These are the poems I wrote in 2015. There are twenty. To me they are like a spiritual diary. I pray that they may bless you…………..Frank
A Lighthouse in the Darkness
When the cliffs are to your back
And the tide is coming in
When the waters surely rising
And you know you cannot swim
And the water comes so slowly
But you know there’s no escape
It laps around your ankles
It will take what it will take
You know your slowly drowning
But you do not seem to care
What you really are afraid of
That come the morning your still there
How many tides have come and gone
How many fogs have rolled on in?
How dark has been the darkest night
It tries to drown the light within
And suddenly you realize
You are a beacon in the night
You stand above the highest tide
Eternally a shining light
A lighthouse standing on the Rock
For all the world to see
Standing whole and strong above the storm
Shining light for all eternity
Through endless storms and ages past
Through every dark and stormy night
You’ve come to learn this single thing
There always comes dawns early light
You Hung there on That Cross
You hung there on that cross
Bruised and battered and torn
You hung there for the Father’s glory
Yet it was not for that alone
You hung there on that cross
Naked, for all the world to see
For the joy that was set before you
You died there just for me
I’d often have my trials cut short
And wish the pain would go away
Thank you Lord in heaven above
You hung there till the end, that day
You hung there on that cross
On Calvary’s bloody hill
Twas there you suffered loss
Just to do your Father’s will
Oh Lord in the depths of my trial
Give me eyes that I might see
That you stayed there in the fires of hell
Right to the end at Calvary
Oh Lord give me strength for the battle
That I would not fall but continue to stand
To the end, to the end to the end of the road
On the Rock that is Christ not today’s shifting sand
I know why I Stand
I know why I stand
I stand because of you
I can walk through burning fields
And fly in skies of blue
I dwell in high and lofty realms
And darkened dungeons I dwell too
I do it all and stand this day
I stand this day because of you
In lavender shades and purple hues
In evening skies of reds and blues
My heart enraptured by it all
In Him alone I stand or fall
Come Lord Jesus fill the sky
To live or die we’ll glorify
The Risen Son the chosen One
Till our last breath and the race is done
And so I stand and I know why
I stand this day because of You
Before the world I’ll testify
You are the Lord, forever true.
The storm is raging all around
You are going to be swept away
Each wave knocks you to the ground
You won’t see the light of another day
In that desperate moment when all is lost
You lash yourself to the mast
If this ship goes down you’re going down
To this ship you have tied yourself fast
Who will you cling to when all is lost
Who is your solid ground
Who sticks closer than a brother to you
When no one else can be found
Who is a Father to the fatherless
Who gladly took your place
Who comforts you when no one’s around
Who has amazing grace?
In Christ our King we stand or fall
To you and I He’s all in all
In every dark and stormy night
He gives us strength to stand and fight
He is the Mast that we tie ourselves to
He is the air that we breathe
He is the ground beneath our feet
He is the Reward we receive
Jesus Christ is the Lord of all
He will catch us when we fall
We rise each day our course is charted
And He will finish what He has started
Take hope my child I stand with you
And I will lead and guide you through
And you shall never be destroyed
In fact in me you’ll be overjoyed
For I make beauty from the ashes
I light the night with lightning flashes
I shake the earth and still the waves
I am your God the one who saves.
This piece is about coming through a trial and at the end of it being able to make a declaration. No matter what you are going through right now, in Christ, you will make this declaration to the enemy of your soul.
In the beauty of silence, in the psalm of His hand is about those moments in your life when you cannot switch your head off and all you want is rest for your mind. Click below to hear it and click here to see other similar videos on my new channel Psalms for Today
A Lighthouse on the Darkness is a piece about finding yourself in a place where there seems to be no escape. You can find other pieces here at my new youtube channel Psalms for Today
I was out walking with the Lord and I saw this mighty fallen tree and the Lord spoke to my heart. There was a new tree growing out of the foundations, the roots, of the old tree. I could see God’s remnant saints growing in the shadow of an old tree that had toppled over. God is doing a new thing and a branch of the old is now taking root. I wrote the poem below under the inspiration of these thoughts.
UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE FALLEN TREE
Under the shadow of an aged fallen tree
Springs forth a root that will surely honor thee
Pour forth thy rain on a fasting remnant bride
Pierce the darkness till there’s nowhere left to hide
What was established will shortly pass away
As we wait upon on our Groom for the marriage day
Though the storm is approaching and hell is up and off its knees
You shall rend forth the heavens and water our thirsty pleas
For though we see the storm approach with all its thunderous noise
We see that Christ behind it comes and in this we shall rejoice
Our eyes forever fixed on Him as foundations begin to crumble
And structures fall and pass away and proud men faint and stumble
The saints around the world cry out from barren wasteland places
And down the Spirit falls on them and shines upon their faces
Yet darkness falls around the world but in the hearts of saints
Your light it shines, the Kingdom comes where no one ever faints
To soar with the eagles high above, to run to the darkness and that with love
Shall conquer every mountain high, till we see His glory split the sky
Let every fountain burst asunder, as you come down and speak with thunder
Then men around the world will say, tis Christ the King and judgement day!
A friend asked me to write a poem for the persecuted Christian.
Can you see these chains, they are my call
Yet in Christ alone I stand or fall
Though forces dark oppress my soul
To serve my King, my only goal
No matter what He puts me through
Here I’ll stand forever true
I’ve often saw no way ahead
It seems that I am surely dead
Yet in the darkness of my cell
You come to me and I am well
My bondage is a part of me
Though I am bound I’m surely free
No chains of darkness hold me down
Nor keep me from the joy I’ve found
You are my Christ my all in all
You hold me close when I would fall
To every saint whose far and wide
Beneath His wings you’ll surely hide
You’re not forgotten, you’re not forsaken
For through your trials my saints awaken
They see my glory rest on you
And they now pray to see you through
And fire falls and lights the night
And from your knees you stand and fight
Stand in darkness stand in light
Stand in Christ and stand and fight
In Christ alone the battles won
And you will stand till the day is done
Remember this dear saints in chains
Your not alone in trials and pains
For Christ on high He covers you
The Body of Christ is with you too
We clamor for no earthly aid
On Calvary the price was paid
To you alone we bring our plea
For you alone can set us free
So whether Lord, we stand or fall
Our ears have heard that heavenly call
No earthly chains no hand of man
Can alter your eternal plan
To you alone we bring our pleas
With hands outstretched and on our knees
We dare not stand on any ground
Before thy throne we shall be found
It’s not by might these chains erase
It’s not by power but by thy grace
Thy Spirit shall loose and break asunder
Every fetter shall fall and that by thunder
I listen for thy voice on high
And lightening fractures the very sky
I see thy glory move in power
The earthquakes shake this very hour
When every martyred saint reviled
Shall be with Him and reconciled
To walk the earth no more abused
Nor suffer greatly and accused
But know this saint behind those walls
The Master comes for those He calls
And every pilgrim refugee
Shall lift their eyes and be set free
He’s coming with the morning dew
He’s coming now for me and you
To elevate the captive soul
To take you home and make you whole
Rise in Spirit my captive brother
Rise with Christ and one another
For by your chains you testify
To Him alone you live or die
My dear sister passed away this weekend. She was just 52, a year and a half older than myself. I will miss her very much. I will be heading for Scotland tomorrow for the funeral and will be gone a couple of weeks so probably not much writing, but you never know. Please remember my family in your prayers. I wrote this poem below that day she died, it is entitled ” For Heaven’s higher ground.”……bro Frank
When my heart is overwhelmed
And grief comes flooding in
I lift my eyes to higher ground
Where there’s no pain or sin
Yet deep within my heart
Amidst the savage waves
There is a calm repose
That’s with me all my days
I lift my eyes amidst this storm
That’s raging all around
He lifts me up above the waves
To stand on higher ground
And in the light of glory
That pierces every night
I catch a glimpse of majesty
And what a glorious sight
I see my sister dancing there
Amidst the saintly throng
Hands raised in heavenly splendor
And singing a heavenly song
The night has passed, the dawn has broke
There’s no tears to be found
For those who’ve left this world behind
For heavens higher ground.
