Friday, 30 December 2011

One Way


I’ve heard it said many times that to say there is only one way to Heaven is far too “narrow-minded.” If someone developed a cure for cancer however I can’t imagine cancer sufferers declining the offer simply because there was only one option. I think everyone would just be incredibly grateful that there was a cure and that there was an option at all! So it is with the sin issue. We’re all under a death sentence as a result of suffering from the deadly disease called sin and there’s only one cure for it, Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. As John 3:16-17 declares,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Bible also tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death so if we won’t die to our sin in life then we will die for our sin. If we won’t slay sin then sin will slay us. Either we will pay for our sins in eternity or we can accept that Jesus paid for them on our behalf when He died on the Cross. One way or another our sin has to be paid for. This may not be a comfortable topic of discussion but it’s an important one. As Jesus says in John 14:6,

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

This may be “narrow-minded” to some people but Jesus never claimed the way to Heaven would be broad. He says in Matthew 7:13-14,

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Monday, 1 August 2011

The Night Cat


My inspiration for this poem came from something my oldest nephew said when he was just a little boy. Ashley, my sister explained to me that a few days earlier, she had been in the kitchen with my nephew and he was gazing out of the window while chatting away to her.

He suddenly exclaimed to his Mum, “Look Mummy! It’s a night cat!” Ashley looked out the window to see one of the neighbour’s cats strolling around and sniffing his way through the garden. She went on to say, “Oh yes, so it is! But why is it a night cat?” My nephew replied, “Because it’s black, like the night!”

I laughed at this really sweet observation from his young mind and said to my sister, “That sounds like the title of a poem to me!” Before long, I found myself writing a poem especially for my nephew called, “The Night Cat.” The original version references him specifically but I’ve adapted it so that it can be enjoyed by other little ones too!

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Born This Way

By Lucy Wall


Discussing the issue of sin can often be very difficult and uncomfortable. It’s part of our nature to want to defend ourselves so being able to recognise and admit to our faults and flaws challenges us to the very core. It is however an essential part to receiving God ’s forgiveness and everlasting life because without acknowledging our sin and repenting of it, we can never be accepted into His presence.

In society these days there seems to be a common opinion that “right and wrong” are subjective and there are no moral absolutes.   Many times I’ve heard people trying to defend or excuse their sin by using the statement, "I was born this way" or words to that effect. I’ve heard it said, “If there is a God then He made me this way ” or “It ’s not my fault I have a fiery temper, I was born this way! ”

Sunday, 24 April 2011

No One But Jesus

By Lucy Wall


This is quite a simple little poem but I felt inspired to write it having heard the words "No one but Jesus" spoken during the Church service one week. I thought they made a great title for a poem and so started writing straight away.

I began to think about some of the wonderful benefits of knowing Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and also why He is so different from anyone else who has ever walked the face of the Earth. I was considering why He can claim things that no one else can claim. When it comes to paying for the sins of the world, the Resurrection and eternal life, no one but Jesus will do!

Friday, 4 February 2011

The Enemy

By Lucy Wall


I wrote ”The Enemy ” because there seems to be quite a common opinion these days that God is the enemy of mankind and of Planet Earth. I often hear news reporters describing hurricanes and natural disasters as ”Acts of God. ” I find myself wondering why it’s considered an act of God. I don ’t hear reports thanking Him for the many sunny days we get throughout the year so why is it only the bad weather that God gets the credit for?

In this world where society denies the existence of God so often, it ’s suddenly acceptable for God to exist but only for the sole purpose that we can blame Him for something! This never sits very well with me and I find myself wanting to ask the question, “ Why do you think God would want to bring such destruction and suffering on the very world that He created? ”

To believe that God is ”the enemy ” is to believe in a lie from the devil. I think that Satan wants us to think that God is our enemy to keep us from discovering our loving, forgiving Saviour and to prevent us from receiving our salvation.

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Not A Day More

By Lucy Wall


"Not A Day More" is a very emotive poem. My inspiration came from a situation my family and I had been going through for a few years by the time of writing it in 2011.

My beloved Grandmother suffered from Alzheimer 's disease before she was called home to be with her Saviour in 2015. Leading up to this time we had been witnessing her succumb more and more to the symptoms of this condition. Sadly we were learning first-hand how upsetting and painful this process is for everyone involved.

The situation reached a particularly low point in January of 2011 and as a result I found myself on my knees crying out to the Lord on behalf of my Gran, almost out of desperation for her. I was wondering why things had been allowed to become as bad as they were.