BLACKBERRIES

Blackberries ripen, full and sweet,

to make for me an August treat.

Their goodness calls me, “Come and dine!”,

so up I climb to make them mine.

Safe underneath the ash and beech,

the berries grow within my reach.

I pluck them quickly for my pail

and eat my fill along the trail.

Blackberries splendid, good and free,

are like the graces given me.

God’s fruit is for the picking ones,

and with it, love and mercy comes.

O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

BLACKBERRIES

We can reflect on God's goodness when picking blackberries on an August evening, up behind Veery Glade, far away from the world. How true it is that everything from a good God is good!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 

Psalm 23:5

Food in Heaven must be grand! Since our loving Creator made us in His image, we must surely enjoy good food forever. And beverage. The table will be set for those whose robes have been washed, whose faith in Jesus Christ, God's very Son, equals knowing He satisfied the penalty of our sin by dying on the cruel cross in our place that we might have His sinless righteousness imputed upon us. This is the transformative power of the Gospel truth. This is my cup running over.

Righteousness not imputed (due to lack of faith) only ends in destruction, in not being at the prepared table, in not having plenty, not even having burnt toast. Hell, the place out of God's presence, offers nothing of goodness, nothing of plenty.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:3

This is a description of the blessed man, the one who delights in the law of the LORD, the one who accepts God's Gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son. The picture is: a strong, mature, majestic tree thriving beside rivers of water.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Psalm 37:3

Feed on His faithfulness, like each season following each other. Sustenance comes from the Lord. Even in times of famine, there will be plenty for those who trust the faithfulness of God.

So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

Exodus 16:13-14

In Exodus, we remember manna from Heaven and quail supplied to the Israelites. This menu of meat and bread appeared every day for the people who had grumbled about not having enough to eat.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

Isaiah 55:1

Ho! What a wonderful expression in the NKJV! Here, through the prophet Isaiah, God sends out His invite, enthusiastically, to accept His beverages, His provision, His remedy, His salvation! No money required! Jesus paid it all! Trust God, not man.

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:10-11

So shall My Word be. You can count on our Creator's words when He declares His intent so plainly expressed. You can count on His plan of sure accomplishment. You can count on the thing He makes known will prosper. Love cannot fail. God is love. God cannot fail. He sent His Son, the Living Word, to die for our sins and then to be raised up to return to Him, which He did. 

"They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit."

Isaiah 65:21

"They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God."

Luke 13:29

"Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Mark 14:25

And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts."

Revelation 21:6

Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"

Revelation 19:9

The Bible is full of promises, prophecies, and declarations. It is God's love letter to us! Taste and see that the Lord is good. We don't know for sure what kind of food will be on the menu in Heaven but I think it will be the BEST! Live a life trusting Jesus to find out.

FOR THE JOY: POEMS REFLECTING ON CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

In September, I hope to work with a cover designer to create For the Joy's front and back cover. How exciting to get to this point in the process! With this Easter poetry collection to be published in spring 2027, I hope to encourage readers to trust God's infallible and inerrant Word through poetry and illustrations. If you would like to have a part in the launching of For the Joy, please pray that I can effectively fine-tune my poems and painted illustrations to convey the clear message. What a joy it has been for me to reflect on Bible verses and offer my reflections.

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Keep praying for your loved ones to be drawn closer to the Lord. Remember the persistent widow! Pray they would pray. Nothing is better than trusting an Almighty God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins. Righteousness is imputed on we who believe Jesus died for our sins, changing our legal standing before a holy God. Righteousness not imputed does not change the legal standing of a sinner before a holy God and condemnation remains.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Taste and see that the Lord is good, now and forever!

And I believe only GREAT food and beverage will be enjoyed by the saved citizens of Heaven.

WHERE THE LEAVES DANCE

A soft breeze, a gentle sigh,

I’ll be where the leaves dance.

I’ll look up through at skies of blue

and fall within a trance.

In relaxed state, I’ll contemplate

and hear the wood thrush echoing.

His gorgeous tune releases me,

a distant place is beckoning.

How could God make these woods so fine?

