The Holy Cure

Posted on Jan 14, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Depression, Discouragement, Encouragement, Hope, Poems | Tags: , ,

When mentors fail, and winds prevail;

When worlds collide, and foes assail;

When pressure mounts without retreat;

When crushed like harvest grains of wheat;

 

Fall on your knees for only there

Is found a hope beyond the care.

Lift up your voice in prayer and praise,

Your spirit stirred, your heart ablaze.

Resist the urge to fight alone;

Dependence comes before the throne.

The holy cure in great despair-

Found only in a time of prayer.

 

When tribulation makes its mark;

When mountains rise, and valleys dark;

When gospel-truths seem out of reach;

When friendly words are but a speech;

 

Fall on your knees for only there

Is found a hope beyond the care.

Lift up your voice in prayer and praise,

Your spirit stirred, your heart ablaze.

Resist the urge to fight alone;

Dependence comes before the throne.

The holy cure in great despair-

Found only in a time of prayer.

 

When heart and soul is wrenched by sin;

When Satan lurks with evil grin;

When loss is felt like Job of old;

When conflicts, fights are unresolved

 

Fall on your knees for only there

Is found a hope beyond the care.

Lift up your voice in prayer and praise,

Your spirit stirred, your heart ablaze.

Resist the urge to fight alone;

Dependence comes before the throne.

The holy cure in great despair-

Found only in a time of prayer.

 

When service for Christ becomes a chore;

When Scripture’s dull and quite a bore;

When church has lost all sense of worth;

When hymns of praise are void of mirth;

 

Fall on your knees for only there

Is found a hope beyond the care.

Lift up your voice in prayer and praise,

Your spirit stirred, your heart ablaze.

Resist the urge to fight alone;

Dependence comes before the throne.

The holy cure in great despair-

Found only in a time of prayer.


The Mini-Jubilee

Posted on Jan 14, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Poems, Rest, Sabbath | Tags: , ,

“Come apart and rest a while;”

Insistent on a low profile.

Time to let the mind unwind;

Hope pursued, and peace defined.

 

The hammock swings in gentle breeze;

The heart is finally at ease.

Strangers play in blue lagoon;

Lovers ‘neath the stars and moon.

 

Books are read; games are played;

Songs are sung; prayers are prayed.

Adventures sought, and memories formed;

In quietness, the soul is warmed.

 

Coastal flora beautifully arrayed;

A colony of seagulls, unafraid.

Anchored boats line the cove;

Sunset’s crimson red and mauve.

 

The pressure starts to dissipate;

Soul’s compass can recalibrate.

Words and thoughts begin to rise;

The world is seen through purer eyes.

 

Man was made with rest in mind;

A Sabbath day- God designed.

Time away beside the sea

Is like a mini-Jubilee!

 

~ By Daniel Kriss,
September 14th 2019

(On the advent of a long-awaited holiday)

 


The Pastor

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Leadership, Pastor, Poems, Shepherding | Tags: , ,

The pastor is a man at best;

Prone to sin, and oft distressed.

Juggling tasks of wider scope;

Strength from God- his only hope.

 

The pastor leads his precious flock;

Scripture’s treasures to unlock.

Often not from wealthy stock;

Sermons governed by the clock.

 

The pastor has a lonely trade;

Overworked and underpaid.

Church expectations when they hire-

Found alone in the Messiah.

 

The pastor knows a deeper pain;

The burdens are a constant strain.

A shepherd, leader, mentor, mate;

A godly life to demonstrate.

 

The pastor has a family too-

A wife to lead in love that’s true.

Called to manage household well;

Through times of ease or troubled spell.

 

The pastor must discern what’s right;

Whilst guarding soul with gospel light.

In ceaseless battle he does fight;

The Celestial City within sight.

 

The pastor is engaged in prayer;

Sunday’s sermon to prepare.

Distracted time from reading chair;

The needs of others everywhere.

 

The pastor will be judged one day-

His life, the church, and every way.

Before the Lord He’ll give account;

This weighty truth- do not discount!

 

The pastor can dejected be;

Betrayed and blamed unlawfully.

In grace and love he must respond;

The faults and sin he looks beyond.

 

The pastor has such little rest;

Personal struggles oft suppressed.

Holidays and time aside;

By circumstances are denied.

 

The pastor loves you very much;

And does his best to stay in touch.

He walks with you through grief and mirth;

He has the hardest job on earth!

