Sunday, November 27, 2011

A NOTE FROM THE POET

Sorry this week's postings are later than usual, but we just got back from a weekend in Alabama.As promised in the last posting, if you would like to here the awesome acceptance speech that my daughter Shelby gave when she accepted Fulton County Teacher of the year, go to www.fultonschools.org her photo under teacher of the year is on the right. Click on it and turn up the volume. Here are this weeks 2 poems:

Visiting in fellowship

One of the things that we enjoy doing
When going on a short trip or a vacation
Is to visit other Messianic Congregations
To fellowship and extend a friendly invitation

We thank you in advance as Mishpochah for
The time that we're spending with you today
Praying and praising Father G-d and Yeshua
Our L-rd who is the Truth Light and Way

We are Blessed to have this time together
May you continue to prosper in our L-rd
Who Was and Who Is and Who Is To Come
To both Jews and Gentiles of one accord

If you come to or pass through Atlanta
Please accept our invitation to do the same
Visit us at a Bible Study or Shabbat Service
And join with us in Praising God's Holy Name

Sunday, November 20, 2011

SEEKING ADVICE FROM MY READERS

The thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and because I've recently had surgery this thought skipped my mind. The poem "THANKSGIVING" (below) was given to me through the Holy Spirit last year. I believe that just like the classic poem "The Night Before Christmas", I was given these words for all people to see, share, and enjoy, but I have not been able to find a venue for this to happen. If any of my readers have a suggestion that could help make this happen, please leave me a comment on my blog Thanks & God Bless.

THANKSGIVING
By
Joel Steinhauer

We’ll be spending our Thanksgiving
By driving over to Grandma’s house
Not a soul will go hungry
Not even a little mouse

She started preparing
On the night before
If there was anything missing
She sent Grandpa to the store

Everything must be perfect
On this day you see
For it isn’t very often
That we gather as a family

After a long trip we arrive there
The first thing we do is turn on the TV
To watch the Thanksgiving Day parade
There are marching bands and floats to see

Before we begin eating
We hold hands and pray
Thank you Lord for the blessings
That you have given us this day

And we also pray a special blessing for
The men and women who protect our liberty
Please God keep them safe from harm
They understand that freedom isn’t free

Then Grandpa says, “Let’s eat I’m starving.”
The first thing on the menu is soup in a cup
In the background we listen to Holiday music
This always helps us to keeps our spirits up

Uncle Charlie carves the turkey and
Asks if we want dark meat or white
And even with this many people
There will be plenty to take home tonight

Pass the gravy and the rolls please
The peas and sweet potatoes too
The cornbread stuffing is delicious
And may I have some apple cider too

When we finish with the main course
The women will help to put things away
While the men go and watch a football game
Actually there are several of them on TV today

Once everything else has been cleaned up
Grandma serves coffee and pumpkin pie
All of a sudden it feels like we’re stuffed
For same strange reason we wonder why

Before we head back to our homes
There are still two things to be done
First we help to set up the Christmas tree
Then we join hands and thank the Holy One

Thank you Lord for the blessings of this special day
We ask for traveling mercies and Your Grace again
May all of our hearts be filled with Your goodness
And to this prayer all of Your children say, “AMEN.”

© Poems Within My Lifetime Inc. 2009 All Rights

A PRIDE THAT GIVES GOD ALL THE GLORY

A PRIDE THAT GIVES GOD ALL THE GLORY

Last week my younger daughter Shelby received
An award as Fulton County Teacher of the Year
The emotion that I felt for this accomplishment
Was felt by me with pride and many a tear

The award was followed by her acceptance speech
It was addressed not only to teachers but everyone there
It was so awesome that I felt more people should hear it
When it comes out I’ll be giving you the website to share

I make a joke about how smart she is and say that
More than likely it must have skipped a generation
In truth I know just where her motivation comes from
That has brought us all so much joy and jubilation

It comes from the talents of a grandfather and uncle
As well as her mother myself and her older sister too
Not stopping there she learns from all those around her
And a passion to share all of the good that she would do

I’m just as excited when it comes to my older daughter Natalie
Whose passion as an educator has also brought me great pride
As well as her giving me three wonderful grandkids to love
So many blessings from God give me goose bumps inside

I may not have that much of a claim to fame
My passion is that God is number one in my life
In return He has given me these blessings and more
And topped it off with Trudi my Godly loving wife

Sunday, November 13, 2011

One AND THE SAME

ONE AND THE SAME

Both the Jews and the Christians worship the same God
Many Jews don’t understand this which really is a shame
The reason is mostly because of their ignorance or pride
If they knew the truth they only have themselves to blame

God planned this from the beginning of time
The plurality in the Shema of the word Echad
God is omnipotent so He decides what is best
It doesn’t mean that there is more than one God

Because His people were looking for a Savior
God decided He would provide them with one
In the Tenach His prophets foretell of the future
Aka: the virgin birth through Miriam of God’s son

