Poetry Underground

Confident Children

2011-10-25T01:04:00.000-07:00

I ache for something powerful
Weeping for the Words that move
I’m not talking about talk
I’m screaming “VICTORY!”
Words that budge buildings
Faith making new roads…
Not paving over the old
Triumph is not a footstool
Mercy and Forgiveness are not weak
Life is a confident masterpiece
This is no dice roll
The only thing left to chance are the chances we take…
Away from the everlasting arms of our Almighty God

Jesus…You are the ONE
There is no greater power than You and Your Love!
Death has no sting!
Fear has no grip!
Sin has no home!

We walk our ways
And we feel it…the emptiness that comes
It comes when we grieve the Holy Spirit
It comes when we ignore Jesus in our heart
But there’s no denying it…
We were called for a reason…a purpose

Aching to be whole
Weeping on the inside
Results of faith not coming to fruition…
Deception is the devil’s attempt to regain some footing
But this is not to be!
We are children of the Living God!
And nothing surpasses His Love for us
Jesus paid for lives in His own Blood
So shout “VICTORY!” at the top of your lungs!
We belong to Jesus!
We are His army of confident children!
Not just some timid strangers who happen to believe…

JMP 10/23/11

Who Will?

2011-10-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

Who will love the unloved?
Who will love the troubled?
Who will love the homeless?
Who will love the helpless?
Who will love the hopeless?
Who will love the abused?
Who will love the used?
Who will love the beaten and the broken?
Who will love the heart that won’t open?
Who will love the poor?
Who will love the needy?
Who will love the mourner?
Who will love the bruised and the scarred?
Who will love the depressed and those behind bars?
Who will love those who are in agony and in pain?
Who will love those who don’t bear society’s name?
Who will love Jesus by showing love to any of these?
If not us, then who will?

JMP 2006

Plea for America

2011-10-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

Our hands were made for handshakes, not for choking.
Our arms were meant for hugs, not for punches.
Our hearts were built for love, not for bitterness.
These vessels were meant for peace, not for conflict…
But this world is infected with turmoil,
Causing our peace to be at war.
Though Jesus brings us True Peace spiritually,
The world views peace through skin-deep eyes.

My sweet America…
Oh how I pray that you will prevail in these battles at hand.
America, I pray that you would stop unraveling at the seams.
I pray that you rediscover your foundation.
Comfort is the luxury that you have taken for granted.
You reap the blessings, without desiring to know the Source.
If you do not give credit where credit is due…
Heaven help the ruins that will become of you.

JMP 2005

For Just One

2011-10-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

For just one of us, He would die on a tree.
For just one of us, He would cry for you or me.
For just one of us, He would take the pain.
For just one of us, His scars would remain.
For just one of us, He would bear the stripes and humiliation.
For just one of us, He would spare Life from devastation.
For just one of us, He would do it all again.
For just one of us, He would fight until the end…

What greater Love exists: that Jesus would risk it all for just one of us…?
Jesus would lay down His life all over again,
Even if He knew that He would only save just one Life.

Thank You Jesus for a Love so kind and generous…
Thank You for allowing hearts to open like eyes.
Thank You for grace that is accepted by more than just one.
Jesus… Thank You for loving us so much.

JMP 2005

From October to Forever

2011-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

I don’t remember it ever being this cool in October.
I don’t remember the last time I was this sober.
I can’t recall ever being this happy or feeling this good.
I can’t recall it ever being this easy to do exactly what I should.

