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Monday, January 19, 2009

THE PLAY-OFFS

Hello, I am a first-time blogger. I may not be a regular blogger but this poem was on my heart to write regarding life's battle.

THE PLAY-OFFS

The battle is intense, the PLAY-OFFS are
about to begin;
it will be played out, FROM WITHIN.
Play-offs: not to determine who will play
in the championship game,
but to see which of the two championship
teams will roster our name.
It is Good vs. evil: the teams are being
determined as of yet;
the jerseys have been ordered---name
plates will be set.

Ironically in life, when playing in the
physical;
little did I know I was benched in the real
game on the side of evil.
In ignorance of Truth, we are deceived;
but by asking Jesus into our heart
to be our Savior by faith, onto
His team of Good, we
can be received.
A person knows for sure from the Bible if
he or she is on Jesus’ side:
You are My disciples if in My Word you
abide (John 8:31).

We all feel the need to get fit,
but if just in the physical, we are truly
missing it.
True Christians---whether lacking a limb, in a
wheelchair, sick, or well,
all will suit up and are in the game plan to
fight against hell.

Strength is not muscle or something
achieved at the gym,
it comes from being hurt by many and
forgiving again and again.

Endurance is not gained by hours of
working out---
but by denying self of deep personal need,
suffering for another, and believing
in Truth without doubt.

Submission is a process we learn
throughout life,
if we obey The Coach, our life lacks strife.
Whatever the relationship, whatever the
pain, it is God’s Word I want to heed:
my lesson is not to let unwholesome talk
come from my mouth but only that
which is helpful for building others up
according to THEIR need (Ephesians 4:29).
Marriages are being attacked by the enemy;
do we abandon our hit loved one on
the field because we took some shrapnel---
or do we battle for Truth---no matter what---
against all evil?

Letting go of pride, which is not of our Lord,
of self-exaltation of any sort---
of anything against God’s Word which
threatens, “Be in our ‘prestigious’ group
of works or, of heaven, you are out.”
If we succumb to this falsehood of pride, to
these “clicks”---whether in high school
or as adults,
deception rules our lives, and we and/or our
children are open to Satan through
these cults.

We pour over the game plans from our
instruction manual:
Love your enemies
Bless those who hurt you
Put others ahead of yourself
and do not argue.
Our weapons are not weapons of the world,
they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of
God (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Through prayer, in summoning the God of
the Universe and His power,
we fear NOT as He is our Strong Tower.

We unite through the Holy Spirit worldwide
to fight the good fight--- to play hard,
we must be on the same page;
in humility, in truth, with Christ as our
focus---the war is staged.
We know the outcome---read first the end;
but all know that no Victory has ever come
without a battle to the end.

There is a ball to be passed, called Truth
history happened in only ONE way,
no rewinding to compensate for each
person’s say.
Each goal…a soul; the stakes are high---we
know them well;
the prize for victory---no trophy, but the ecstasy
of everlasting heaven, and for the
losers, the torment of
everlasting hell.
We sound the battle cry across the land:
for TRUTH, Jesus Christ, we STAND!
Who will respond to His call?
“I want to play; give me the ball.”

Jolene Musselman