To Live Is Christ

 To Live Is Christ

By George Thurlow

 

Copyright December 12, 1995

 

 I have no desire for riches;

I have no need for fame.

My only goal is to live for you,

And to glorify your name.

 

I don't have much to offer

By the standards of this earth,

For I am citizen of heaven

By virtue of new birth.

 

To be like Christ is ridiculed;

The world thinks He is weak.

"Me" and "Mine" is in today;

Humility isn't chic.

 

But as for me to live is Christ

And to die is gain.

Though it may cost hardship

Struggle, toil, and pain.

 

The worldly only have right now

Then all will soon be gone.

They freely deal their souls away

For what they think is fun.

 

But as for me, my Lord I'll serve

Without one hesitation.

My name is in the Book of Life

I have made my reservation.

 

 

Philippians 1:21

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 

 



Faith Lighthouse

 Faith Lighthouse

By George Thurlow

 

Copyright December 2, 1995

 

Lord I'll meet you at the altar

For early morning prayer.

In the stillness of this empty church

I love to meet you there.

 

Faith Lighthouse is my haven;

It's a rest from the race.

It's here in the solitude

I meet you face to face.

 

It's a little bit of heaven

Where we can be alone,

Away from all distractions

It's here I feel at home.

 

And I thank you for this Lighthouse

In the sea of strife.

It's here that I seek refuge

From all the toils of life.

 

Here you renew my strength

To face another day.

It's here you take my burdens

And roll the clouds away.

 

Sometimes I sit and listen

For your still small voice.

Sometimes I sing praises

And make a joyful noise.

 

It's in this blessed quietness

You lift me high above;

My troubles are forgotten

In your warmth and love.

 

Oh everyday I'll meet you here

So we can be alone.

Faith Lighthouse is my haven

Until you call me home.

My favorite place to get alone with God in prayer and fellowship is my church, Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It is also where the Holy Spirit has given me many poems to write over the years. This particular poem is actually a song about my secret place or prayer closet if you will.

 

"Cross" Examination

"Cross" Examination

By George Thurlow

 

Cpoyright April 26, 1998

 

If I was arrested for Jesus' sake,

If I was put on trial,

Would there be convincing evidence

To make it worth the while?

 

After thorough investigation

Of the details of my life,

Would those findings indicate

That I had been with Christ?

 

Would the tracks I left behind me

Become a trail of clues?

 Guilty by association,

As a disciple stand accused?

 

Would displayed before the courtroom

As exhibit number one,

Be a line of converts

This defendant for Christ had won?

 

Would all my deeds and actions

Make it plain to see,

Beyond the shadow of a doubt

A Christian I must be?

Acts 4:13

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Your Faith Will Make You Whole

Your Faith Will Make You Whole

By George Thurlow

 Copyright September 21, 2015

 

According to your faith

Be it unto you.*

You can trust God's promises

They're absolutely true.

 

Reach out and touch His garment;

Connect with Him in faith.

See circumstances changing

And answers taking place.

 

Take a hold of Jesus.

Speak the Word and just believe.

Put your faith in action

In order to receive.

 

Oh the power of the spoken Word

When you speak the Word and say,

Has the power to cause a mountain

To get up and walk away.

Matthew 9:20-22

²⁰ And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
²¹ For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
²² But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

 
*Matthew 9:27-29

²⁷ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
²⁸ And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
²⁹ Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

 

 

Mark 11:23-24

²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

 



The Sea Of God's Forgetfulness

 

The Sea Of God's Forgetfulness

By George Thurlow

 

Copyright May 11, 1998

 

Oh accuser of the brethren

You have no fishing rights,

In the sea of God's forgetfulness,

 Through Christ's Blood I am made right.

 

Don't drag up from the bottom

Those sins that have been tossed.

For I have been forgiven

My Savior paid the cost.

 

My sins are long forgotten.

I no longer stand condemned.

It's in vain that you accuse me

For my Father says "What sin?".

 

You may search the whole wide ocean,

But you will never find

Any sin that you can salvage

Or to the Father bring to mind.

 

Micah 7:19

"He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities;

and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea".

 

This poem was inspired after hearing Pastor Merle L. Mitchell say 'The devil has no right to go fishing in the sea of God's forgetfulness." Sermon delivered 5/10/98 in the evening service at Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

 

 



Cast Not Away Your Confidence

Cast Not Away Your Confidence

By George Thurlow

 

Copyright February 13, 2000

 

Do not feel discouraged;

In trials start feeling glum.

