Forever Home

19 Mar 2012 6 Comments

                    

                  Forever Home

 

When our count of days goes way too fast

When earthbound lives are gone and past

 

In sad, lamenting grief we’re cloaked

We limp to You, our only hope

 

We lost them, those who were our own

Or were they not, and just on loan

 

With great compassion You lift us up

For what You gave them, they left with us

 

By Your grace, it’s their Love we’ve enjoyed

So eternal, enduring, death can’t destroy

 

Fragrantly lingering, it wafts through our hair

Like tropical breezes, love whispers its care

 

And we know they are with us, as You’ve been from the start

For their love warms our being, lifts our limbs, and our heart.

 

So, there lies our hope, it’s Your love and Your faith

You care about us, Your plan is in place

 

We lack understanding, only You know

How to bring home your people, You care for each soul

 

For You have given us this sleep

The one that, here, we think so deep

 

Yet it is light, and lasts but a whit

So brief, and at the end of it

 

We waken to You, forever home

At last, Your Treasure is our own.

 

At last! Your Joy is now our own!

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The Godsend

20 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

This is my first Christmas story.  It started as a small seed of an idea, but the Holy Spirit grew it in His usual epic way:

In “The Godsend”, Davey Christopher, a very young, post-war detective seeks difficult answers in a world that is almost too big, too formidable. But who knew? God provides! See how He did, in The Godsend. I sincerely hope you enjoy this little story.

Merry Christmas!

 

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Pecans and Promises

24 Oct 2011 2 Comments

The time is full.

The pecans are ripe,

Opening like fingers

Full of promises kept.

They fall

From rattled branch,

Into my thankful, cupped,

Receiving hands.

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WHICH DO YOU LIKE BETTER,  THE ABOVE VERSION

OR THIS ONE?   :

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The time is full.

Pecans once more are ripe,

Opening like fingers

Full of promises kept.

Gracefully given,

Gladly released.

The work of care-skilled hands,

They fall from rattled branch,

Into my thankful, cupped,

Receiving hands.

Image by Gloryteller

The Day Will Come

21 Oct 2011 2 Comments

Howdy y’all,

Chaff here again and mighty glad to be.  This is another day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I’m writing today about that Harold Camping guy.  I mentioned him in my first and second blogs, (go here to review ) seems like a long time ago.  I’ve learnt a lot since then, thank God, and thank my cousin, Gloryteller, and my wonderful wife, Millie Jean.

Well, Mr. Harold Camping is at it again.  He says October 21, 2011 (TODAY) is THE day when Christ will come and this old world will end – the day of so-called rapture.

(Well, let me back up here and say there is lots of argument about the “rapture” and whether Christ will come then or later, or whether His coming is one event or two, or whether some people will be left here after the believers are taken.  It doesn’t matter!  All that matters is that He will come and take us believers with Him)

Harold Camping could be right.  It could be today jist as much as any other day.  But exactly when or how it will happen NO-ONE KNOWS.  According to the Bible, the “big event” will come as a surprise on an ordinary day jist like any other day.  Maybe a day when we least expect it – like a day when some pretender predicts it – a day jist like today.

I heard some women on the news say that if  Mr. Camping is right, he wins, but if he’s wrong we all win.  They have it so wrong and so right.  The believers I know welcome the day when Christ comes to take us with Him and ALL PEOPLE WILL BOW ON THEIR KNEES TO HIM.  Of course the non believers will soon find out their judgement and it won’t be a good day for them.  No wonder they think that if the world remains intact and whole it is a good day for them.

I, for one, can hardly wait to see my Savior, so that day WILL BE the best day of my life here, and it will be my entrance into eternity with God and His Son.  I don’t know, Eternity probably isn’t even measured in days.  It could be like one, endlessly beautiful GREAT DAY.

So how about y’all?  Will the last day be a great day for you, or a horrible day?  It is important that you think about that and be prepared.   The keys to Life or Death are layin’ on the table in front of you.  Please, please, my friend.  Choose LIFE!

Blessings to ya’ll,

Chaff Rantley

 

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I Will

19 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

Only look my way                                   

And I will love you

Like a whisper is to the shout

Of how Christ always has.

Only reach for me

And I will hold you close

Like a candle is to the furnace

Long kept aflame for you.

Only say the word

And I will lift your name to Heaven

Like one precious note is to His great symphony,

And these just a little like He will

When you say “YES”.

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His Nature Is Quite Simple To Explain . . . However . . .

19 Aug 2011 2 Comments

These ten-thousand gifts
These magnificent mysteries
This unquenched longing
This unlimited grace
Complexly simple, His Love ….
And simply amazing.