All worries are asunder.

I’ll close my eyes and take it in,

this quiet place of wonder.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27

WHERE THE LEAVES DANCE

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:1-2

As I sit back and look up through the tree branches, I remember the words of Jesus and that He is preparing a place for us. Today. That is one of the things the Son of God is doing right now. How cool is that, my fellow-believing forest dweller?

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

Revelation 5:1-3

Continuing with this year's theme of Heaven, I know angels are also a part of Heaven. And I just so happened to be working on a poem entitled "The Authority of Revelation 5" in my For the Joy manuscript where this scroll is mentioned in Revelation 5. What did it look like? We don't know except it had seven seals and was held in the right hand of God. It was a strong angel with a loud voice who asked the question across the cosmos that no one could answer, that is, except Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Son of God, the Messiah. He took the scroll from His Father's right hand. He alone is worthy. He alone has authority.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

Revelation 5:11-12

One mighty angel who proclaimed a question across the cosmos for all to hear and then masses of angels speaking with a loud voice together? Wow! Can you imagine how loud this was? Did John have to plug his ears? Well, the Bible doesn't say that John plugged his ears but can you imagine the sound? Amazing.

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

Revelation 8:2

A bit further in the book of Revelations, we read more about angels. After Jesus had broken the last seal (or seventh seal) on the scroll, seven angels were each given a trumpet to blast, beginning the events ending the age. This is the time to come that will destroy all evil.

I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.

Revelation 10:1-3

This commanding, fierce image, and also with a loud voice, shows us the angel is given authority to execute (or begin) what is next. This and other angels might often have loud voices, although maybe there were soft-spoken angels. The angel Gabriel may not have needed to speak loudly to Mary about her being chosen to bear the Son of God but I think many Biblical accounts of angels show us they are fiercely capable of being loud. (More about Gabriel, in a moment!)

But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants and prophets.

Revelation 10:7

God's timing is perfect. Ours is not. But we can trust His. And there will come a time (in His timing) when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet and the mystery of God is finished. Will servants and prophets from long ago come into full understanding of who God is? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the triune Godhead from even in the book of Genesis when they were creating humankind, will be fully understood. And an angel, commanded by God, kicks that off.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

Luke 1: 26-28

Whammy Wow! So can you imagine this? We are only given two names of angels in all of the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. And it was to a young woman that Gabriel greeted with the exceptional news that she would become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Some people paint Mary as a simple, somewhat brainless tween, but if you read her reply in verses 46 through 55 of Luke 1, you will not read the ramblings of a little tweeny-bopper. What she said (and is consequently recorded) shows her knowledge, character, and humbleness. So important was her role and all according to God's plan. In fact, if God had not chosen Mary (or any other woman for that matter), there would have been no reason to choose twelve men to serve as the original disciples. God sent Gabriel to Mary.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 1:20

How did Joseph feel and what did he think when he learned that his betrothed was pregnant? Well, he was planning to quietly divorce her. But an angel in a dream assured Joseph and explained things to him. Mary is the only woman to have been "impregnated" by the Holy Spirit. This unique condition brought forth an angel visit to Joseph in a dream, who in turn obeyed the angel's command to take Mary as his wife.

And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings."

Luke 1:19

Gabriel also visited Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. Angels are making their rounds! But Zacharias didn't believe the angel's words and so Gabriel commanded Zacharias to be mute until the time when he wrote down the name "John" after the baby was born to his wife Elizabeth, old as she was. (But old age is nothing for God.)

Further angel accounts that come to mind are in 2 Kings 19:35 when a single angel kills 185,000 enemies as a result of King Hezekiah's prayerful plea for help. Daniel in the lion's den let King Darius know it was an angel who had shut the lion's mouths. (Daniel 6:21-22)

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Jude, verse 9

Here is the only verse in the Bible where the angel Michael is named. We learn Michael is the archangel and contended with the devil, Satan. Do you look forward to learning what the other angels' names are in Heaven?

