Completely Fooled

How did we get to this point
When the simplest insinuation
Or the most unscientific “facts”
Can cause the masses to panic
In fear of a global disaster
It all flies in the face of reason

How did we get to this point
When a life it labeled a fetus
A meaningless blob of tissue
With not a single right to live
Not a single right for protection
Equated essentially to garbage

How did we get to this point
When miracles are labeled chance
Where life developed from nothing
Where one cell leads to mankind and
God is eliminated from the equation

How did we get to this point
Where failure is not really failure
Disasters are political fodder
The left is America’s nemesis and
The right has lost its spine

How did we get to this point?
It’s actually quite simple
We forgot Who got us here
We turned out backs on Him
We lost our Way
Our Truth
And our Life

“If My people who are called by My name
will humble themselves and pray
and seek My face
and turn from their wicked ways
then I will hear from Heaven
and I will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

The Darkest Friday

The darkest Friday in history
Documented over and over
An events that is solidly true
It cannot be logically denied
Yet many demean it
Many deny it
Many ignore it
To their own demise
But deep inside
We all know it happened
We all realize the truth
None of us can deny it
He died for us
All of us
Every soul living at the time
And everyone since
He took the sin of the world
Past, present, and future
On His strong shoulders
And up on the cross
As an atonement
For our transgressions
So that we may gain entrance
Into His Heaven
Without questioning
For eternity
He paved the way
For our salvation
Our eternal life
With Him
Because of what He did
On the darkest Friday
And all He asks from us
To make His sacrifice worthwhile
Is to believe in Him
Confess to Him
Repent to Him
Follow Him
Live for Him
And, if necessary
Die for Him
As He died for us
On the darkest Friday

© 2009 Earl Parsons

The Light

Hark, in the distance, a light I see
Lighting the dark around me
I fell to my knees
I could see
Clear

So long the darkness encircled me
Trapped and lost, I could not flee
Would I soon be free
Could that be
Fear

Fear that this light would go out on me
Closer it came; I could see
He’s coming for me
Glory be!
Tear

© 2014 Earl Parsons

A Messenger

She queried “Why?” with furrowed brow.
“Why did Jesus have to suffer and die?
He could have just told everyone His story.
I’d still believe Him,
‘Cause I know Jesus wouldn’t lie.”

“He could have performed more miracles.
Enough to convince everyone He was God.
Why did my Savior have to be crucified?
He was perfect,
How could anyone believe He was a fraud?”

The emotion of her question set me back.
I’d taught the reasons why time after time.
I knew it wasn’t easy for the mind to comprehend.
Murder is a sin,
To crucify an innocent man had to be a crime.

“It was all part of God’s perfect plan, you see.
For centuries the prophets predicted this event.
I know it was cruel, but it had to be done.
The blood of Jesus,
This was the fulfillment of God’s new covenant.”

“What the people did was wrong, very wrong.
But think about the outcome of it all.
Jesus is waiting for you beside His Father God,
He’s still alive,
And if you listen close, you can hear His call.”

Her expression changed; then suddenly she smiled.
“I know He’s alive, He lives inside my heart.
I also know why He had to die that way.
You’ve taught me well,
Jesus will be happy; you’ve done your part.”

Then, without warning, she gave me a hug.
How could I think she hadn’t understood?
After all, I’m just a messenger for Him.
The truth be known,
Only God could teach that good.

© 2014 Earl Parsons
(Modified for PAD challenge from a 2003 poem)

Where Hope Finds Me

Dredging in the doldrums of sorrow and pain
The past but a parade of badly made choices
Bad choices that got me exactly where I stood
At the lowest point in the valley of desperation
Drowning in the impossibility of resurrection
From my self-made prison of hopelessness

Then through the flood of self-pitied tears
As I stared down for fear of glimpsing doom
I saw a shadow stretching from behind me
But there was no sun for to cast this silhouette
Quickly I turned that I might see for myself
And I saw; and I fell to my knees in utter fear

For the shadow grew larger as it came for me
Close now, its red glowing eyes shone bright
Black and cold it pointed a bony finger my way
My frozen soul ached at the pull of pure evil
Through thought that this evil could be my relief
My escape from the despair of hopeless misery

My life flashed before me, the good and the bad
Then all thoughts stopped at one exact moment
The day I rejected the One they called Jesus
I’d pushed Him away and paved my own path
A path fraught with bad choices, pain and strife
Bad choices that got me exactly where I stood

That moment would not depart from my brain
Would this be the torture I’d carry for eternity
Reliving the instant I rejected His mercy
Just so I could do things the way I decided
Decisions that have turned my life upside down
Decisions that got me exactly where I stood

I didn’t need Him then, but I need Him so now
But, alas, I fear it must be too late to save me
I’m unworthy, filthy, corrupted and immoral
A heart of wickedness; an unsalvageable soul
Not a decent bone in this wasted walking corpse
I’m not even worthy of an eternity in Hell

I crumpled to the ground as regret flooded in
Why had I pushed away the hope of all mankind
If only I had one last chance to accept His grace
One chance to set my feet on the righteous path
Forgive me, Lord, for turning my back on You
That moment will be my torture forevermore

Then I felt a gentle hand, softly on my shoulder
I heard a voice so calming whisper in my ear
I looked up and I saw Jesus smiling down at me
He called me son as He took my hand in love
Tears of joy filled my eyes as He lifted me up
Hope had found me in the depths of my despair

© 2014 Earl Parsons