 

By Daniel Kriss, June 12, 2018

(Meditations on the Ministry)

 


The Preacher’s Privilege

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Bible Study, Leadership, Pastor, Poems, Preaching, Shepherding | Tags: , , ,

THE SCENE:

The antique desk is beckoning;

Old Saxon wood-fire is crackling;

A charm of magpies warbling;

Sounds and scenes converging.

 

Gum tree leaves are swaying;

Darkened sky is threatening;

The percolator is brewing;

Preacher’s mind awakening.

 

THE WORK

Sheepskin hide: a kneeling post;

Guidance from the Holy Ghost.

The lamp is lit, the quill is wet;

Heart engaged, and mind is set.

 

The gilded pages now are read;

With rays of light, the soul is fed.

Conviction falls like drops of rain;

Cleansing given from every stain.

 

Night about begins to fall;

Noise abates; birds’ final call.

The manuscript is now compiled;

Words and phrases wisely styled.

 

The paperwork is now complete;

Pow’r required from mercy seat.

Now deep into the fearsome night

The devil comes to pick a fight.

 

Sleep evades; The mind beset;

The weary heart tries not to fret.

Preacher strives in vain to rest;

Instead, through prayer, is truly blessed.

 

THE SUMMIT

Sunday morning comes at last!

The battle of the night has passed.

The time has come to pray and sing;

To preach, to lead in worshipping.

 

From peaceful scenes to stirring nights;

From spiritual slopes to lofty heights;

The long and lonesome pilgrimage;

This is the preachers privilege.

 

By Pastor Daniel Kriss (September 7, 2019)

Contemplating the many moods, tones, and scenes surrounding the preacher’s study of God’s Word.

The Simple Things

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Nature, Poems | Tags: , ,

The clutter of life- it’s noise and feuds;

“Essential activity”, our soul concludes.

 

To read, to laugh, to stop and see;

Observe the bird in yonder tree.

A story told in natural springs;

The life that’s awed by simple things.

 

How much is missed through vain pursuits-

Of wealth and fame – poor substitutes.

 

To wander through the evergreens,

Mountain tops and deep ravines.

The heart unfettered freely sings;

The life that’s marked by simple things.

 

Hollow-eyed and gaunt you’ll be-

For missing life’s simplicity.

 

To perch upon a bale of hay,

And watch the dawning of the day.

To strum and pluck the banjo strings-

The life that’s filled with simple things.

 

In spite of Adam’s ruined race

Behold! The world of common grace!

 

To plant a seed expectantly;

To eat it fruits indulgently.

The sunset and the eagle’s wings-

The life that sees God’s simple things.

 

~ By Daniel Kriss

28th August, 2019


The Unborn Child

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Abortion, Children, Poems | Tags: , ,

A beating heart and body formed;
God’s image-bearer yet unnamed.
The parent’s world to be transformed;
Heaven’s gift was God-ordained.
 
To think that some this life would kill
For selfish reasons it is so.
Murderous acts against God’s will;
Brutal death, no chance to grow.
 
A world where science reigns supreme-
Licence to kill – a woman’s right.
The Devil’s clever ruthless scheme;
The helpless babe unable to fight.
 
“Save the whales but slay the child”
The world in glad applause.
Depraved we are, beyond defiled;
Voiceless for the foetal cause.
 
Silent, morbid- hellish scene-
A doctor scrapes within the womb.
Dismembered child- a view obscene;
Procedure done, life’s norm resume.
 
Pre-meditated Homicide –
Considered as the utmost crime
Unless unborn, is justified,
Their death is planned ahead of time.
 
Make no mistake, God is displeased;
Judgement day will set things right.
The evildoer will be seized;
The unborn child with heav’n’s birthright! 
 
Written by Daniel Kriss (25th May 2019)
(Written in response to articles promoting abortion clinics and women’s rights movement)

The Wastelands of Discouragement

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Depression, Discouragement, Encouragement, Gospel, Hope, Poems | Tags: , ,

The beauty of the meadows fair

Replaced by barren deserts bare.

Eden’s lush and fruitful land

Exchanged for rocks and scorching sand.

 

The Scriptures read, the prayers are prayed;

The nights are cold- the soul dismayed.

The howling wolves; the bitter thirst;

Sojourning through a land accursed.

 

En Gedi’s springs cannot be found;

Pilgrim’s corpses all around.

Sinai’s burning bush concealed;

Canaan’s path is unrevealed.

 

All strength is sapped, no fight is left;

The spirit crushed, the soul bereft.