You turned me around.
Now I set my eyes on You… my only desire.
You are my solid ground.
I’ll focus on You… not back to the fire.
I don’t live my life trying not to lose anymore.
I live my life to Win because You settled the score.
Now a sin takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s deeper than the Law on which it was leaning…

A sin is to know what is right, and not do what is right.
A sin is to not give a cup of water to the man who is thirsty.
A sin is to not give a blanket to the woman who is cold.
A sin is to know Love, and not act out of love.
A sin is not what you do so much as it is what you don’t do!
A sin should no longer be knowledge of what is wrong, and doing wrong anyway.
Jesus died for us to be free from that sin!!!
The sin that plagues a believer is idleness.
A believer’s sins are acts of disbelief that discharge from their mouths,
And wreak havoc through their hands and feet.
We destroy what God has raised to life in us by the curses that spew from our mouths.
We are new-born children of the Living God through our Lord Jesus Christ…
Acting as though we are old-dead children belonging to the god of the world.
Where is our faith, children?!
Is it only confined to our claim of belief?!
It is time to Trust in Jesus for everything!!!
Set your eyes on Him, and let Him be more than your need.
How great is your God?!!
To the world, He is only as great as what you show.
Show them His Love and Mercy…
God desires mercy, not sacrifice.

I will forever remember this October.
I will always remain this sober.
I will never forget feeling this happy and this good.
Jesus will keep me on the road of Love where I’ll do what I should.

Lord Jesus, keep my eyes on You... My trust on You.

JMP 2005

Willing or Wandering?

2011-10-16T02:04:00.000-07:00

Gallant and silent

We watch the galaxy

Fragrant and vagrant

We see the fallacy

Over and over

We praise humanity

We all take the fall

And it starts with vanity

Blind to the time

To realize reality

So vain is the pain

Now regain your sanity…

Life is so precious

And delicate is the time

Love is so mighty

And Forever is divine

Peace is a war

Meekness is so strong

God’s fighting for our souls

Letting us know right from wrong

Chicken or the egg?

Creator or the created?

First was the Fruit, who chose to give life to these heart-bearing seeds

A Father; A Loving Parent, wanting to fulfill his children’s needs

But He leaves the decisions up to you

He lets you do what you want to do

Because He knows that His real children won’t leave Him feeling alone

They’ll fight for peace, once they see His ‘Sacrifice’, and they’ll come Home.

JMP 2001

Unaffected

2011-10-13T02:08:00.000-07:00

With your Savior you died and have been resurrected
Still, by the little things in life so swayed and affected
Forewarned that to this world you would be so rejected
But playing the different part is something simply neglected
When pride reigns, life is always about being respected
No guidance, not a word about a wrong being corrected
Loss of temperance is the quick fix so easily injected
Self centered soothe or sorrow becomes the only thing inspected
But re-remember that with God you were distinctively selected
To serve your purpose in His Will and in His arms you are protected
Chosen to live a life apart, though it may be harder than you expected
Let the world scowl and mock you; just smile at being suspected
Turn the other cheek and put Love in place of the hurt deflected
All you had to do was call on His saving, merciful grace to be elected
So now it’s time to finally grow up, stand up, walk forward and remain unaffected…

JMP 6/16/09

Legacies

2011-10-09T02:43:00.000-07:00

Our legacies are castles made of sand that blow away with the wind
Our efforts to strive in our own names are echoes that come to an end
Our treasures are left behind us when our time here expires
Our valuables fall victim to thieves, rust and fires
Our importance may be a penny on earth worth a million times more in paradise
Our significance may seem like an ant that’s as big as an elephant in God’s eyes
Our fame is merely glory for the years that are like a second of God’s time
Our success is worthwhile praise when selfishness battles Love’s peace of mind
Our purpose be it big or be it small is measured by our hearts
Our existence receives its value by how we play our parts
Our part may seem like a cameo, but somehow be more important than the rest
Our impact could be huge, but totally negligible if we don’t do our best
Our names will be as big as all that we aim for
Our focus shouldn’t be our name, the sky or the floor
Our goal should be Love because Love surpasses everything else
Our worth isn’t measured by our names or what we gain for ourselves…
Our legacies are castles made of sand that blow away with the wind
But there’s no greater Love than the One who laid down His life for His friends
Thank You Jesus, Amen.

JMP 4/12/2007

The Family Man

2011-10-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

Is this what life is all about?

The majority of his efforts to behave

Trading old habits for new things to crave

Is this the way it’s supposed to be?

Moderation, defining the family man

A small sin here or there, whenever he can

Is there more than meets the eye?