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Psalm 91:11

What a beautiful promise! Although we can't always see angels, they are close to us. (I say 'can't always' because sometimes I wonder if maybe we had seen one but didn't realize it.) It will be wonderful to meet our guardian angel(s) someday who had watched over us in our lives! Will they shake our hand and say, "Boy, I remember the time when... but I was there to help you out, little did you know!" Or, "Yeah, that was me!" Yes, it will be wonderful to meet angels! 

But more so, it will be wonderful to meet, face to face, our Savior who sent them.

For the Joy: Christian Poems Reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection

I have changed my subtitle and back book blurb. The total amount of poems in this collection is at 35 now and I think that is where it will stay. I'm planning to published for Easter 2027 with the hopes that I can encourage anyone to have faith and reflect on God's inerrant Word. Prayers are greatly appreciated.

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Please pray that our country upholds established freedoms to worship and that our public schools do not mistreat Christian students and teachers. Keep praying for your family and loved ones. Don't give up.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Veery Glade is wonderfully summer now. The maples and beech and other trees around the glade are a dark green with very little yellow starting, which so happens in August. We didn't have a lot of veeries this year but still a few. The towees, catbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and wood thrushes have filled the woods with their songs. They will begin to decline in song as July ends. It is a nice place to be, where the leaves dance. And won't it be glorious to be where the leaves dance with our Lord, beside angels, soaking in Heaven!

 THE LONG SKIP HOME

Written and Illustrated by Lisa Belknap

I just finished this excellent story!

Even though it is for middle grade readers,

I felt like I still related to Lily and her different struggles.

Elstar and all the friends from the world of Whule made

me excited for Heaven. I loved all the reminders of Jesus

portrayed through Elstar's character. An excellent, moving story!

-Amazon Review

PEACEFUL ROCK

I headed for a place I know,

not wanting any clock,

where my burdened ears can hear the flow,

resting well on Peaceful Rock.

By the brook, I’ll sit and close my eyes,

where the canopy is thick,

and contentment there I’ll realize,

as I hear the water skip.

I will sit for many hours there,

or at least what seems to be,

and I’ll hear the water sing His care,

of the love He has for me.

And my troubles will go down the way,

where the ravens tend to flock,

yet the perfect peace of God will stay,

trusting well on Peaceful Rock.

Come unto me, all ye that labour 

and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

PEACEFUL ROCK

Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Psalm 62:1-2

David declared in this Psalm his reliance on Creator God, on the Maker of Heaven and Earth, on the very foundation of all his hopes. I, too, agree with David and set my heart on the sure foundation—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I hope you, visiting Veery Glade Dweller, also align and identify as a Christian.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

Isaiah 6:1-3

The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of God's authority, glory, and splendor. Can you imagine the train of the Lord's robe filled the whole temple? These things that Isaiah saw rooted in him the reverence for Almighty God. He even exclaimed 'Woe is me, for I am undone!' But God sent the seraphim with a live coal from the altar to purge Isaiah's sin and enable him.

"But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King."

Matthew 5:34-35

Jesus calls Heaven God's throne. He who made Heaven and Earth makes Heaven the throne room for His special monarch seat while Earth is His footstool. And Jerusalem is very special to God as scripture tells us. A king on his throne rules his kingdom from his throne. Psalm 2:6 tells us God has set His King on His holy hill of Zion and that King of kings is Jesus who willingly died on the cross for our sins. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus for us!

Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left."

2 Chronicles 18:18

The prophet Micaiah tells of the vision he was given in which spirit beings stand before God. And the fact that all of the host of Heaven are on either side of Him gives us a sense of God's power and authority.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

Revelation 20:11

John was given a vision of the future final judgment time and it involves a great white throne. Following this, he had seen the Book of Life opened and anyone not written in it was cast into the lake of fire.

God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.

Psalm 47:8

Our God reigns. He is to be greatly exalted. And He loves us, demonstrating this by sending His Son to reconcile us to Him, to pay for the consequence of sin. The only way we can be in the presence of a holy just God is by His provided remedy.