Abandoned, lost, and heart forlorn;

My friends-  the brier and the thorn.

 

Waterless dunes and arid planes;

The sandy storms and hurricanes.

These all attempt to overthrow

The truth within my soul I know.

 

Like Jesus from the Jordan led,

By Spirit to the tempter’s dread.

Though hungered, weary and deprived,

Strength to fight from God derived.

 

O weary desert trav’ller see;

Beyond Elijah’s juniper tree.

A rigid hope that stands secure-

The cross, the grave, the double-cure.

 

The wastelands of discouragement,

Fought by gospel armament.

Only by God’s truth applied,

Are desert seasons sanctified.

 

~ By Daniel Kriss, June 27, 2018

(Dealing with Discouragement)


The Wonder of it All

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Awe, Creation, Nature, Poems | Tags: , ,

The lily, rose, and daffodil;

The pigment greens of chlorophyll.

Honey bees in search of pollen;

Weeping willow, visage fallen.

 

The radiant beams of golden sun;

A spider’s silky web is spun.

The warbling call of birds at dawn;

The graceful deer protects her fawn.

 

The raging, tumbling cataract;

A treasured, ancient artefact.

The dense, grey nimbus clouds arise;

Thunder’s voice without disguise.

 

The rugged mountains veiled in mist;

A lark – world’s finest vocalist.

The whistling wind amidst the trees;

The ranging colours of the seas.

 

The parsley, thyme, and tarragon;

The non-metallic silicon.

The meadows opulent and lush;

The sunset hues from God’s paintbrush.

 

The slow approach of garden snail;

The vastness of the humpback whale,

Wonder grips each tribe and nation;

God’s pow’r displayed in all creation.

 

~ By Daniel Kriss, May 26, 2018


The Word of God

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Poems |

Like rain upon a thirsty land;

As sword within a soldier’s hand;

Like fire that burns the dross away;

As food for pilgrims on the way.

 

The Word of God alive and fresh;

The power to overcome the flesh;

A fount of wisdom from above;

The story of redemptive love.

 

Like milk for babes in infancy;

And truth without discrepancy;

Like solid food for saints mature;

Instructive truth, the soul secure.

 

The Word of God alive and fresh;

The power to overcome the flesh;

A fount of wisdom from above;

The story of redemptive love.

 

Like drippings from the honeycomb;

As gold amidst a world of chrome;

Like anchor ‘neath a troubled boat;

More precious than all anecdote.

 

The Word of God alive and fresh;

The power to overcome the flesh;

A fount of wisdom from above;

The story of redemptive love.

 

Like seed upon the fertile ground;

The preacher’s power to expound;

Like anvil in the blacksmith’s shed;

The book for which the martyrs bled.

 

 

The Word of God alive and fresh;

The power to overcome the flesh;

A fount of wisdom from above;

The story of redemptive love.

 

Like mirror shows our faults and flaws,

Revealing truth and all God’s laws.

Like light and lamp dispel the night;

A map preceding glory bright.

 

The Word of God alive and fresh;

The power to overcome the flesh;

A fount of wisdom from above;

The story of redemptive love.


This Local Church

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 by Daniel Kriss in Poems |

We enter in with one accord;

Reverent hearts before the Lord.

The law of love, without discord;

The church where Scripture is explored.

 

We plead your Spirit to convey;

Conviction, pow’r, without delay.

The Master Potter- we the clay;

Mould and make us in your way.

 

We sing the faithful hymns of old;

Your name and glory we uphold.

Rejoice in prophecies foretold;

Blessings seen a hundredfold.

 

We bow in holy prayer and say,

“As wand’ring sheep we go astray,

Forgive us, lead us, through this day,

Empower us within the fray.”

 

We fellowship with kindred souls-

More vital than the casseroles.

The tea and coffee, scones and scrolls,

Cannot replace united coals.

 

We hug and kiss with love sincere;

Encouraging in godly fear.

Our hearts entwined in love so dear;

To all the world our faith is clear.

 

We marshal thoughts and concentrate;

As preacher, truths disseminate.

Our souls, the Scriptures penetrate;

Revival comes, we celebrate.

 

We are a called-out family;

Though sinful wretches formerly.

God grace applied so lavishly;

And all because of Calvary.

 

We clung in pride to sin’s wide perch;

All hope was lost, left in the lurch.

The blood of Christ has washed the smirch;

And called us to this local church.

 

~ By Daniel Kriss, 26th May, 2018

(Written for Mt. Cathedral Community Baptist Church)


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