JESUS BETRAYED BY A FRIEND: KISS OF JUDAS, KISS OF DEATH

KISS OF JUDAS, KISS OF DEATH

God had devised a Master plan,

And the end was about to start.

His Son He sent to earth to die,

And Judas would play a part.

Treasurer to the twelve,

Is the position he was given

When Christ gave Judas this task, He knew,

By money he was driven.

His love for money filled his heart,

And every time he stole,

Satan would get a piece of him,

‘Til he finally had his soul.

For Satan also had a plan,

In which Jesus would have to die.

To bring his plan to fruition,

On Judas he would rely.

Thirty pieces of silver were offered,

To Judas, whose heart was cold.

By this friend, His chosen disciple,

The Son of God was sold.

The twelve were having supper,

With Jesus, it would be their last.

Christ broke the bread and poured the wine,

Then to each the communion was passed.

“Someone here will betray me,”

Said Jesus to them that day.

“Is it I,” “Is it I,” the disciples asked.

Judas then ran away.

Judas was God’s instrument,

But he still had a choice,

Though he was called to learn from Christ,

He chose to ignore His voice.

Jesus went to the garden,

With three of his friends to pray.

But guess who came with soldiers,

And gave his location away.

“Which is Jesus,” the soldiers asked,

“I’ll kiss him,” Judas said.

And so the kiss of Judas,

Became the kiss of death.

Jesus was whipped and spat upon,

They treated Him like dung.

He was forced to carry a cross up a hill,

And on it He was hung.

The devil was done with Judas.

And Judas was filled with strife.

He came to his senses, then was so distraught,

He chose to end his life.

Jesus also died,

And so the story goes,

Though he was placed in a borrowed grave,

On the third day he arose.

“The fall” of Adam and Eve,

And every person in every nation,

Was by Christ’s death forgiven;

His death brought us salvation.

Satan’s little plan was foiled.

It is now clearly understood,

What Judas meant for evil,

God meant for the good.

Becky Wall

LIKELY STORIES ON JUDGMENT DAY

LIKELY STORIES ON JUDGMENT DAY

When an angel heralds, “Here comes the Judge!”

What will be your plea?

Will you bargain to get your sentence reduced,

To sin in the second degree?

Will you say you couldn’t help yourself,

From uncontrollable advances,

Or your parents made you what you are;

You’re a victim of circumstances?

Will you put on a humble face,

And pretend sincerity,

In a roundabout way blame others,

Or claim insanity?

You can plead The Fifth if you want;

Better to admit you blew it.

Never, ever use the defense,

“The devil made me do it.”

You can use in your final arguments,

“There was sin, but I didn’t do it.”

It will never help your case to insist,

“That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.”

A sentence of hell will not be reduced,

It won’t help to cry and wail.

Don’t bother to call a bondsman,

For you won’t get out on bail.

Beg now for mercy and pardon;

From Jesus, who came to save.

He died in your place, by proxy;

Your sins will be sent to His grave.

Becky Overturf Wall

This is just a play on words. In all seriousness, we are saved by grace and Jesus forgives sin when we ask and when we turn from those sins. But there are those who thumb their noses at God and rely on his love and mercy to get them to heaven regardless of the condition of their heart or whether or not they have a relationship with the Lord.

3-PART STORY OF SAMSON: THE RIDDLER, FOXFIRE & SAMSON BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE

THREE PART STORY OF SAMSON

Part 1: The Riddler

(Judges 14:10 - 15:2)

Samson was set apart by God,

To be a Nazarite.

He was never to cut his hair,

For in it was his might.

From among the Philistine people,

Samson took a wife.

A string of events were set in motion,

That would one day end his life.

It started with fun at the wedding,

With a riddle he would amuse.

The prize was 30 pairs of clothes,

And no one wanted to lose.

When the answer escaped the Philistines,

They sought out Samson’s wife.

They told her she must help them,

Or she would lose her life.

She cried to her husband for several days,

And when told how the riddle was solved,

She promptly told the Philistines,

Then the worst of events evolved.

God’s Spirit came over Samson,

Who killed thirty of their men.

He took their clothes and paid his debt,

But, oh, what would happen then.

The tit for tat continued,

To another his wife was given.

When Samson went to see her,

With his best man she was livin’.

Part 2: Foxfire

(Judges 15:3 - 20)

Samson gathered 300 foxes,

In pairs their tails were tied.

When lit, they became torches,

In the crops they ran far and wide.

The fire burned through the vineyards,

Through olive groves it spread.

