The BreadLine

“Chosen”

While walking one day by the sea on the beach

Our Lord saw two brothers He knew He could teach

He called them and told them to lay down their nets

He’d bought them to mold them and pay off their debts

Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother

They’d leave all behind and follow no other

He saw John and James with their dad Zebedee

He called out their names saying come follow Me

His plan was to guide them and teach them and then

Give them commissions as fishers of men

One day He saw Matthew counting some coin

Without looking back he was eager to join

That night at his house they had a great dinner

While vipers and scribes said He eats with a sinner

Then Thomas and Philip and Bartholomew

James son of Alpheus and Thaddeus too

Simon the zealot and Judas the traitor

Each chosen to realize their destiny later

For three years they followed wherever He went

Then after His death to the world were they sent

To carry the Gospel throughout the known lands

To set free the captives and heal with their hands

Forsaking their lives to pick up His cross

The things of this world they counted as loss

To sew up the breach the traitor had rent

They gave forth their lots and Matthias was sent

The Gospel of course was meant to save all

For this very purpose Christ picked out Saul

On the road to Damascus He blinded his eyes

He told him to wake up and quit spreading lies

He sent him on journeys of thousands of miles

To carry the Gospel to all the Gentiles

This is the story of servants and sons

Christ’s holy apostles and God’s chosen ones
The Brother

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you enjoyed reading this poem please share this post and if you would like to purchase a book containing 260 pages of my poems please click on the link below. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gideons International for the printing and distribution of free Bibles around the world.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Agape James

https://www.amazon.com/More-Words-Brother-Poetry-Matters/dp/1542810256

But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21.36.

The Lord distinctly promises that the church may escape the Great Tribulation and “stand before the Son of man”—This no doubt refers to rapture. Nevertheless, there is a condition involved. Not for all who are simply born again, but for those born-again ones who watch and pray. “That ye may prevail”—If you watch and pray, you may prevail. Hence the promise is given to those who do these things. Does everyone in the whole church watch and pray? Let us pay attention to this.

Watchman Nee

But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you. 2 Corinthians 10.13.

Each servant of the Lord has a measure of the sphere of work which God has apportioned to him; each believer has a divinely-appointed course to finish. If each one will stand in his post, do his share of work, and finish his appointed course, what a glory shall be seen!

A huge pillar is certainly essential to a house, but a small nail is not any the less needed. How can the church be established if each one in the church aspires to be a great revivalist or a great evangelist or a great teacher? Ought we not walk in the course of the Lord’s will? We should not aim at a great thing; we should stand instead in the place of God’s choice. If He wants us to do a small work quietly, we are happy to do it. For God does not seek “great talent”; He uses whoever is usable. May we be willing to take our place under the divine appointment.

Watchman Nee

“Choose”

Wrapped up in a mystery this puzzle we call life

Enigmatic purpose fraught with pain and strife

Many search for answers reaching far and wide

When actually the key to life is buried deep inside

Love is the only reason we think and move and breathe

Love bestowed upon us that which we all receive

The righteous and the wicked the mighty and the small

For does not rain and sunshine beat down upon us all

Perception sets the attitude you’re grateful or you’re not

The counting of one’s blessings the grateful heart is taught

The key to life above the strife the path to love and peace

Is simply trusting in the One who’s promised us release

Release from all our burdens our woes our hurts our pain

For by His blood’s redeeming flood He’s washed clean every stain

Now you can choose to listen or you can go your way

I promise this to you my friend that there will come a day

A day when all that matters is the truth and what you do

Receive God’s gift of grace or not it’s wholly up to you

For each of us is given in our hearts and minds the choice

The freedom to deny it or to listen to God’s voice

The thief wants to deceive you and convince you it’s a lie

But really he’s the liar and he wants to see you die

Tomorrow is not promised don’t put off another day

Claim the gift He offers you Christ is the only way!

(John 14:6)

The Brother

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you enjoyed reading this poem please share this post and if you would like to purchase a book containing 260 pages of my poems please click on the link below. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gideons International for the printing and distribution of free Bibles around the world.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Agape James

https://www.amazon.com/More-Words-Brother-Poetry-Matters/dp/1542810256

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Ephesians 3.8.

There may come a day when on the one hand you sense jealousy and pride and lust within you and on the other hand you sense no love nor humility nor gentleness in you. You ask the Lord to deliver you. You ask Him once, twice, many times. Until one day you are given revelation concerning the riches of Christ, and you realize how foolish of you to have asked for deliverance. You are given to hear this word of God: “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Cor. 12.9). And thus there is no need to ask, for the Lord says, “I am holiness, I am gentleness, I am full of grace.” Everything is in Him. As God shows you the riches in Christ, you pass through a crisis. Then you will experience more and more of the grace in Christ.

