Sunday, October 30, 2011

ARE YOU OBSERVANT

A NOTE FROM THE POET:

Before I post this week’s 2 poems, I have a few comments. First, I want to thank all of my readers throughout the world for visiting my web site.

For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’ll expound on what is written on my blog bio. I was born to Jewish parents on Long Island. I have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren from my first marriage. After the Lord planted a seed in me in my late 40s, about what it would be like as a Jew to know my Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, (Jesus) He didn’t allow it to happen until just before my 63rd birthday. Although I started writing poetry in 1950, I hadn’t written in 25 years prior to my Salvation. The Lord reopened that door on the very first day of my renewed life and I have been serving Him through the words that He gives me (at any time, day or night) to share with you ever since. (Although my poetry is there for everyone, my mission is to reach the unsaved Jew. (like I was) for them to be completed in the truth of our Jewish Messiah.

In 2001, the Lord began to complete the cycle of my life, blessing me when He put a Godly woman in my life. Trudi and I were married in 2004.. I now have 2 more terrific daughters and 6 more grandchildren, as well as an adopted daughter and another grandson. (She’s the one who led me to the Lord & I adopted her (not legally) when she was30 years old.

For those who may no understand my Spiritual belief, Messianic Judaism is biblical Judaism. The unequivocal word from God as given to His Prophets and Apostles written in the complete bible from Genesis through Revelation. Messianic Judaism is Jews and Gentiles who worship Yeshua just like He worshiped Father God, by observing and celebrating all of God’s commanded festivals and keeping all Jewish customs and traditions.

For those who might say, “ He can’t be Jewish and know Jesus”, let me put that to rest. I was born a Jew and will die a Jew. Nothing will ever change that.

Lastly, and this goes for my worldwide readers as well, if you’re ever in the Atlanta, Ga. area, come worship with us at Congregation Beth Hallel in Roswell. Ga., and if you can’t get there, there are Messianic Jewish congregations throughout the world. It will be a life changing experience. Blessings in Yeshua,
Joel

ARE YOU OBSERVING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS

The Sovereign Lord God of all creation
Gave us Commandments His set of rules
Many people choose to disregard them
God classifies every of them as fools

In the Old Testament sacrifices were made
An unblemished animal on the altar slain
Some were defiled and prayers unanswered
It was clearly God’s decision to abstain

To obey is better than sacrifice
God’s Son knew this to be True
But He did both and through His blood
God has forgiven the sins of me and you

Each one of us commits sin daily
Confessing is what keeps us whole
When we unload before the Lord
It’s a great way to cleans our soul

We won’t get past those pearly gates
By any good deeds that we have done
There’s just one way it will take place
When we accept and profess God’s Son

We will be judged for our righteousness
From those which are lesser to the great
And abide somewhere in the sphere
Of the Lord our God’s heavenly estate

WHERE ARE YOU ON DEATH ROW

WHERE ARE YOU ON DEATH ROW


I’m sure that you're thinking that this is
A weird title for a poem that's Spiritual
I took the title from a church billboard
And yes I agree that it is quite unusual

I'd like you to consider this though
From our birth there is no other end
But while I'm waiting on death row
There's a message that I want to send

There is no greater thing that one can do
Than to lay down one's life for someone
I'm sure that I don't need to tell you that
Is exactly what happened to G-d's Son

He gave His life to absolve you of your sins
Accept Yeshua as Messiah to receive Salvation
Then your wait on death row will have a purpose
And your final walk will be steps of jubilation

While you're waiting I'd like to make a suggestion
You need to lead others to the peace that you found
As a believer I know that you wouldn't want them to
Live out their sentence way down deep below the ground

Saturday, October 22, 2011

WHO AM I

NOTE FROM THE POET: I AM POSTING 1 DAY EARLY THIS WEEK AS I AM GOING TO BE GOING ON A RIDE TOMORROW WITH THE KOSHER HOGS MOTORCYCLE CLUB FROM OUR CONGREGATION TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR SOME OF OUR TEEN AGE BELIEVERS WHO WILL BE GOING TO ISRAEL.

