TO BE BUT MEN
Psalm 9:19-20: "Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let nations be judged in your sight. Put them in fear, O LORD, that nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah."
PART I
TO BE BUT MEN--conceived, created,
called, commanded, chosen,
encouraged, and equipped--
by the Almighty,
the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End--
The Sovereign, Matchless, Incomparable,
Immortal, Wonderfully, DIVINE,
Eternal and Exceptional GOD--
REDEEMED, reconciled, SAVED,
FORGIVEN,
delivered, revived--
ALIVE--
TO BE BUT MEN--
restored, reconciled,
RESURRECTED--
Translated,
Transformed--
THIS is US--
FOLLOWERS OF
JESUS--
NEW CREATIONS,
Fearfully
and Wonderfully
MADE IN CHRIST--
From Genesis
to Revelation,
UNITED
But DIFFERENT,
DIVERSE--
Families,
Tribes,
NATIONS,
Foreign and
Domestic
Spaces,
Faces,
Races.
The MESSIAH,
The CHRIST,
The Anointed ONE--
The LORD of lords,
The KING of kings,
GOD'S Only Begotten SON--
The PRINCE of PEACE--
Immanuel--GOD WITH US--
The SON of GOD--
The SON of MAN--
The ROOT of Jesse,
The Executive BRANCH--
The Nazarene,
The Redeemer,
The HIGH Priest,
The COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF,
The CORNERSTONE,
The ARCHITECT--
The Builder,
The Maker,
The Potter,
The Master,
The Teacher,
The Rabbi,
The Resurrection--
The Preacher,
The Prophet,
The AVENGER--
The ADVOCATE--
The Solution,
The Savior,
The Mediator,
The Counselor,
The Conqueror,
The Master,
The Intercessor,
The Minister,
The Creator,
The Comforter,
The BREAD of LIFE--
The Living Water,
The Light of the World,
The Salt and Light--
The Good Shepherd,
The TRUE VINE--
The Firstborn,
The First Fruit--
The Way,
The Truth,
The LIFE--
JESUS--
GOD WITH US--
The only
Begotten SON of HIM:
Heavenly Father,
GOD--
The MORNING STAR
SO BRIGHT,
The GREAT I AM,
The RISEN SON,
The LIGHT of LIFE--
Part II
TO BE BUT MEN--
Saved, filled, entrusted, ENDOWED--
Gifted, grafted, adopted,
Commissioned and GUARANTEED--
Divinely approved,
Miraculously executed,
Supernaturally justified by HIM:
GOD, The Father, SON, and Holy Spirit
Bearing the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT,
Joy, love, peace, patience,
Goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, kindness, Self-control,
Through HIM,
For HIM,
Inspired by HIM:
JESUS, GOD, HOLY SPIRIT--
The AUTHOR
and FINISHER of our FAITH
Part III
TO BE BUT MEN--
of grace, of honor,
of FAITH,
of family, of fidelity,
of FAVOR, INTEGRITY--
With strength, courage, hope,
Charity, trust and love---
Fearfully and Wonderfully MADE,
In the image of GOD,
According to HIS likeness--
From dirt and dust of clay,
Naturally dishonorable,
Sinful and earth-bound--
To reborn, with spirit revived--
ascended, resurrected
supernaturally--
REDEEMED,
RESCUED,
RECONCILED,
RESTORED,
RELEASED--
Following JESUS,
Believing in JESUS,
Living JUST LIKE JESUS DID--
TRUSTING in GOD,
DEPENDING ON GOD,
LEANING ON GOD,
CLINGING TO GOD--
SAVED
By GRACE through FAITH,
From the kingdom of darkness
To the kingdom of light,
From dust to dusk,
from sunset to sunrise,
From Genesis to Revelation,
From mortality to immortality,
From sinner to saint,
From generation to generation,
Again and again--
Yesterday, the GIFT,
Today, the PRESENT,
Tomorrow, the PROMISE,
Eternal life, the REWARD,
Forevermore, the RECEPTION,
Until
AND
when
JESUS,
The WORD of GOD Manifested,
The DIVINE WARRIOR Crowned,
RETURNS--
ROYALLY ROBED,
ETERNALLY ENTHRONED,
THE KING OF KINGS,
THE LORD OF LORDS,
THE PRINCE OF PEACE,
The Alpha and the Omega,
The Beginning and the End--
PART IV
TO BE BUT MEN--
Living in a house
not made by man
but by GOD--
A preacher in the house of GOD;
A priest, the house of prayer;
A minister in the house of peace,
A steward, in management,
An accountant, in finances, gifts, and resources:
time,
treasures
and talents;
A shelter in the storms of life,
A strong tower during every siege,
A shield of Faith in warfare,
A guardian at the gates,
A watchman on the ramparts,
With faith in action,
love on display,
grace among us,
and forgiveness of sins;