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

Revelation 4:2-3

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

Revelation 4:10-11

The whole chapter of Revelation 4 describes the scene in Heaven including God, the throne, a rainbow, 24 elders, gold crowns, thunder, lightning, a sea of glass, and four very unusual creatures with eyes.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:1

It was revealed to John who in turn has revealed to us who read this account that a river of life everlasting flows from the throne of God. Ezekiel was also given visions of God by the power of God's Spirit. Read the account in the first chapter of Ezekiel (verse 26 about the throne).

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Ezekiel 1:26-28

How amazing it is that God gave visions of Heaven to different people at different times and from different generations!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Since Jesus, the Son of God, is our High Priest who loves us so deeply, let us come boldly before the Creator of the universe in His name. God's invitation has been sent out. RSVP now if you haven't already so that you might enter into the land of glory and see the throne of God.

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Please pray for persecuted Christians in Nigeria and the Voice of the Martyrs organization and others like them who are trying to help.

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Hebrews 13:3

FINAL THOUGHTS

O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Psalm 8:1

The beautiful places on Earth are but slivers compared to the magnificence of the throne of God. Rest on the Rock of our salvation—Jesus Christ. Look to the throne of God in Heaven.

THE FAITHFUL TRAIL

On the faithful trail, I’ll go,
where the ferns are thick and greening,
and the undergrowth goes up and down,
and the trees are sometimes leaning.
 
Yet on the trail, I’ll follow,
as I pass beneath the basswoods,
as I stroll along the touch-me-nots,
and a patch of tangled dogwoods.
 
I’ll trust when at the gully,
where the woods are dark and deepest,
and cross the scaly cherry tree,
where the bank is slick and steepest.
 
At trail’s end, I’ll have rest
in a special, hidden clearing—
on the grass, I’ll watch the passing clouds,
and the veeries I’ll be hearing.

 

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

 

THE FAITHFUL TRAIL

Veery Glade is lush and green now, and the deep-forested little brown thrush birds known as veeries sing their mystical, swirling tunes in the woodland realm. I especially enjoy their songs at dusk, when they are often one of the last birds to sing, other than the robin, believe it or not!

"They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God."

Luke 13:29

'They' are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets. People will take their places, sit down, and find rest in Heaven. The faithful will enter in from all directions. Today's post is about being seated in Heaven. I'm sure if one scooted over to Bible Gateway, one could do a search on 'seated in Heaven.'

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7

Our pastor mentioned the above verses during the Sunday evening service and it clicked for me to write about this topic of being seated. Here in Ephesians, we read that we are seated with Christ (or maybe will be seated?). In Christ Jesus (by His shed blood for the forgiveness of sins), we are brought near to Him.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

The above verse is my key verse for For the Joy: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter. As finisher, Jesus sat. He came to a rest. He gives time to task accomplished, to mission achieved, to His Father's will carried out. He does not need to do anything more. He is done. There is nothing more to be done in regard to reconciling mankind to His Father.

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."

Matthew 19:27-29

In the regeneration. Did you catch that phrase Jesus used? What does it mean? It has much to do with being born again. In fact, that's what it means! Everyone understands natural, physical birth. We all started as infants, being born a baby. Regeneration, or new birth, is a spiritual, holy, heavenly birth that results in our being made alive spiritually. Natural man is dead in his sins until he is made alive by Christ. This is achieved when natural man places his trust in our only Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and believes. We entered the Earthly realm physically. We enter the Heavenly realm spiritually. We were born with a sinful nature but when a person becomes born again, she becomes a partaker of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

Mark 10:37-38

James and John had asked Jesus if they could sit on either side of Him when He was in glory. But Jesus goes on to say in verse 40 that those places of honor are not His to give, 'but for those for whom it is prepared.' I wonder if God, the Father gives those places. We who are born again will see it and know it. We who are made alive by Christ will learn who they are.

FOR THE JOY: Christian Poems 

about Good Friday and Easter (coming for Easter 2027)

Here is my revised back book blurb:

FOR THE JOY: Christian Poems about

Good Friday and Easter

Why do Christians call Good Friday Good?

Why is Easter Sunday filled with joy?