Only through a blood atonement are your sins forgiven
As written in the Torah God made that point very clear
Yeshua was the Perfect Lamb that God had provided
To absolve your sins thus not having the devil to fear

As written these sacrifices had to take place in the temple
Knowing that the temple was destroyed God would say
That through the perfect blood of His Perfect Lamb
God provided the atonement to make sin go away

Everything that was foretold in the Tenach of the coming Messiah
Was written originally in the Old Covenant by Jews for Jews
All you need to do is read the New Covenant to see the truth
Providing Yeshua for their Salvations was God’s good news

But Yeshua didn’t come just for the Jew’s Salvation
He came as God’s Messenger for all of mankind
For both man and woman to repent of their sins
Leaving all of their wicked worldly ways behind

One of the reasons why most Jews never saw the truth was
Because the Sadducees and Pharisees made the issue political
To accept Yeshua as Messiah would cost their power and wealth
Passing down falsehoods so that unbelievers wouldn’t be analytical

I’m asking them to have an open mind and see the truth for themselves
By reading the Word of God in both covenants from cover to cover
Messiah returns on the day of God’s choosing which only He knows
On that day the sinful grip that satan has on the world will be over


THE WORD ECHAD IS THE WORD ONE IN ITS PLURAL FORM.
Miriam is the Hebrew name of Mary.

PATH TO THE FINAL REST

PATH TO THE FINAL REST

As I prepare to go to sleep at night
I do not need to be counting sheep
I thank God’s Lamb for a blessed day
And when I’m finished I fall asleep

Then after getting a good night’s rest
I thank God for giving me another day
Taking time out to read His word
As well as to reflect and pray

Before each meal I ask the Lord’s blessing
Giving thanks for the nourishment I need
Because I trust in Him as my provider
Everything that happens is at God’s speed

One day God will call me to my final rest
He alone knows the day that it will be
I will be greeted by the Son of the Living God
Yeshua whose shed blood has set me Spiritually free

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

F.Y.I.

Normally, I post the 2 poems each week early on Sunday morning. This weekend I am attending the annual Spiritual men's retreat from our congregation, so the poems will not be posted until Sunday evening 11/13 when I return home

Sunday, November 6, 2011

GODAND THE POKER HAND

GOD AND THE POKER HAND

There is a trilogy that bonds our love
But it’s all good and it’s not a mystery
Because the three who are involved
Are God my loving wife and me

The Lord is the key within our tryst
We both look for Him to show the way
His light has led us down us the right path
One from which We will never not stray

I believe that we both understand
As the sands of time go fleeting by
That our faith shows God is always first
And there’s no need to question why

God likens our lives to a poker hand
Because we have so much to share
Pointing out that three of a kind
Will always beat a pair

AMERICA TODAY

AMERICA TODAY
(THIS POETIC RAMBLING WAS WRITTEN IN THE LATE 1950s)

How can we describe the soul
Of the America we live in today
It’s a massive population
That is rebelling in dismay

The black man hates the white man
Just like the Gentile hates the Jew
The poor cry help and the rich sit back
The America that I know this isn’t you

It could very well be that I’m a dreamer
Perhaps some may classify me as a fool
But the America that I love and remember
Would live each day by the golden rule

The books they taught me with in school
Portrayed visions of a once great land
It was filled with a patriotic fervor
And a helping outstretched hand

America owes us absolutely nothing
She’s given everything that she has got
And when you really think about it
We actually owe her an awful lot

Just how far would we be now
If way back when we didn’t care
Nowhere near where we are today because
Each one pitched in doing their fair share

Even though we have come a long way since that time
Still the nation’s outstretched hand don’t reach us all
That may even be the reason given why
Some chose to evade their country’s call

What makes America tick today
Why does she scream and holler
It’s the obsession to climb to the top
Just to caress the almighty dollar

We built this country from nothing
With each generation giving more
To make it easier on the next one
A worth deed that we now deplore

It shows up in our present population
As we observe that ungrateful clown
Who wants to start at the very top
And slowly work their way on down

It’s a very touchy subject when we discuss
The present trying to compare it to the past
The solution is to do whatever we can
To solve the problems that were cast

The difficult part of this whole scenario
Is that I’m really not sure where to start
What about you yes you and you
Each one of us must do their part

The principles that I believe will make it work
Are hard work deep faith in God and loyalty
With a few transfusions in the right places
Life could go back to the way it used to be

There will be some who would disagree
And don’t feel the same way that I do
But over all America’s been good to me
Enough for me to shout out, “I love you.”

I could probably ramble on an on
About its good points and its bad
But I’m living here today and now
A fact for which I’m mighty glad

I’m asking for your hand to help restore
Us back to the land of the brave and free
A land of peace and brotherhood and love
That will include justice truth and liberty

I promise to do my utmost
To help us restore the lag
So let’s look ahead to the future America
And keep your eye on that grand old flag