He’s a hard working man, so it’s okay

Too self-involved to remember to pray

Is any of this in the plan?

Inventing ways to avoid a step in the right direction

But is the man inside comfortable with his own reflection?

Is this what life is all about?

While sin is the only thing left nailed to the cross

Life is about progress on the road of Love ahead…

Though some try to pay in vain for what it costs

Life is already paid for and sin is better left dead.

JMP 10/2/11

Reaped

2011-10-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

There’s a ghostly breath at the pale lit window.

Its pain is wept from where the howling wind blows.

Who is this sorrow that echoes from years past?

What is this shadow that’s pressed against the glass?

This peculiar feeling has plagued me before…

Anxious butterflies of fear; a heart’s tug of war.

What lesson built of stone have I left unturned?

Who have I neglected when I should have learned?

… These windows are but mirrors, and I am the ghost.

The winds are my cries when I abuse Love the most.

JMP 2006

Developing Determination

2011-10-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

Storms and grace
Erode and replace…

Inspiration wakes where the waves crash
Washing away the fear of failure’s ash
As the tide turns, it douses the blaze that badly burns
The heart that yearns, cools at the core of its concerns
Desperation diminishes to-and-fro
Determination derives from the ebb and flow…

Here, howls the shaking storm
Take up the tool of trust to serenade this sea
There, wind whirling your warn
Live by the Law of Love, your shelter, your lee

Circumstance waves will never cease,
Don’t try to pretend, they’ll come crashing down on you again
A situation storm can calm with ease
You must transcend, it’ll be your enemy or your friend

JMP 8/14/07

Misdirected Credit

2011-09-29T01:14:00.000-07:00

Hypocrite number one took the stage.
Hypocrite number two watched on television.
Hypocrite number three sat back, and laughed at the whole situation…
And they all watched the stage for just a moment or two,
And they took no comfort in ‘number one’, as he rambled on about his good deeds…
Perhaps he forgot to disclose what happened the night before,
And the True Grace of who forgave him for being such a hypocrite…
And on the third minute…
All the others turned the channel.

JMP 2001

The Clone Questionnaire

2011-09-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

Why do we curse in the songs that we sing?
Why do we feel the need to hate everything?
Why do we work for the diamonds and gold?
Why do we find pleasure in things that are sold?
Why do we want for more than we have?
Why are we cruel to get a good laugh?
Why do we take, and never give?
Why do we waste this time to live?
Why do we drink at a prideful bar?
Why don’t we like who we are?
Why do we cling to the dirty skin?
Why do we ignore the Love within?
Was it your father?
Was it your mother?
Was it your enemy?
Was it your brother?
Was it your friend?
Was it your lover?
Was it you, trying to take cover?
Are you trying to pass the blame?
Can you succeed in giving it a name?
Was it them who made you this way?
Who did you not forgive today?
Will you spend your life on a vengeful level?
Will you clone yourself into the devil?

JMP 2001

Moments Away

2011-09-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

The insignificance of my existence

Lies only within this moment of time.

For I know that I will succeed simply because I won’t accept defeat.