Remember what God has promised,

There are better things to come.

 

Even though in conflict

While the battle rages on,

God grants strength and courage

To keep on keeping on.

 

We are overcomers

Through the Blood of Christ.

 By our word of testimony

There's victory o'er the strife.

 

Cast not away your confidence.

Keep on trusting God.

For there is great recompence

And heavenly reward.

 

 

Hebrews 10:35

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward".

 

Revelation 12:11

"And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death".

Security Of The Fold

Security Of The Fold

By George Thurlow

 

Copyright October 13, 1997

 

Oh kind and gentle Shepherd

I'll walk with You today.

You be the one to choose the path,

Guide and direct my way.

 

I trust You with all my being.

I don't know what today will bring,

But I'm satisfied in knowing

You'll see me through everything.

 

In You there's complete assurance,

That for me You know what's best.

I cast off all fears and worries;

In Your care I feel at rest.

 

I will not stray or wander.

I'll feed on Your Holy hill,

And drink from Your cool clear water

Where I am completely filled.

 

This sheep will heed his Master's voice

And do as he is told,

To dwell in Your peaceful pastures

In the security of the fold.

Make Sure

Make Sure

By George Thurlow

Copyright September 14, 2015

 

 

Are you fully persuaded,

Are you truly sure,

If you were to die today

Your soul would be secure?

 

Are you actually certain,

Beyond a shadow of a doubt,

Of the place where you are going

When your time has run all out?

 

Have your sins all been forgiven?

Have you Jesus in your heart?

Have you surrendered your life to Him

Or are you walking in the dark?

 

Things of earth are just temporal;

Life can change in but a day.

Is your foundation on a bed of sand

Unstable in all its ways?

 

Are you certain of your destiny?

Once dead your fate is sealed.

Now is the time to make sure

Eternity is all so real.

 

Only Jesus is the passage way

For He is Heaven's Door.

They who believe and trust in Him

Have salvation evermore.

 

Our bodies are only mortal,

The soul and spirit never die.

Do you desire Heaven?

Right now you must decide.

 

There is a hell awaiting

That has no exit door,

And by default you choose it

If Jesus you ignore.

 

 

This poem was inspired this morning of the Holy Ghost through a powerfully anointed sermon delivered by Rev. Merle L. Mitchell entitled "Are You Sure?" given at Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God Old Orchard Beach, ME on 9/13/2015 in the morning service.






Seeing Him Who Is Invisible

Seeing Him Who Is Invisible

By George Thurlow

Copyright September 11, 2015 

In these days of peril

How's a Christian to endure?

By seeing Him Who is invisible

Through Christ our hope's secured.

 

No evil report shall move thee

When stayed on Jesus Christ.

He will keep one's heart in perfect peace

In the midst of worldly strife.

 

Look upon those things invisible

Not seen with the naked eye.

Set your affection on those things above

Looking homeward towards the sky.

 

All earthly things shall pass away,

Keep focused on the prize.

Our light affliction is but a moment

In view of eternal life.

Hebrews 11:26-27
²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

 

 

 



Roots of Bitterness

 

 

Roots of Bitterness

By George Thurlow

 

There is a danger lurking

Destructive to the soul,

An evil stealthy weapon

Designed to take control.

 

The spirit of unforgiveness

Forming bitter roots,

That bringeth forth corruption

Producing poisoned fruit.

 

Stemming from resentment,

Or an insult long ago...

Unfairness or injustice

One never could let go.

 

Hiding 'neath the surface,

Oblivious to the mind,

Such bitterness and anger

Has kept one's life confined.

 

Manifested now in subtle ways:

 Sickness, chronic pain,

Depression, fear, anxiety

A captive, bound in chains.

 

But through the Blood of Jesus

Those fetters can be snapped;

By surrendering  all the bitterness

You'll escape from satan's trap.

 

By forgiving the offender

Laying the anger at the Cross

Christ will heal your wounded heart

And purge you of the dross.

 

 

Hebrews 12:15

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled".

 

 

 

 

 



Take Heed To Watch And Pray

Take Heed To Watch And Pray

By George Thurlow

 

Would you be found sleeping

Should the Master come today?