To stand or kneel with head bowed in the presence of a Holy God. A place of infinite glory, of quiet surrender , a place where all things are possible and a deep inner peace glows with some kind of heat in the innermost parts of who we are and radiates out in concentric circles of glory and majesty. This holy heaviness bows our heads and at the same time raises our hands towards heaven like the open mouth of a baby bird longing to be fed ,expecting to be fed. Come Lord Jesus come and fill the vastness of my spirit so that it spills out as living waters in a dry and thirsty land. Rivers in the desert. Fruit on the vine. Manna from above, sweeping down from heaven in a river of love.
Lost and forsaken, wretched and blind
Then my Christ He came to stay
And from that day forward, I was never alone
He was always with me before His throne.
Through the night, through the day
And in every way, He is always by my side
The Groom and the bride, standing as one
Marching to victory for the battle is won
The path grows narrow the darkness falls
The Master call us to stand and see
The glory of His coming, an end to the ages
Time simply closes histories pages
Men sense in their spirits the end is near
Yet they do not fear, they drink and are merry
For tomorrow they die, they neither seek nor find
They stumble along for they are spiritually blind
Dwelling in ditches and ivory castles
Deeper in sin as the time draws near
Though judgement rains down and eyes are wide open
They are blind and wretched and thoroughly broken
As the enemy comes in, rising like a flood
Then God shall raise His own standard
He shall pour out His Spirit and baptize with fire
The saints are refined and are lifted higher
Then His glory shall cover all of the earth
As the waters cover the sea
Every knee shall bow and tongue confess
As the saints take up their final address
A place where His glory outshines the sun
Where every tear is wiped away
And the saints are refreshed by the waters of life
And they live forever, the Groom and His bride.
Despite it all-Love
Despite my falls-Love
Oh Father in heaven who could foresee
The tremendous love you have for me
The days are dark and the night is long
Yet within my heart there abides a song
Of Love and joy and the days to come
When the Body of Christ shall stand as one
No longer divided by time and space
But united together to finish the race
Christ the King is on His way
And shall we live to see that day?
We shall sing aloud until the day is done
And stand together we shall stand as one
With a lamp for our feet the night shall be day
And the light shall shine to show us the way
So, despite it all-Love
And despite my falls-Love
Oh Father in heaven give us eyes to see
Your tremendous Love has set us free
I hear the cries of yesterday
They echo throughout my soul
They are etched upon my very face
And on my heart they have taken their toll
Deep waters, give up your children
Mighty waves, just you settle down
Howling winds that scream from the past
Cease your blowing until I can’t hear a sound
Towering mountains come down to the valley
Stars in heaven wont you light up my way?
Mighty rivers dry up to a trickle
Only then will you hear me say
Only the light can pierce the darkness
Only the Son can displace the night
Only a victor can win the battle
Only He can teach me to fight
Now I walk behind the praises of tomorrow
The Son casts His shadow behind
And the joy that is set before me
Shines down love and brings peace to my mind
The cries of yesterday are forgotten
And my heart is healed by His love
The flower in the desert is blooming
As His rain falls down from above.
Though the waters roar and are troubled
And the mountains fall to the sea
And the earth cries out for it’s filled with pains
My heart is stilled for my God reigns
Though the night has come with its darkness
And the world is ablaze with its sin
The waters rise and come in like a flood
My heart is stilled for I’m covered by His Blood
Though the whole world falls still I’ll follow
I will follow to the ends of the earth
Though fires burn and the skies fall down
My heart is stilled for He’s all around
So let not your hearts be troubled
Nor be moved when the mountains crumble
Let the skies fall down let the fires burn
For we know our Redeemer shall soon return
My heart is stilled in the palm of His hand
It is quiet in the depths of His love
It rests beneath the shadow of His wing
In the depths of the dungeon you will still here me sing
Glory and majesty praise to our God
He is worthy of all praise and all honor
Let us stand for His glory and let us be filled
For He is my refuge and my heart it is stilled
A Call To The Remnant 