For The Joy: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter is a collection of reverent poems and colorful paintings about Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Lisa Belknap shares her testimony and reflections, offering answers to the above questions. Each of the thirty-two poems with accompanying Bible verses encourage the reader to trust in the love and grace of humanity’s only redeeming Savior, Jesus Christ, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Remember to pray for missionaries. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 29:19

Christians have obeyed the command. Many have left homes and lands to witness to others and further the Gospel truth even under persecution. And even at home, persecution comes. To stand up for Jesus amidst anti-Christian trends brings reward.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:5-6

Live to dwell in the house of the LORD forever, well-cared for, and wonderfully shown a place to be seated in Heaven.

WOODLAND SONG

Joyfully, joyfully, the feathered friends call,
the chickadees and grosbeaks and orioles all,
to sing a lyric melody at opening of day,
and start the winging choir, a-chirping all the way!
 
Over high, over there, beside the babbling brook,
the cardinals and veeries resound in every nook;
the drumming of the ruffed grouse, the cooing of the dove,
the tapping of the woodpecker that echoes high above!
 
“Yahweh God! Yahweh God!”, into the evening night,
hummingbirds and nuthatches turn in from their flight.
And in the final light of day, the robin sings her song.
What joy to hear the woodland birds sing praises all day long!

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Luke 1:46-47

 

 

WOODLAND SONG

The veeries are very glad, here in Veery Glade. And so am I. These deep-forest thrushes have returned to the woods. Their mystical, swirling tones lift my spirit and remind me to call on God in prayer. The robins, also thrushes, are equally vocal here in the woodland realm.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Luke 1:48

We join with Mary in magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in spirit. Let the birds sing their full, lyrical song that Creator God is loving, rich in mercy, and compassionate.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

John 10:10

Jesus' purpose is to bring life. He declares it Himself. Everyone must decide for themselves whether this statement of purpose is true or false. I believe it is true. The thief is the devil, Satan. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy any of God's creation including, mostly, humans who are made in God's image.

And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Philippians 4:3

Paul with Timothy is writing to the Christians in Philippi and he mentions the Book of Life. In this Book are recorded the names of those people who have eternal life. Who has authority to be the writer of the book? Only the One whose purpose is to bring life— Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God.

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

John 1:29

The Book of Life that Paul wrote about is also known as the Lamb's Book of Life. And in Heaven, that book will be opened. In Heaven, that book will be read.

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Revelation 21: 23, 27

John, by the power of the Holy Spirit (as was Paul as others), was given revelations about Heaven. He wrote down what he saw and we can read for ourselves. Trust God's infallible, inerrant Word.

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Revelation 3:5

Only the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world has the power to open His Book of Life. Further, only the Lamb of God has power to clothe believers with righteousness. Only Jesus, who bore our sins on the cross, has power to blot out names from His Book. Only God's perfect Son has power to confess believer's names before His Father. If you are a believer, won't that be the most amazing thing ever to hear your name confessed before our Creator?

If you are not a believer, decide now to believe. It is very real to be condemned. We stand condemned already (John 3:18)! But Jesus' purpose is to bring life and more abundantly. God sent His Son to be our Savior, and that is very good news!

FOR THE JOY: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter

Here is my work-in-progress (WIP) back book blurb (which means it could still change!):

FOR THE JOY: Christian Poems about

Good Friday and Easter

Why do Christians call Good Friday Good?

Why is Easter Sunday filled with joy?

For The Joy: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter is a collection of reverent poems and vivid paintings leading up to Christ’s death on the cross, His crucifixion, and His resurrection from the dead. Lisa Belknap shares her testimony, offering answers to the above questions through a variety of poetic forms and colorful paintings. The reader is drawn to meditate on God’s infallible and inerrant Word. Each of the thirty-two poems with accompanying Bible verses encourage the reader to trust in the love and grace of humanity’s only redeeming Savior, Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:1-6

How nice to be with believers in Jesus Christ! How encouraging to be with Christian brothers and sisters, studying the Word and partnering in the Gospel! What comfort to pray together with confidence in Christ's ability to carry out His good work in us to completion!