A lighthouse lit in the middle of a dark, angry sea--that unexpected squall;
The beacon of GOOD NEWS--THE GOSPEL--THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN--flashing around the world, through satellites, in twilight, the twinkling stars of every constellation
The blare of thunder
blasting the silence
to sound the alarm,
with streaks of lightning
zipping
and zapping the sky;
A rope of hope in the sinkhole of life, with angels encamped around us,
guarding us
and keeping us
in all our ways;
a ladder ascending and descending, to GOD's throne of grace;
The best highway to heaven, alongside the light of life,
JESUS CHRIST--
The WORD of GOD,
The SPIRIT of GOD--
The Way, the Truth, the Life,
The Savior,
The Judge,
Loving, Just, GOOD--
Omnipotent,
Omniscient,
Righteous,
FOR GOD IS JUST,
GOD IS LOVE,
GOD IS GOOD
PartV
TO BE BUT MEN--
A sanctuary in the house of GOD,
A warm hearth in the family home,
With GOD seated first in glory, honor, in thanksgiving, in reverence, in grace,
With a safe place, a secret closet, a spare room for prayer,
intercession,
communion
and fellowship;
A steady rock to stand on,
A firm foundation--unshakable, unbroken;
A broad shoulder upon which to lean, a strong hand upon which to hold, touch, cling to--
A child of GOD--
ALL OF US,
ROYALTY,
ROYALS--
Divinely favored,
Godly granted,
Eternally loved--
Fearfully and Wonderfully MADE,
In the image of GOD,
According to HIS likeness,
The fruit of HIS loins,
The conception of HIS people--
HIS children--
CITIZENS of HIS Kingdom--Heaven‐-Home
Part VI
TO BE BUT MEN
IS to KNOW ourselves to be BUT men, women--children of GOD--
Decreasing but never insignificant, humble and meek but never weak and worthless,
FOR GREATER IS HE that is in us than he that is in the world
Part VII
TO BE BUT MEN
IS to be the clay in the Potter's hand--
The dust of His earth,
The breath of His breath,
The life of His life,
The spirit of HIS HOLY SPIRIT,
all through the will of GOD
and the work of His SON,
JESUS, the CHRIST,
The MESSIAH,
The ANOINTED ONE--
The AUTHOR and FINISHER of our FAITH--
Part VIII
TO BE BUT MEN
is to abide in these three:
Faith, Hope, and Love,
The greatest of these
being love;
THAT from above,
To edify, exhort, comfort,
and encourage,
even to the least of these--
the child inside of US,
that ONE who really is us,
who repented,
invited JESUS INSIDE
His heart, her heart,
Their heart, our heart--
Part IX
TO BE BUT MEN--
To walk worthy of our callings,
To do justly,
To love mercy,
To walk humbly with our GOD;
To trust in the LORD
with all our heart
and lean not on our own understanding;
In all our ways to acknowledge HIM,
So He can direct our paths,
For the one who wins souls is wise;
And the fruit of the tree of the righteous is a tree of life, and rich is the generous soul who refreshes and waters others, for he or she will be refreshed and watered as well
Part X
TO BE BUT MEN
is to pursue peace and holiness,
justice and righteousness,
Above all--
to seek first the Kingdom of GOD
and HIS Righteousness,
For GOD has not given us
the spirit of fear
but of power, of love
and a sound mind--
Part XI
TO BE BUT MEN
is to fight the good fight of Faith,
Laying hold on eternal life,
to which we were called,
pursuing righteousness,
godliness, faith, love,
patience, gentleness,
and self-control;
To glorify, exalt,
magnify and worship,
In spirit and truth,
The LORD of Lords
and KING of Kings--
Part XII
TO BE BUT MEN--
For we have this treasure in earthen vessels
that the excellence
of the power
may be of GOD,
and not of us;
For we are hard-pressed
on every side,
yet not crushed;
we are perplexed,
but not in despair;
persecuted
but not forsaken;
struck down
but not destroyed,
for GOD IS WITH US,
leading us into triumph,
SO
UNITED BY FAITH,
SAVED BY GRACE
through faith IN JESUS,
GOD, we stand--
UNITED AND DIVERSE,
together but different,
And
to the KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL,
INVISIBLE,
To GOD,
who alone is wise,
be honor and glory,
Forever and ever
Amen.
By Terra Blakemore (GOD'SWORD PROFESSOR)
