been there all along.

God never left me, He was always there. He had been waiting all that time with outstretched arms for me to turn to Him for the love and healing that I so desperately needed. Because I was so hurt and devastated over what happened in my life, I was not able to see that I could not start healing without Him. The Lord is greater than any pain I could ever endure, and He brought healing into my heart that was so broken and scarred by the years of pain. For the first time in my life, I had peace and joy... God had given me love, peace and joy in my heart!!!

I had finally found what love and acceptance really feels like. God loves me...He really loves me... and I couldn't feel more loved. His love for me is enough.

HIS LOVE HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE.

I know GOD isn't finished with me yet!!! I know God is going to use what has happened to me to help reach others who are lost and hurting. I have felt very strongly about getting involved in a ministry that helps abused women and children. I want them to know that Jesus is there for them, that He loves them so much... that through Him, they can be set free too!

The Lord has blessed me with wonderful people that He has brought into my life along the way. I feel like God is loving me through them. He has been so good to me!!! I give GOD all the Praise, Honor and Glory... for all that I am...all that I will be... for everything He has done for me. I praise Him for my new life in Him. He is everything to me.

Jesus Christ has set me free, indeed!

God is helping me through each of the struggles in my life and He is shaping my character in His image in the process. God has done so many beautiful things in my life and I look forward to more beautiful things ahead. If you go through some dark moments in your life please remember that God is there with you. Even if you don't understand all that is happening to you, keep trusting in the Lord to see you through. People may abandon us, hurt us, reject us, betray us, but God never will. Draw on God 's strength and forgiveness and move on to the exciting things God has in store for you.

In God's love, Jamey

Ain't got
no loaves or fishes
ain't no Jesus Christ
the world
is disbelieving
our savior
who died
on the cross.

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