FINAL THOUGHTS

"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Veeries are singing in Veery Glade as are the robins! The woodland birds are very glad. The names of people written in the Lamb's Book of Life will go on to hear woodland birds singing in Heaven.

TRUTH IS LIKE A TRILLIUM

Truth is like a trillium

that blossoms in the spring.

It dances with the waking trees

and stirs the birds to sing.

Through winter, it lay dormant,

beneath the snowy ground.

Then with the warmth of springtime,

it stretched roots around.

It grew within the sunshine,

first budding after years.

The plant designed by Trinity

took time to match its peers.

And there it stands a-shining,

a pure, revealing face!

The woodland floor, once bumpy bare,

now shimmers full of grace!

Truth is like a trillium.

O may my faith grow strong!

For with it, I am known and free

to bloom forever long.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

TRUTH IS LIKE A TRILLIUM

The woods are coming alive, here in Veery Glade in the springtime! Good rain and sunshine have nourished the ground and the trilliums have bloomed once again. First, the dark red popped up their heads and then the larger white ones dance across the woodland floor in the breeze. Creation's reminder of the return of spring speaks clear our Creator's faithfulness.

And He is faithful in His promises, in His Word. 

"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."

John 3:16

As I continue this year's blog posts about Heaven, everlasting life comes to mind. In a nutshell, belief equals everlasting life. EVERLASTING LIFE. Tough to get our minds around that but God's Word says so, so it must be true. And it is, as sure as spring follows winter every year.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

John 3:17-18

But the alternative to everlasting life is everlasting condemnation. EVERLASTING CONDEMNATION. That might be difficult to get your mind around, too.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

John 3:19-21

In my last post, I wrote about the Light in Heaven and that Jesus is the Light of the world. Light has come into the world! Jesus has come into the world because His Father sent Him. He alone has power to save sinners because He alone is the spotless Lamb of God who bore our sins on the cross. He alone has power to raise our bodies from the dead, either unto everlasting life or everlasting death. So, belief equals everlasting life!

"For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

John 5:21-24

I'm sure you know, dear forest dweller, that it is Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, who has power to separate the sheep from the goats, the grain from the chaff, the faithful from the unfaithful. There is either everlasting life or everlasting death when we die. In everlasting death, scripture tells us the torment will never end as the occupants of the place of Hell maintain their consciousness. Forever.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

The faithful are the ransomed. The ransomed are the people who believe in Jesus, God's Son, God's Way. They have accepted His gift of salvation. They are the people who hold the Word of God close in their hearts. The trilliums blooming right now in Veery Glade remind me of this wonderful promise in Isaiah of everlasting joy. Singing, gladness, and joy go with everlasting life. None of that goes with everlasting death.

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, 'Destroy!'.

Deuteronomy 33:27

The above verse is from when Moses blessed the children of Israel, specifically of Asher, before he died. The whole chapter is beautiful to read, as is everything in the Bible! Make the eternal God your refuge.

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also."

John 14:19

Jumping back to the New Testament, Jesus assures His disciples that they will live again as surely as He lives today. We who love and honor Christ will live again with Him. The Bible is full of promises FROM GOD, and every single one will come to pass, as sure as trilliums return to bloom every spring.

For The Joy: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter

Since my last post, I repainted the background scene on a particular painting that I needed to do. I've started brainstorming words for another poem. And, I've been reading. Right now, I'm reading Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield.

FOCUS ON PRAYER

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16b

We are grateful to the Lord for answered prayer. After years of prayer, a loved one of ours has changed his mind. He has done a 180. What he once loved he now hates, which was exactly what we persistently prayed for. (It was not a good thing that he was loving.) Rosaria Butterfield, the author mentioned above, did a 180 when she, a former lesbian who did not know the Lord, renounced her way of life and became a believing Christian. Her change from death to life is noted in her book all the way through it. I wonder if someone had been praying for her. Like we did with our loved one. Thank you, Lord, for 180's!

…yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Luke 18:5 (from the parable of the persistent widow)

FINAL THOUGHTS

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15

May you be known by your faith to bloom forever long, to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, to receive everlasting life in Heaven.