When the enemy got their own revenge,

Samson’s wife and her father were dead.

Samson retaliated,

And many more he slayed.

Then he returned to Judah,

Where in a cave he stayed.

The Philistines went to Judah,

To seek the strong man out.

The townspeople were afraid,

They feared what would come about.

And so they chastised Samson,

For causing them such fear.

They tied him with new ropes,

Which he broke as his foes came near.

The Spirit of the Lord came on Samson,

And he grabbed a donkey’s jawbone.

He used it to slay a thousand men;

After that he was left alone.

But there is more to the story;

His actions would not be forgotten.

Another woman would catch his eye,

And her intentions were rotten.

Part 3: Samson Brought Down the House

(Based on Judges 15:21 - 16:31)

Samson led Israel 20 years,

Though still the Philistines reigned.

God’s plan would then unfurl;

It’s why Samson was ordained.

It began with a dame named Delilah,

Who was but a beautiful witch.

If she could learn where he got his strength,

The Philistines would make her rich.

She tested three answers Samson gave,

After he fell asleep in the room.

She tied him with leather and next new ropes,

Then wove his braids on a loom.

But Samson grew tired of her nagging,

It was more than he could bear,

So he finally disclosed the truth to her:

His strength was in his hair.

She ran and told the Philistines.

While he slept, they shaved Samson bald.

That was when God left him.

After that, Samson was mauled.

They put him in bronze shackles,

And they gouged out both of his eyes,

They made him grind in prison.

A loose tongue is never wise.

Soon his hair began to grow,

Though not as long as before.

Samson prayed, “Oh Sovereign God,

Strengthen me once more.”

A party was held at the temple,

To offer a sacrifice.

The god they served was Dagon,

Whose worshipers would pay a price.

Samson stood by two pillars;

The pillars held up the temple.

He was brought there to entertain,

And the act he chose was simple.

He pushed the pillars with all his might,

He had everyone’s attention.

And when the temple collapsed,

There was a permanent intermission.

Leaders and important people all died —

Three thousand who made God frown.

When Samson entertained them,

One could say he brought the house down.

Becky Wall

A SELFISH MAN'S VERSION OF "THE LORD'S PRAYER")

A SELFISH MAN'S VERSION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER

While our lips utter the Lord’s Prayer, our hearts often say another.

It goes something like this:

My servant, Who art in heaven,

Hollow is Thy name.

My own kingdom come; my own will be done,

On earth, and later in heaven.

Give me this day--gimme, gimme, gimme.

And forgive me my trespasses,

But don’t expect me to forgive others.

Bail me out when I give in to temptation,

And deliver me from the consequences of sin,

For in my kingdom I will wield power,

And expect glory forever.  A man.

From the gospel according to Becky Wall

The Queen James Version

(Based on Matt. 6:9-13 KJV)

CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS: A WIN OR LOSE SITUATION

A WIN OR LOSE SITUATION

(Eph. 6:10-20, Num. 11:23, Lk. 24:38, I Th. 5:8, I Cor. 9:26, Acts 18:9, Phpp. 3:13-15)

Are you a winner who has no doubt,

That with God all things can be done?

You never grow weary, don’t look back,

Press on ‘til a crown you have won?

As a soldier of God, you’re fully prepared,

With your shield of faith in your hand;

The breastplate of truth is on your chest;

You are ready to take a stand?

Or do you think God’s arm is too short,

That every silver lining has a cloud,

Grow weary when you try to do good;

Are you overladen with doubt?

Do you beat at the air with your fists,

So out-of-shape and unprepared?

Are you unequipped for God’s army;

You won’t even speak--you’re too scared?

If God calls you to a challenge,

Will you do it with all your heart,

Or will you listen to Satan,

And be defeated before you start?

Becky Wall

Do you recognize the war we fight between good and evil in this world? Do you sometimes feel like you/we are winning the war and do you at other times feel you/we are losing?

ESTHER: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

(Esther)

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

The king of Persia ruled many lands,

But he also liked to party.

He was celebrating with many one day,

And told them to party hearty.

Queen Vashti had a separate one,

That included only women.

They would be away from the drunkenness,

That was usual among the men.

During the party the king got drunk,

Then gave an order to the queen.

To wear just a crown and parade around,

He wanted her beauty to be seen.

The queen was quite insulted,

So she refused to obey.

The king was so angry he wanted her punished,

He just had to think of a way.

Before acting, he sought advice.

He was told his wife should be banished.