And with every passing moment of time,

The Will that lives deep within the pit of my heart

Climbs closer to the surface of myself

JMP 1997

The Humbling Times

2011-09-28T02:17:00.001-07:00

The Happy Mask

2011-09-28T02:15:00.001-07:00

Objection

2011-09-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

We build a home with the foundation of progressed sin, and we lock the door.
It travels through the cables and phone lines, and it enters through the cords.
Sin… brought to you by your reception.
The television is a drug… gluttony is a carton of cigarettes…
Lust in the form of a sports car… greed grows in competitions…
The internet is the mirror image of a lie… the computer is an addiction…
And sin is a contradiction…
It’s an act of disbelief that sprouts from even the most believing of lips.
What should we do with all of this corruption that plagues our hearts?
What should we do with these worthless objects that we spend our time to afford?
Should we throw them all away?
Should we sell them to help another soul’s contamination?
Or should we control these things before they consume us?
Put your money where your heart is…
Don’t work to gain more,
And don’t work less to get rid of what’s already the problem.
Work hard, and spread charity.
Help your brother and sister by feeding them spiritually,
Instead of feeding yourself with designer clothes, drugs and other products of sin…
Sin is the first conception of a man-made idea, unless the idea was conceived from Love.
Love doesn’t turn the channels.
Love doesn’t lubricate the pistons in your car.
Love doesn’t live in old portraits of Ben Franklin.
Love doesn’t generate from a savings account.
Love doesn’t invest in stocks and bonds.
Love doesn’t require wealth for you to give it, but it requires faith for you to receive it.
Love requires time and effort.
Love requires patience, trust and an ability to admit when you’re wrong.
Love even calls for an ability to forgive someone before they apologize…
Show the world this Love… and they’ll see it…
And they’ll start to look upon the objects in this objection, and see the horrid reflection.

JMP 2000

Clay in the Desert

2011-09-24T02:04:00.000-07:00

I’m impressed, You blessed,
This horrible mess

That I made, I stayed,
And I played

Until it made You cry, my lies,
And Your eyes

Never left my side, as my pride,
In still strides

Kept me stranded here, for these years,
And these peers

Saw a brittle man, not a plan,
In Your hands

That You gave to me, that I see,
And I need

To take full hold, while You mold,
And make me whole

That’s why You’re Lord, and I’m more,
Than I was before

Yes, You take, what I break,
Until I’m awake

And You build, from my spill,
Your perfect Will

For my days, in Your ways,
So I will praise

Your might, Your sight,
And the way You fight

To bless, this mess,
As I try to impress…

JMP 9/2/11

Remember?

2011-09-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

I remember when I prayed to You every night…
It’s so easy to forget
And I’ll admit
That I’ve been trying alone to make things all right

I remember when You were always on my mind
Another bill to pay
Another excuse to say
I need to reserve this time for myself to unwind

I remember when Your Words were my first resort
This starving heart is weak
This quick tongue to speak
Who will be the next victim of my rambling sport?

I remember when I knew that worries were unnecessary
Plans tumble
Walls crumble
Yet I fight instead of seeking Your Grace for sanctuary

I remember when I remembered to write this down
You still call to me
You still rescue me
Lord, You give me the strength to come around…

JMP 9/16/11

Slippery Fingers...Steady Hand

2011-08-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

I’m full of joy,
And I can’t explain it any other way,
But just a little bit of You,
Filled me up today…
My hunger grows through this adversity,
And my faith stronger from all that hurts me.
There is not one sacrifice
That You haven’t already undertaken,
So with Your Love as my vice,
I will keep moving and remain unshaken.
Settling for pieces of You,
Only leads to self-resentment.
I need every bit of You…
You are my only contentment.
You’ve held my hand and walked me through the blistering trials of life.
You’ve freed me from the chains of burden and the bondage of strife.
You have me by the fingertips,
And You’re holding onto me as tightly as You can…
You recover me from my slips,
Waiting patiently for me to willingly give You my hand…

JMP 2006

Earth

2011-08-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

… What also do we write

That burns beneath the embers of spite?
An eclectic shadow of what has been
Tries to sneak into our hearts again.
Done is done, lost is lost, won is won,
And sometimes “shallow” becomes our fun.
Black or white, hot or cold, wrong or right,
Grey and warm are of the worldly sight.
This depth is merely at the surface,
To perceive, we must first seek purpose…
What also do we sing
That triumphs over what Love can bring?