This is all I have at this moment.  I offer what I have ….

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Remember The Son’s Screen

27 Jun 2011 4 Comments

Seek, my friend, the Son of Man.

Screen the sun, or roast like ham.

The Son can heal and save you if you ask.

The sun can peel and kill you if you bask.

Life or death upon demand.

Choose life and seek the Son of Man.

 

By C. Rantley  (My first attempt at a pome.  Hope y’all like it.  Sincerely, Cousin Chaff)

 

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Be Careful What You Name Your Kids

15 Jun 2011 4 Comments

by Gloryteller in Bible, Christian Fiction, Christian Humor, Evangelism, Forgiveness, God, Good News, Jesus Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi friends, Chaff Rantley here agin. How are y’all?

I jist wanted to say i fergive all ya’ll who made fun of my name. I know what my name means. It is the husk of the wheat grain and it don’t have much value. It is thrashed off and blowed away and the Bible likens the wicked and evil doers to chaff. But God made them good to begin with and they made theirselves worthless by their choices and by listening to the evil one. Sometimes a persons name can bring him down. God would like them all to get back their value and they can by turnin around and makin Jesus the Lord of there life instead of there own sorry self bein lord. God’s grace is a valuable gift and when you get it, that makes you valuable agin, but you can only be eligible for to get it by choosing Jesus. You have to sign up to win the grand prize.

I dont know why my folks named me Chaff, i hope it wasnt to be mean but i dont know. Some people give kids goofy names jist to be different. They think they’s bein clever, but that aint funny. All I know is that Jesus is the name above all names and if i believe in His holy name mine dont matter much, but lotsa people dont know that yet.

So, folks if yer expecting a new little one, give some serious thought to the name he or she will have to carry around all their life.  Forgit all  them fad names or the name of the latest popular Hollywierd star.  Forgit yer whim of the moment or spelling Heaven backwards.  Neveah aint no kinda name.  Fergit namin them after common objects like “brick” or “mortar” or “chainsaw”.  And especially dont name them “chaff”.  Why add a burdensome name to all the other burdens they will have to carry through life? Ask God what to name them.  Why not give them a uplifting name?  This is Chaff and like my cousin says – I’m jist sayin………

To Obey Is Obsolete—–Not!

28 Apr 2011 6 Comments

Thanks, Kimmie at Journeytoepiphany for suggesting today’s Brite post!  All morning I have been hearing how Kate and William, the bride and groom in the upcoming royal wedding (royal pain in the neck to some,  hehe,  – and a royal pain in England’s Pocketbook, yikes)  are leaving the ‘obey‘ out of their vows.   Hopefully they know that to love someone is to want to obey them,     therefore obedience doesn’t have to be promised, but is taken as a given.  I still see it as a sign of trouble.  The cumulative worldview is crumbling.  Love and obedience are being snowplowed to the wayside to make room for selfishness and rebelliousness.

And:   Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23

“I can guarantee this truth: Whoever obeys what I say will never see death.” John 8:51

Want to obey?  These are essential:  Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  Matt 22:37  And:   The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”  Mark 12:31

Commanded to Love!  Implored to obey!  How can we not give Him our best shot?!

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I’ve Been Thinking: A Proposed Improvement in Blogging Terminology

26 Apr 2011 8 Comments

by Gloryteller in Christian Fiction, Good News, Inspirational Writing Tags: , , , ,

Indulge me a little silliness after such a serious week?

One of my friends stated in her blog that she doesn’t like the word “blog”.  I agree.  It looks and sounds like too many other repugnant words and needs to be replaced. (Although, I realize it is too deeply entrenched in the culture, by now, to be changed, but, hey, I’m an idealist)

The word “blog” is derived from ‘web log’, of course.  It originally described a site where people logged their daily activities.  Since then, these personal sites have evolved into much more for many people.  Many use them as a platform to showcase their writing, or photography, or any other artistic skills.  It is much more than logging now and deserves a more noble moniker.  So I’ve been thinking……..

The replacement needs to have a more positive ‘sound’ when it is both read and spoken.  It needs to be easy to say and read – preferably one syllable.

Let’s start with what is done on our sites.  It is writing.  Writing on the World Wide Web.

WEBWRITING.

Trim that down to BWRITING.  Then to BRITING.

BRITING sounds a bit better to me than blogging.

By extension we get a whole new set of terms:

A blog becomes a  brite.

To blog becomes to brite.

A blogger becomes a briter.

Blogging becomes briteing. 

The blogosphere becomes the britesphere.

Making the Net a happier place.  I’m just sayin’……….