Another should take her place;

After that, the queen just vanished.

One young and beautiful girl,

From every province in the land,

Was made a part of his harem;

He would choose a wife on demand.

In the land lived Mordecai, a Jew;

And one day officials came.

They took his cousin whom he raised;

Esther was her name.

Esther was given seven maids,

For the king liked her right away.

She got the best place in the harem;

She was obviously going to stay.

For a year Esther was beautified,

Then she took her turn with the king.

He liked her best of all,

So Esther would wear the king’s ring.

Meanwhile two officials,
Conspired to end the king's life.
When Mordecai learned of the plot,
He told Esther, who was now the king's wife.

Later on impulse the king commanded:
To his noblemen all should bow.
But Mordecai bowed only to God;
He had made a personal vow.

This angered one of the noblemen;
Haman was the man's name.
He decided all of the Jews should die;
He would treat all ages the same.

Haman convinced the king to agree,
And so his decree was read.
The Jews were to all be killed;
A reward was placed on each head.

Mordecai and Esther had once saved the king,
Yet he didn't remember who.
Haman knew Mordecai was a Jew,
But he didn't know Esther was too.

The Jews were quite distraught;
They were fasting, weeping and wailing.
Some sat in sackcloth and ashes;
Others hearts were failing.

Esther saw that her uncle was troubled,
So she sent a courier to ask why.
Mordecai told him everything:
The Jews were all going to die.

The courier, a eunuch, told Esther,
The king's mercy she should seek.
Esther replied that she feared for her life;
The mere thought made her knees weak.

Mordecai cautioned Esther,
That in this circumstance,
A revolt would occur and her family would die;
This was their only chance.

Like a father he also told Esther,
To refuse would be remiss,
For God allowed her to be the queen,
For such a time as this.

Esther asked the Jews to fast,
And for three days and nights to pray.
She and her maids would do the same;
She would ask the king the fourth day.

She prayed that when she approached the king,
He would not be offended.
She knew her only chance to survive,
Was if his gold rod was extended.

The king was pleased to see Esther;
He wanted her to come.
He offered her anything she wanted,
Even up to half the kingdom.

She didn't tell him immediately;
She asked him to dinner instead.
Haman would be invited;
His last days were just ahead.

While at the dinner party,
Esther mentioned the king's new rule.
And how her family was going to die,
For the king had been played for a fool.

The king got angry and demanded,
"Who concocted this terrible plan?"
Esther pointed at Haman saying,
"That vile Haman is the man!"

Haman had ordered a pole be erected,

On which Mordecai was to be impaled.

But it was his and his sons’ who met that fate,

When his prideful, evil plot failed.

Many events have happened,

In the ancient days of yester,

But to this day the Jews celebrate,

The life-saving Feast of Esther.

Becky Wall

JEZEBEL: A MEAN QUEEN

JEZEBEL, A MEAN QUEEN

(I Kings 19 - II Kings 9)

 Most of Israel’s kings were bad,
Few were considered great.
King Ahab was the worst of all,
He made God quite irate.

Ahab married a foreign princess;
Jezebel was her name.
The daughter of a Phoenician king,
Her wickedness is still her fame.

Jezebel worshiped Baal,
King Ahab built a temple for him.
But God is a jealous God;
And so He was angry with them.

Ahab and Jezebel led the nation,
And idols were forbidden.
God wants no gods before Him,
And their brazen sin wasn’t hidden.

Sure enough, idol worship caught on;
It spread throughout the land.
Jezebel was so faithful to Baal,
That she didn’t fear God’s hand.

Near the palace was a neighbor’s vineyard,
Passed down through each generation.
Naboth was now the owner who,
Was approached by the king of the nation.

“Let me have your vineyard,” said Ahab.
To use for a vegetable garden.
Naboth refused for his ancestors’ sake;
His decline the king would not pardon.

Ahab said, "I’ll give you one better,
Or pay you what it’s worth."
But Naboth still refused the king,
And an evil scheme gave birth.

Ahab didn’t get his way,
So he went home in defeat.
Jezebel asked him why he was sad,
And why he refused to eat.

Ahab told her the story;
She thought that he was weak.
She told him to “Cheer up and eat,
I will get the vineyard you seek.”

She wrote to the elders and nobles,
To tell the people to fast.
Gather them together, she wrote;
It was then Naboth’s fate was cast.

“Seat Naboth where most can see him,” she said.
Her next words Satan would bring:
“Seat two scoundrels opposite him,
Who will say he cursed God and the king.”