JMP 2005

The Middle Effect

2011-08-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Brush against…It topples…The Domino effect…
No hellfire consequence
No happiness in defense
No progress in the middle of this tumbling mess
Knowing? Showing? Growing?
Crumbling, and my hell is in between
Crashing, and my smiles can’t be seen
Does my story have a happy ending?
‘All’ is as good as nothing in the middle and descending
Break the cycle! O great Revival!
To You this man crawls
Before the last domino falls
Put up a barrier, let me fail in strife
If that’s what it takes for You to prevail in my life
Selfishness is the greatest lie…Pride, the cause of this cry
This is not a plea to restart this game
This is not an attempt to recycle this blame
This is a stop sign…This is a drawn line
Complete happiness or dismal pleasure…
Spiraling complacency or inherited treasure
Soothing mediocrity or the fire of inner peace
Familiar captivity or the hardships of sweet release
The ease of day to day or the struggling passion of a better way
The meaninglessness of being laid back or the force to conquer and make an impact

Brushed against…It toppled…But this is not a domino effect…It stops here
Learn from the past, don’t start over and resurrect the fallen pieces
They’re sure to fall again
The line’s drawn…I start from here
Lord, You are my intervention, my deliverer
Circling in the middle, I was idly and ineffectively intervening for myself
Breaking, crumbling, falling apart
The domino effect is the delusion that’s erased when I shed the skin of selfishness…
I go from here, holding your hand to intervene with something other than myself
Life is not about me…
My story receives its meaning and happy ending when it’s centered on You
The world’s crashing down all around me…
I join its downfall without You as my ‘All’
I offer a hand of hope to counter the effects of the ‘nothing’ with You as my ‘Everything’
The middle looks like something…
But it’s a strangling, crippling deception worse than the ‘nothing’
The middle is the domino effect
The middle is acknowledgement without respect
The middle is my heart that I neglect
The middle is a happy home that I wrecked
I stand up and denounce the middle and its effect!

JMP 7/5/07

Free Delivery

2011-08-18T00:49:00.000-07:00

Do we quit the sin for Jesus, or does Jesus deliver us from the sin? So many times we quit old, bad habits that return to haunt us. We’ve died to our old ways and we’ve taken on a new image that gives us a sense of accountability. We try so hard to rise above pointless deeds and when we accomplish something good, we tend to take the credit. “I just quit this!” “I just quit that!” We feel so proud of ourselves for moving past things that we should have already left behind. The pride catches us off guard, and then it hits us... and we are quick to fall.

Back and forth... old ways to new ways… until we start to slide from the One who delivered us from these sins. If we accomplish anything good in our lives, it’s only because we listened to what Jesus was telling us to do. We act out decisions that are the results of the battles between spirit and mind. God tells us what we need, and the devil tells what we want. If we listen to God, then what we need becomes what we want. If we listen to the serpent, we are fooled into needing what we want.

Jesus gives us a clean slate: a free delivery into real life. Let us not revert to our old ways, and if we find ourselves in old habits, let us not make dead sacrifices. We should not try to overcome our sins for Jesus because He overcame them all... something we could never do. Instead, we should glorify Jesus by humbling ourselves before His almighty strength. We should have full trust in the Lord to see us through, and we should act on what His Spirit is telling us to do. We should never take the credit for the power of His free delivery. Have faith in this... and we shall be delivered from all that would ever come against us. Place your wants in who you need.

JMP 1999

Ignorant and Scared

2011-08-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

Feeding on our worries and fears
The darkness schemes to waste our years
Youth raised into the system of control
Farming new consumers who ignore the soul
Gamble it all on this I.R.A.
Don’t trust the name that starts with a “J”
The economy will thrive if we work as a team
Have faith in this corruption, it’s not as bad as it seems
…Meanwhile…
Panic in the news, panic in the streets
Terror holds us tightly to the edge of our seats
Mothers and fathers so scared about tomorrow
While the bailout-thieves remain without sorrow
College funds set aside to put children in schools of notoriety
So they’ll become high-functioning members of this elite society
Keep us in fear…make us work together
Mediocrity equals power over us forever
Democracy and socialism working hand-in-hand
With this hybrid government, united we stand?
Sell your soul to buy this peace
Will fear drive us to this release?
I will not imply we fix this hologram of a broken system
Just beware; rely on Jesus and don’t become a victim
Perils on the horizon have already been written in stone
Lord, we ripped this country from Your hands and called it our own!

JMP 3/10/10

Matters More

2011-08-18T00:12:00.000-07:00