Well, time to go, I have brites to post! 🙂

Rejoice! Rejoice With All Your Might! Rejoice!

24 Apr 2011 6 Comments

by Gloryteller in Bible, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christianity, Easter, God's Glory, Good News, Gospel, Inspirational Writing, Jesus Christ, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Worship Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way, about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Today is no different. Wait, it is different, for today is the Church’s official celebration of that creation-changing, world-changing, life-changing Day.  Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.  Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth,  for our Jesus is alive!  Let there be all of that, but, most importantly, let Him be the Lord of your life.

(This was written hurriedly, so please forgive its imperfection.)

 Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest

Of all the days of holiness,

For as the sun appears to rise

In the East,

The Son of God did arise

On Easter – Resurrection Day,

The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.

I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,

For my Savior lives!

Oh, Lord, He lives!

Now and forever, He lives!

And because He lives

So can I!

For my heart, too, was sealed

With hardened stone

And in that darkened tomb

Dwelt death.

With tender touch He moved

The hardened part away

To let in light and life

So death was put to death.

The Holy Spirit Jesus sent

Was sent to live in me.

As Christ began to breathe again

I felt my spirit leap.

It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm

So graciously removed from hell

That I can only raise my hands and say

Rejoice, all people, rejoice!

Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!

For our Savior lives and breathes in us.

He arose, he conquered bitter death, and saved.

He does that, still, today!

An excerpt from “My Joy”

By Len, Gloryteller Resurrection Sunday 4-24-2011

The Power of Jesus Upon the Cross

22 Apr 2011 Leave a comment

by Gloryteller in Christ, Christian Fiction, Christian Music, Easter, Forgiveness, God's Glory, Good News, Jesus Christ, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Worship Music Tags: , , , , , ,

I once again turn to Stuart Townend, together with Keith and Kristyn Getty, to express with music and images what cannot be expressed with words alone.  I pray that every heart that hears and sees this will be broken, transformed, and remade at the foot of that one horrible and glorious cross………..

Thank you victoryinjesus123 for uploading this beautiful video.

Things Beyond My Understanding

14 Apr 2011 2 Comments

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.    Proverbs 3:5

Way beyond my understanding.

All i know is

It was a miracle

And the miracle was a gift.

Delivered to crumbling doorstep

Outside my sagging door locked tight

Nailed shut.

Yet breached,

It sat inside on rotting floor

Shining to be opened.

To be believed past unbelief

By miracle, not my work.

Gift

It is salvation wrapped in grace undeserved.

The gift of faith to see hope once unseen.

A new heart unchained

Full with compassion

And repentance like a switching wind.

Heart to feel abundant love long unfelt

And eyes to see as i am seen

Then others too, the same.

And mercy, charity, a call to pray

A heart to sing, a heart to worship,

Hands to raise.

All unwrapped and taken out,

When gift, upon gift, inside gift, given

Then took away all fears and doubts

Healed my aching soul complete

And full and whole and more and more

A heart to tell of  gifts and Glory

Of  His Great Love,

And gratitude, a heart of thanks,

I thank you JESUS, thank you LORD!

That You should care for me,

To give me gifts,

Rebuild my house,

To give Yourself.

Miracles beyond my full understanding.

But nothing is beyond Yours!

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Listen To The Song Within

30 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by Gloryteller in Bible, Christianity, God's Glory, Good News, Inspirational Music Tags: , , ,

I just had to share this with everyone.  Since i often write about “the music inside”  my characters, i was pleasantly surprised when my friend Larry sent me this.  Watch this all the way to the end, then answer:  Which song would the stethoscope reveal inside you?

“He is our hope of sharing in God’s Glory!”  What a huge passage!

 

 

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I don't own, and have no claim on, these music videos. The following are simply links inside my website pointing back to the original locations of the videos. The names of the creators of these videos are cited wherever possible, and only "embedding-enabled" selections are used.

The Basic Christian Library

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. This is fundamentally what Christianity is all about.

"The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Another converted atheist presents His compelling case for believing in Jesus.

"Left To Tell" by Imaculee Ilibagiza. This profound work is her own extraordinary story of endurance, discovery of the Holy Spirit, grace, healing, and an astonishingly compelling account of the necessity for forgiveness.

Compelling Christian Fiction Reads

"The Circle" 4-book series by Ted Dekker.
A man is the bridge between two very different worlds. Sound familiar? Can he save both? This T.D. work is brilliant in my book.

"This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness" by Frank E. Peretti. Tales of spiritual warfare from a unique perspective. Stirred a small controversy, but sold millions. What are we Christians afraid of? Hey, it's fiction!

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