The elders and nobles complied;
They showed Naboth no pity.
He was accused of blasphemy,
And was stoned outside of the city.

Jezebel then told Ahab,
“Naboth is now dead.
Go take control of his vineyard.”
So Ahab did as she said.

God sent Elijah to Ahab,
Since Naboth died by his hand.
To say, “This is what the Lord says,
‘You killed Naboth and took his land.’

‘In the place where Naboth died,
Is the place where you will die too.
As the dogs licked up his blood,
The same will happen to you.’

‘You did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
So disaster on you will fall.
Jezebel and your sons will die;
Death will call on them all.’

‘Dogs will eat her body;
And the bodies of the city dwellers.
The birds of the air will feed,
On the dead country fellers.’”

When Ahab heard these words,
He knew God would do what He said.
So he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth,
He was already mourning the dead.

When God saw humility,
He delayed the impending disaster.
But Ahab’s days were numbered,
With fate, God is the caster.

Jezebel Goes to the Dogs

Ahab’s humility didn’t last;
To false prophets he returned.
He hated God’s own prophet;
In other words, God he spurned.

Ahab and the king of Judah,
Joined forces to start a war.
They got advice from false prophets,
Which hurt God to the core.

The king of Judah asked for God’s prophet,
Which only made Ahab mad.
He called for God’s prophet, Micaiah, saying,
“He tells nothing good but all bad.”

The false prophets said “Go to war.
You will surely win.”
But Satan put words in their mouths,
Through a lying spirit within.

Micaiah warned against the war;
He told them to go home instead.
With that, he was put in prison,
Where he was fed water and bread.

So the two kings went to war.
Ahab wore a disguise.
But a random arrow found an open space,
The result of his listening to lies.

They propped him up in his chariot,
As the driver wheeled him about.
The battle raged on all day,
By evening he had bled out.

They washed the chariot in a harlot’s pool,
And in places where Ahab bled,
The dogs licked up his blood,
As the word from God had declared.

Ahab’s son was crowned the new king,
But God had a different plan.
He had Elisha send a prophet,
To anoint another man.

The man’s name was Jehu.
As a commander he was employed.
God told him to destroy Ahab’s house,
To avenge His servants they destroyed.

Jehu went to Naboth’s land,
Where he found Ahab’s son.
He shot Ahaziah through the heart,
While his chariot was on the run.

Then Jehu went near the palace.
The queen knew he’d pass just below,
So she painted her eyes and fixed her hair,
Then watched him from her window.

When Jehu approached the window,
Jezebel began to jeer.
“Who is on my side?” Jehu said.
Then he saw eunuchs behind her appear.

“Throw her down,” Jehu said.
When they did, she was trampled by horses.
The dogs ate all but her skull and hands,
And got rid of her evil forces.

In order to punish her evil deeds,
There could never be enough flogs.
Her death resembled her life;
One could say she went to the dogs.

Becky Wall

MOVIES: THE BIG PICTURE

A blockbuster plays across the screen,

Of the local movie show.

A crowd stood in line for tickets,

Then squeezed into each row.

The dialogue on the movie screen,

A subtle message sends.

The reel of each mind is still turning,

Long after the movie ends.

No moral is found to the story;

In fact, that’s the theme portrayed;

Good is bad, and bad is good,

Is the dominant message conveyed.

The glorified Hollywood values,

Are quickly embraced by youth,

Who do not fully understand:

In the message, there is no truth.

Consider each movie playing:

What message will you find?

What will be projected back,

Through the eye of your mind?

Becky Wall

ROMANS 7 IN RHYME

The Bible contains God’s law,

Which revealed that a sinner am I.

Because of God’s Word, my sins were exposed,

Yet I continue and don’t know why.

I don’t understand why I do what I do;

What I want to do, I do not.

Instead I do what I hate to do.

It is good that the law is taught.

How can it be I who do it?

It is sin in me, no doubt.

For I desire to do what is good,

But I cannot carry it out.

What I do is not the good I want;

The evil I hate I keep doing.

So if I do what I don’t want to do,

Then sin in me is still living.

This is the law at work in me:

Though I want to do good, I sin more.

My inner being delights in God’s law,

But my members are waging war.

On what a wretched man that I am!

I need rescued from condemnation.

Thanks be to God through Christ our Lord;

He has promised me full salvation.

I tried but I couldn’t save me from myself,

Yet the sin was replaced in me.

I no longer do what I don’t want to do;

Christ living in me set me free.

Becky Overturf Wall