WHO AM I

Occasionally people will ask me just who I am
I’m a Father Grandfather Uncle cousin and friend
I am a servant of the Living God
On whose love I can always depend

I have children and grandchildren
That I absolutely love and adore
And because that love comes back to me
I really couldn’t ask for more

I’m an uncle cousin and friend who tries to keep up with
Things that are happening with my friends and family
But they’re so spread out throughout this country that
Sadly these are relatives and friends that I rarely see

I am a child of the Living God
I do my best to follow what he asks
It’s not always easy to comply
And I’m not always up to the tasks

The good thing that comes from this though
Is that I confessed my sins and I’m forgiven
That one blessing alone that God gives to me
Is more than enough to always keep me driven

Now that I’ve told you who I am
May I ask the same thing of you
What I’d like to know the most though is
Are you obedient to God in all that you do

If you’re not please tell me why not
It’s a very simple thing to choose
At the end of life which direction you take
As the saying goes, “if you snooze, you lose.”

NOT WHO AM I BUT WHO ARE YOU

NOT WHO AM I BUT WHO ARE YOU

Perhaps you may know me by my given name
But did you know that I’m a Messianic Jew
And if you are not a believer in the Living God
It’s my ministry to show you that all I say is true

Especially those of you who may be Jewish
Some might say there’s no way I’m a Jew
I was born of Jewish parents and will die as one
Like it or not there’s nothing you can say or do

As Jews the difference between you and I is that
I know that what was foretold in the Tenach is true
Yeshua fulfilled what would happen up to His death
And will return just like it says to start life anew

I didn’t always feel the way I that do now but
In mid life God decided to plant a seed in me
Not allowing the seed to blossom for twenty years
His truth set me spiritually and emotionally free

Other than knowing that Yeshua is the Son of God
I celebrate all the festivals that God did command
No different than you unless you don’t even attend
Which means you don’t know what God has planned

I do know that you can think for yourself
And that’s all that I am asking you to do
When God removes that invisible blindfold
You will be blessed to know Yeshua too

Then like me you’ll see that you’re still Jewish
Celebrating all the festivals that you did before
Profess Yeshua as Messiah your sins are forgiven
And know that you’ll have eternal life forever more

Sunday, October 16, 2011

FORGIVENESS

FORGIVENESS

God has a way of nudging me with
Word that come from the Holy Spirit
Sometimes like this they are meant
For certain people that need to hear it

We’ve just come through the High Holy Days
Asking God to forgive all of our sins
Since we are asking Him for a fresh start
It’s means that forgiveness from the past begins

I’m referring to something very specific
Families who have rejected their own
It’s time to put these differences aside
So that the seeds of love can be re-sown

I speak from personal knowledge
Although it didn’t happen to me
I saw it happen as a young man
To several members of my family

It was a different era back years ago
When a Jew and a Gentile were wed
They were ostracized by their family
Many of them were considered dead

But God and time has a way of interceding
A new birth or death brought them close again
If it could happen then it can happen now
To this end what I need to hear is an AMEN

If you’ve seen the movie Fiddler on the Roof
It happened to Tevya but even he forgave
Because if you deny one of God’s gifts
What you become is the devil’s slave

You may never understand your differences
But you must re-connect out of love
In the bigger picture you will be blessed
For it will be pleasing to God above

REALITY

REALITY

Sometimes I am truly amazed with myself about
All of the poems that I’ve written over the years
But right then reality starts to sink in
Which allows me to shed joyous tears

For everything that was written
Had not really come from me
I receive the words through God's Holy Spirit
To minister His Word and destroy the enemy

Satan creeps into our lives
In so many different ways
God and His word is the antidote
That blesses us for all our days

I’ll wait with anticipation for whatever He gives me
Until the day when God decides to call me home
I believe that I will know when that day arrives
When God tells me that this is my final poem

Sunday, October 9, 2011

SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER

I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL RESPONSES POSED BY THE QUESTION IN THIS POEM.


SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER

I’m in a quandary and since I don’t have the answer
I’m asking anyone who reads this to answer this plight
Why does it more often than not take a catastrophe
For the unsaved Jew to be open to Messiah’s Light

It’s exactly the same way Salvation happened to me
As written it was a Gentile who showed me the way
I don’t comprehend why we can’t think for ourselves
Is it satan’s trickery that is keeping so many away

God uses this catastrophe to take the blinders off
And like mine their lives will never be the same
So what’s the answer to why we can’t see the truth
Is it that we only have our closed minds to blame

The reason that I posed this question out there
Is to help me show all of the unsaved the way
So that they will spend their eternal life in heaven
And not suffer because they’ve gone the other way

The wake up call for both the unsaved Jews and Gentiles is
And I pray for both that Messiah’s Shalom fill their plate
The end days drawing nearer when the Lord will return
Because for those who don’t know Yeshua it will be too late

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE

What will you be when you grow up
I was often asked as a young child
I said, " I want to be a cowboy
And tame the west that's really wild"

I got a few years older and again
I was asked what I wanted to be
I said, " I'd like to be a sailor
And sail each and every sea"

Then in my teens they asked again
I Said, " I really didn't know
So I 'll get an education and
See which way I want to go"

Years later I became successful and recalled
Always being asked what I wanted to be
The answer was actually very simple
All that I really wanted to be was me

Sunday, October 2, 2011

CHANGES

*** A NOTE FROM THE POET; BEFORE I POST THIS WEEK'S FIRST OF TWO POEMS, I'M ASKING MY JEWISH BOTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE READING THIS, THAT AS WE APPROACH YOM KIPPUR DURING THE 10 DAYS OF AWE, TO PLEASE ALSO READ THE TWO POEMS BELOW THEM THAT I POSTED LAST WEEK PRIOR TO ROSH HASHANA. MAY THE LORD SHOW YOU HIS FAVOR.

CHANGES


Life’s changes can bring many things
They could be good or could be bad
They affect people in different ways
Making them happy or sometimes sad

If these changes are good things
They show up in the joy it brings
But if they’re bad don’t get depressed
For God is in charge of all these things

And when things happen good or bad
God is showing you it’s for the best
The good brings instant happiness
The bad will put you through a test

Don’t let the situation get the best of you
Press on from the valley to the top of the hill
God will bring you the joy you are seeking
Because no matter what He loves you still

Regardless of what the outcome is
Get on your knees and give God praise
He brought you to it and will get you through it
Because God knows you are faithful in all ways

POEMS WITHIN MY LIFETIME

POEMS WITHIN MY LIFETIME

I’ve written a poem about a fireman
I’ve written about women in my life
I’ve written a tale about a lawman
And many poems to and about my wife

I’ve written a couple about some hospital stays
And numbers of them about friends and family
But mostly poems about the love I have of God
And how God can do for you what He did for me

I composed verses of reuniting with friends from my home town
God has given me one every year to hand out at our men's retreat
I’ve been blessed to have written a book of Spiritual poetry and
Run a web site for them many I thought worthy enough to repeat

I’ve written poems about Messiah being the Son of God
And many about the Lord being Jewish just like me
How Yeshua was God’s only perfect sacrificial lamb
Whose blood would set all the sins of mankind free

Telling about when you Accept Yeshua as your Messiah
How by this profession of faith it will set your spirit free
And about the day God calls you home to His Kingdom
How you will abide in a mansion in heaven for eternity

I don’t doubt that I could not have written each of these verses
Without the benefit of words that come through the Holy Spirit
I truly believe that my God has blessed me with this poetic gift to
Bring comfort joy and even Salvation to these who read and hear it