For no one knows the hour,

Take heed to watch and pray.

 

Would you be found worthy

To escape the coming wrath?

Or left behind to suffer

 The coming aftermath?

 

Has your heart become divided?

Have you compromised your stand?

Are you focused heavenward

For the coming Son of Man?

 

Would you be found faithful

Should the Lord return today:

Taking careful diligence

As from the path not sway?

 

Christians stay allegiant

And to the Lord obey.

Listen to the Master warn

Take heed to watch and pray.

 
This poem was given to me this morning at Goosefare Brook by the Holy Spirit  as I reflected on the sermons yesterday in both the morning and evening services preached by Rev. Merle L. Mitchell at Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
Messages entitled "Distractions" and "Focused" based on Mark 13:32-37 and Matthew 24: 42-57.

 



Snatched Away

Snatched Away

By George Thurlow

 

Oh the time is coming,

The day so very near,

The sounding of the trumpet

Shall call us out of here.

 

That awaited blissful moment,

The hope throughout the years,

Is suddenly upon us

At the portal He appears!

 

Christ descends from heaven

With a mighty shout.

The archangel blows the trumpet;

It's time to snatch us out.

 

The watchful wait is over.

The command's so loud and clear:

"Come up hither" is the cry;

Saints the time is here.

 

Then no earthly gravitation

Will ever hold us down,

For in the twinkling of an eye

We'll tread on higher ground.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

 ¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



Jellyfish Christians

 

 

Jellyfish Christians

By George Thurlow

 

Don't be a jellyfish Christian

All flesh and no back bone,

Not committed to anything,

Free loading rolling stones.

 

Accomplishing nothing of lasting value.

Just floating and drifting along.

Stinging and poisoning others;

Not attached for very long.

 

Yet so unlike their cousins

The coral of the sea,

Who attach themselves to solid rock

And live in colonies.

 

And firmly they are anchored

When united form a reef,

But the source of their amazing strength

Is the solid rock beneath.

 

From this we can learn a lesson:

We need others to stand strong,

For support and nourishment

Of the saintly throng.

 

And for a firm foundation

Stay attached to Christ;

Or like the drifting jellyfish

We'll lead fruitless, useless lives.

 

Poem inspired by an illustration from a sermon called "Lively Stones" (1 Peter 2:4-8)

Preached by Rev. Merle L. Mitchell ,Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God, Old Orchard Beach,

ME on 8/23/98.



A Listening Heart

 

 

 

A Listening Heart

By George Thurlow

 

Today I come before you Lord

To seek you face to face,

And to feel your awesome presence

In this quiet place.

 

I've left my cares and burdens

Right outside the door,

For I know that you'll take care of them

As you have always done before.

 

I come here just to be with you,

Free from distraction and from noise;

Just to sit and listen

For your still small voice.

 

Lord give me a listening heart

And still my rambling thoughts.

I put my mind under subjection

So I can hear you talk.

 

I come here just to worship

With no petitions or requests:

Just to commune and fellowship

And to seek your rest.

 

I've shut out the world Lord

And have left it far behind.

I give you my full attention

Spirit, body, mind.

 

I'll quietly sit and listen

And on you I will wait,

Till I feel your warmth surrounding me,

The Holy Ghost's embrace.

 

Lord give me a listening heart.

Drive  hindering thoughts away,

So I am free to seek you,

To hear what the Spirit will say.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13

 

1 Kings Chapter 19

¹¹ And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; [but] the LORD [was] not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; [but] the LORD [was] not in the earthquake:
¹² And after the earthquake a fire; [but] the LORD [was] not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
¹³ And it was [so], when Elijah heard [it], that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, [there came] a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

The Power Of His Name

 

 

The Power Of His Name

By George Thurlow

 

What wondrous power and boldness

Obtained through Jesus name;

Lets the pilot light within us

Become a dancing flame.

 

It makes the demons tremble,

Sends satan on the run,

Gets back what he has stolen,

Make strongholds come undone.

 

It binds the enemy's power.

Christ's name he must obey;

With no strength to stand against it

He backs down without delay.

 

In Christ's name we have authority

To tear down the gates of hell;

Go in and snatch the prisoners

Held captive in his cells.

 

In Christ's name we have the victory

To overcome the foe.

When we use the name of Jesus

All demons have to go.