Watchman Nee

“Chin Up”

Caught up in the moment

And trying just to cope

As faith rests on the premise

That one must have some hope

The devil will distract you

And try to beat you down

He even pierced my Saviour’s brow

Accursed thorny crown

But deep inside I must abide

I really need to know

That God is always with me

No matter where I go

Atop the highest mountain

Or darkest valley floor

The coolest crystal spring

Or distant bloody shore

This tiny speck we live on

Mere dust in outer space

All of this will fade away

When gazing on His face

For now just count your blessings

Yes name them one by one

And thank the Father every day

For sending us His Son

The Brother

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you enjoyed reading this poem please share this post and if you would like to purchase a book containing 260 pages of my poems please click on the link below. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gideons International for the printing and distribution of free Bibles around the world.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Agape James

https://www.amazon.com/More-Words-Brother-Poetry-Matters/dp/1542810256

Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Matthew 25.5.

The parable of the evil servant (Matthew 24) teaches believers to be ready to meet the Lord today, while the parable of the ten virgins instructs us to be prepared for any unexpected delay of the Lord’s return. Should the Lord tarry for 56 more years, will you still be ready to meet Him? If you set your lamp to burn only till midnight, the Lord may tarry until after that hour. Do not despise the testing of the Lord. The usefulness of the oil in the vessel is revealed in the Lord’s tarrying.

Watchman Nee

“Changes”

Changes are coming for me and for you

Deep down in your heart you know this is true

A tree that won’t bend gets snapped in the wind

And hard is the heart that says I’ve never sinned

The things in our pasts we’ve learned to endure

They’ve taught us to walk with a spirit that’s sure

The things we can’t change well those things change us

And when we accept that it is a plus

Character comes from the changes we make

And God gives us grace for the ones we can’t take

Changes are vital and through them we grow

God’s teaching us things in the changes we know

A sapling springs up and gets longer and longer

With each day of change it grows stronger and stronger

So don’t fear the changes that come on life’s path

They add to the sum of God’s sovereign math
The Brother

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you enjoyed reading this poem please share this post and if you would like to purchase a book containing 260 pages of my poems please click on the link below. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gideons International for the printing and distribution of free Bibles around the world.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Agape James

https://www.amazon.com/More-Words-Brother-Poetry-Matters/dp/1542810256

How that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. 1 Thessalonians 1.5.

Let us not be satisfied with merely meaningful words. We must seek the power of God. How many times people talk about the truth of the Holy Spirit without their having even a little of His power. What a believer lacks is none other than more of the life of God.

It is most interesting to notice that if a person understands the truth of God with his mind, he must frequently be exercised to grasp this truth. But if he knows the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit and maintains it in the same power as well, he will not need to grasp the truth in time of need as though like a drowning person grasping hold of a rope; rather, he himself will be grasped and saved by the truth through the Holy Spirit. This distinction is most evident.

Watchman Nee

“Burdened”

Burdened for the broken burdened for the lost

Prayer for them to trust the One who paid the bloody cost

So hard to watch them struggle with all they’re going through

Rock bottom’s what they need to find that they may cry to You

My prayer is that you give them truly open eyes

To see past the deception and the multitude of lies

Lies straight from the devil and this sin cursed broken place

And lies they tell when looking in the mirror at their own face

Regardless of the reason anger pain or simply grief

Truth or lies we feed ourselves weave the fabric of belief

There is power in believing whether wrong or truly right

Yet Truth as its revealed always brings one to the light

I pray for understanding and the courage to speak out

The truth in love with confidence and not one single doubt

But most of all I pray my Lord that you would intervene

As You did with me and You know just what I mean

My hope is they will make it safely to that restful place

Where willingly they ask and so receive Your gift of grace

I have to trust the process knowing You will work it out

As You did for me and never ever let me doubt

For this I know if you could save a broken wretch like me

You have the awesome power to set any sinner free

Let them know the only thing that truly heals comes from above

That which you give freely Your gift of pure agape love

The Brother

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you enjoyed reading this poem please share this post and if you would like to purchase a book containing 260 pages of my poems please click on the link below. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gideons International for the printing and distribution of free Bibles around the world.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Agape James

https://www.amazon.com/More-Words-Brother-Poetry-Matters/dp/1542810256