Poetry - Bonnie Wilks

In a week from today, we will be celebrating the life of Charlotte Baker - in a worship service in Dallas. (Please come if you can - we will worship into the night just as she would want us to!) One of the things I am most grateful to her for, is her vision for the restoration of the arts...not just to have arts restored to the Church, but to see arts restored to worship and the prophetic realm. All this to say how much I have always loved the poetry of Bonnie Saul Wilks. Take a moment today to meditate on these words and draw near to the Lord. Bonnie always takes us on such a sublime journey...stay a while…linger in this one thought:

One Thought Alone

Bonnie Wilks

Mortality and eternity

Pull me at once

In opposite directions.

I am indentured and indebted, living in realtime

And heavenly seasons. I am a soldier and princess at once, waging war and dancing before my King.

But one day I'll let

Go this world in its

Decay and corruption to

Fly through golden skies

Awash with Angels with

Sounding silver trumpets

With one thought alone--

To see His face

To kiss His hands

To bury my head

In His riven side

Free Eagle

Here is another poem - this time by Terry Hackett - a student at our school: 
Worship Arts Conservatory

FREE EAGLE

By Terry Hackett

1-13-04

High above the evergreens

Where rivers look like streams

Comes now the voice of God your King;

“Free Eagle, spread your wings.”

“Be not afraid to leave behind

 Despairs which tried to bind

 Your vision to an empty nest

 Enter now into my rest.”

“For on my breath you now may fly

 To new horizons your future lies.

 With strength and courage take your place

 Among the many who live by faith.”

“The time is right to now fulfill

 Your deep desires born from my will.

 Set your face into the winds.

 Free Eagle, your journey now begins.”

Spiritual Growth - A Poem by Wayne Rees

Spiritual Growth

by Wayne Rees

Spiritual growth to some seems so distance

To me it is a life of existence

To understand the way life should be

We must begin at the foot of the tree

Our Savior shows more than just His favor

A life he requires that shows His flavor 

As priest from our royal descent

 Much is required and much time is spent

If growth seems so much to handle

Then maybe a remembrance of His sandals

Those sandals that carried us when we can’t go on

Those sandals of His that leads us home

Too much is given much is required it is all for His glory

Remember not ours.

Wayne is a student at the Worship Arts Conservatory:

www.worshiparts.org

The Fear Of God - Wisdom

Just a few thoughts this morning as we sit at the airport on the way to Colombia - still thinking about wisdom and the fear of the Lord...

Fear only two: God, and the man who has no fear of God

Hasidic Saying

Shame arises from the fear of men, conscience from the fear of God

Samuel Johnson

Notice the poetic use of couplets in every verse below. The writer makes two statements in every verse. The second part builds upon the thought in the first part of the verse - wisdom is just like this - it builds as we come to understand it more and more. There are further layers to contemplate:

Proverbs 2:1-9

1 My son, if you receive my words, 
And treasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
 And apply your heart to understanding;

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
 And lift up your voice for understanding,

4 If you seek her as silver, 
And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
 And find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
 From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
 He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

8 He guards the paths of justice, 
And preserves the way of His saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, 
Equity and every good path.

Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding

Proverbs 16:16

How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - think about what the next step is...and is there such a thing as the end of wisdom?

Book of Proverbs - Part 2

Here are a few thoughts on the way Proverbs is related to the other poetical books of the Bible:

Book of Job - we come to the presence of God through suffering
Book of Psalms - we come to the presence of God through prayer, praise and worship
Book of Proverbs - we come to the presence of God through wisdom and godly living
Book of Ecclesiastes - we come to the presence of God through the fear of the Lord
Book of Song Of Solomon - We come to the presence of God through intimacy

Book of Job - we find Christ through meditation on all aspects of life

Book of Psalms - we find Christ through communion as a foundation of life

Book of Proverbs - we find Christ through wisdom applied to our life

Book of Ecclesiastes - we find Christ through understanding the meaning of life

Book of Song Of Solomon - We find Christ through relationship with Him in every area of life

Proverbs: After the title and author are laid out in Chapter 1, verse 1, verse 2 offers five parallel statements that are the foundation of the entire book:

to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding

1. Know - yada - not just knowing with one's mind, but doing what we learn. To know by experience, and to become skilled in what we know. It also means to discern, to find out, to be alert, to carry out a decision or to put wisdom into action.

2. wisdom - chokmah - the goal and subject of this book. The Hebrew word for wisdom means "the things that controls or makes something firm or fixed in place." This wisdom is more to do with justice rather than simply intelligence. It is a practical and moral intelligence which produces a strength of character and practical knowledge on how to become established and controlled in one's life. This word, wisdom means that we are discovering God's thoughts on a matter and seeing life as God sees it.

3. Instruction - muwcar - sometimes translated as "discipline," refers to the method and process of attaining wisdom. "Discipline" involves obedience so that we will submit to God's higher authority for our lives. This is wisdom through correction and training.

4. Perceive - biyn -to have discernment and to separate. This involves knowing with the mind as well as the spirit and to give careful consideration to a matter and then stand apart with what is right. It also means, to give attentions to a matter and to turn the mind to a thing and give it due attention; to be prudent.

5. Understanding - biynah - means that we can discern good from evil - this is the ultimate intelligence.

Book of Proverbs Part 1 HERE
Book of Proverbs Part 3 HERE