Apr | 24 | Jehova Nissi – The Lord Our banner

REVIVE

Jehova Nissi – The Lord Our banner

PREAMBLE :-

When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.

 Isa 59:19-20 NKJV

I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end," Says the LORD. 

 Amos 3:15 NKJV

Explanation |  I don’t know about you but I am tired of being presented with church heroes, valiant conquerors, with no mark of battle or smell of smoke upon them. There are far too many men of straw in the 21^st century. 

I am also tired of Pastor’s polishing turds. Things are bad. They are very bad. Let’s call it like it is.

I have been a Pastor for many years. I have seen shooting stars. I am not surprised at those who come and go quickly. A greater problem is when those staunch continuers, can continue no longer. Tired of looking, weary in watching, they are weighed down with disappointment. So hungry, many have lost their appetite. 

This is what I have really seen in our churches, this is what I have really heard. God help us.

PERFORMANCE TIPS: 

From the line “I have heard "Revival!" Clothe a thousand lips” the piece turns into a prayer. Make it yours. 

----------O----------

I have seen the swift exhausted, down, defeated

I have seen the staunch and strong made weak

I have seen [i]‘Great-Heart's’ power depleted

I have heard the running tongue no longer speak.

I have seen those who put God second, well established

I have seen the rich made richer ever still

I have seen those who love religion gain all they wished

I have seen [ii]Naomi gulp the bitter pill

I have seen the lights go out all over England

I have seen the darkness quench the brightest stars

I have seen the bruised jaw, the broken hand

I have seen the wilted heads in tarnished vase

I have heard the wet reply, the mock excuses

I have seen the lost sheep rotting on the hills

I have seen authority’s abuses

I have seen the son's of love sustained by pills

I have seen the signs of coming hastening famine

I have heard the chasing chatter of the damned

I have seen Beast's vanguard ever rising

I have seen God's sun of mercy set the land

I have seen hearts fail and crumple in the testing

I have seen the faithful blasted all to bits

And amidst it all, have heard

The whisper of a coming blessing

I have heard "Revival!" Clothe a thousand lips.

Oh! Let me see the wasteland wanderers be settled

Oh! Let me hear their ebbing lives resound with joy

Let your good blessings fall, be doubled, trebled!

Unleash apostolic ships from stormy troubled buoy

Oh let me hear the crack of iron chains a breaking

The shouts of happiness

Of those rescued from deep gloom

Oh God!

In your power come now a shaking!

Raise your standard, Oh Lord!

Come, and meet our doom!

© 2012 Victor Robert Farrell

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[i]Great-Heart is Bunyan’s great character in part of Pilgrims Progress. The friend of The intepreter it is he who weak himself, takes care of those weaker than he and expends himself again and again, escorting Pilgroms to the edge of the great river of death. He is fearless, selfless, and magnificently undefeated by no one except Christ.

[ii] Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said,"Is this Naomi?"  But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Ruth 1:19-20 NKJV

Apr | 23 | Tensiled Saints

STRENGTH

Tensiled Saints

PREAMBLE :-

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,

Eph 6:12-14

Explanation | There are times when rather than battening down the hatches, we need to trim our sails and push on through. There are times when we want to run, but rather than running, there is a need to turn and face the foe. If the sail is trimmed and set a right, a speedy passage can be made right through the centre of the charging storm. Remember, God’s holiness project in you and on you, His sanctification, has probably made you more tensile than you know, giving you a yet to be experienced strength, and so, allowing you to stretch way beyond your own perceived boundaries and still withstand vast amounts of bending with no breaking whatsoever! When He says stand. STAND!

PERFORMANCE TIPS: 

Be Branagh on speed. Experiment with the last two lines. The last ‘Away’ is it a command to go stand and fight, or restatement of the previous 'away' dealing to distance and time. It’s up to you. I know which one Branagh would choose!

----------O----------

Fear not the wind that cuts your teeth

To sharper smirks

That set in tension leaves you like wild

Granite sinking down

Do not turn from it nor pull up hood

And wrench the drawstrings tight

For this night you must turn

Trim your sails and turn

Turn and face the wind

Fear not the roaring floods

That mount the chargers

Of neighing battalions streamed in array

Before your face

Neigh I say

Neigh against them, and fear not

Make haste, and set the scene yourself

Be not dictated to, not even in battle

And settle your feet steady now upon this rolling deck

For I have made you sharp

And stronger still

To break in two the crashing waves

To split asunder the roaring floods

That fling themselves upon you now

So, No! Don't bow

Don't bend before them

No, not now

They will but

Wash off

Wash away

And flow away

To leave you purer still

Dried in the warmer winds of

Tomorrow’s aftermath

Fit to face another day

Another dawn

Away and

Away.

© 2012 Victor Robert Farrell

----------O----------

Apr | 08 | The Dissin’ Of Beulah’s Bangers or Dining With Darren Again

 “Would you like half of this ‘slight snack’

Cooked on the borderlands of heaven?” I asked

He said “Worizit?”

I lovingly responded

Trying to come down to the

Raw level of this swarthy Galilean

“It is a  ‘Beulah Banger’ if you will” I said

“A Tortilla flour wrap

Lovingly embracing some

Plump and slightly spitting

Sauvignon and organic pork ‘sawsarge ‘

Enfolding them like babies in a

Warm blanket of love

Caressing them gently but firm like a

Victorias Secret’s bra on the chest of Abishag

Cosseting them in hot red caramelised onions all

Intermingled with torn and dry,

Loose-leaf Romaine.

And I know”, I said

“Before the cut

It looks like a giant middle class spliff

A Camberwell carrot for toffs to suck on

If you will, but

After the knife slices and  separates this

Southern

Sawsarge

Wrap

This Beulah Banger

If you will,

Its inner self will smoke, yes,
Will wind its own delicious way toward you

Swaying invitingly like

A lover’s hips in the moonlight

Sashaying seductively

Across this

Fine

Pine

Dining table.”

Whilst feeling the peak

Of his brown flat cap between the

Uncut nails of his dirty thumb and nose picking finger

He kicked his Whippet quiet and said

“Bugger me if it in’t a soft Southern hotdog!

I wish it wurra bap, but ne’mind, am famished!

So gie it ‘ere, an pass the bloody ketchup anall, and

Goo and get me a mug tea as well darling,

Milk three sugars and none o’ that

Lapsan suchan arse ‘oles either”

It was good to be Dining with Darren

..........Again