Renewal

Do not be tainted by a love that is not God's.
Don't let innocence be spoiled by a wisdom

that is Earthly. Always remain as a child in

your own wisdom so that the greatness of 

God's Words can be allowed to enter into the

ears of your heart, so that you may grow up

into Him and remember no more the foolishness

of this present world. For there is a part of

you which can not understand His Words

and it would seek to rob you of His truth.

It is the mind of your first father, Adam, a

fleshly mind.

The Lord speaks and your heart receives, 

but your mind tries to intervene and to reason

with logic. Oppose that which is at enmity with 

God, and receive into your heart only that which

is pleasing to Him - His Words, which are

Spirit and Life.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, don't

lean on your own understanding; acknowledge 

Him in all your ways, and He shall direct you path'

Proverbs ch. 3 vs. 5 and 6.

Peddler of death

This is a song that I wrote some years ago, that I sang out in the streets with my friend, and also in a prison when I was a prison visitor.

There's a guy in the street
looks like you - looks like me
and he's trying to sell his wares

but he's making his living from misery

maybe yours - maybe mine - who cares

and he's hoping you'll walk right up to him and say

'Look, how much does what you've got cost?'

Then He'll say 'You can try before you buy'

but son if you do then you're lost

Say 'No' to the peddler of death my friend

he'll take you for all you can give

Tell him you'd rather not follow the trend

tell him you'd much rather live

There's a girl in your class

that you've known for a while

she likes discos and dances, like you

but one day she will come with a wry little smile

and say 'Hey have you tried sniffing glue?

And she'll tell you that all the kids try it

That it's all the rage in your school

Then she'll offer to take you to buy it

but child if you do you're a fool

Say 'No' to the peddler of death my friend

he'll take you for all you can give

Tell him you'd rather not follow the trend

tell him you'd much rather live

Yes there's plenty of jokers just looking for mugs

and they don't give a damn about you

'cos son if they did then they wouldn't push drugs

and a true friend won't offer you glue

so don't play the game of a loser

or you might just be counting the cost

for there's a shroud as a gown

when the chips go down

and the last dice are finally tossed

say 'No' to the peddler of death my friend

he'll take you for all you can give

Tell him you'd rather not follow the trend

tell him you'd much rather live.

My Testimony

I feel led to repost this that I posted a few years ago.

I Many years ago I had recorded onto a cassette some poems and songs that I had written.  They related part of my testimony.  While I was living down in West Wales an elder of a church I was attending put them on an mp3 disc for me.  As I know very little about this kind of technology I have just been to the library to ask if anyone can link this disc to my blog.  A young lady there has done her best regarding this, and so I am going to see if this link has worked - the young lady was not sure if it would.  Most of these songs and poems I may have already put up, and I am definitely no  'singer', and only learned a few chords on my guitar to be able to play the tunes that came into my head at the time of writing the songs.

However - one thing I learned at that time of learning from the Lord was that that as we are taught by God through His precious Word, and go through our trials trusting in Him, we are able to get stronger spiritually.  My journey is still on-going, I am forever learning, and I will not know whether this link will work until I publish this post.  If it doesn't work, then I will have lost nothing through trying.:-)
 

To listen to my testimony  press the link below.

Testimony by Brenda Rees - Soundcloud

You taught me how to love

This is a song I wrote some time ago.

You taught me how to love when all else was failing

You taught me how to love, You showed me how to care

You taught me how to love, You showed me the way Lord

for when I needed You, You was always there

By grace am I saved, through faith not of myself

by grace am I saved, through faith alone

You taught me how to love, You showed me the way Lord

for when I needed You You was always there

You taught me not to fear when all around was failing

You taught me not to fear, You showed me how to stand

You taught me not to fear, You showed me the way Lord

You said 'Build upon the rock, don't build on shifting sand.'

By grace am I saved, through faith not of myself

by grace am I saved, through faith alone.

By grace am I saved, through faith not of myself

by grace am I saved, it is the gift of God.

'And without faith it is impossible to please Him, 

for whoever would draw near to God

must believe that He exists 

and that He rewards those who seek Him.'  

Hebrews ch. 11 v.6

I see the sun (Son)

 In this post I just feel to share some poems that I have written on my walk with the Lord.  I hope they would encourage those believers who read them to continue to trust in the true light of the world, Jesus, in all circumstances.

 

 I see the sun

arising on this world of confusion, its rays reaching out to penetrate even the deepest forests and the darkest caves.  It seeks to take away the cold and the darkness that the night has caused, and to replace them with warmth and light.

 

 

I see rays

that are of such power that the very earth itself seems to rise up to meet them, as if it has been waiting for this dawning, eager to thrust off the terror of the night which once seemed to have no end.

 

 

I see Jesus

'For thou art my lamp O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.'  2 Samuel ch.22 v.29

 

 

 

To be just like Jesus

 

'Oh for an easy life' they say

'where nothing ever goes wrong'

that's what the world cries out for

but Lord it's not my song

For how would I ever learn patience

without tribulation and trial

and how could I ever endure hard times

yet still be able to smile?

But I say 'Oh to be just like Jesus

to be like the One raised from the dead'

So I'll glory in my afflictions

while the power of God rests on my head

 

 

Horizon

The place where our sun does both rise and set

seems forever out of reach ....and yet

if we walk a straight road at a steady pace

will we not reach one day that unreachable place?

For as far as our own eye is able to see

is the only horizon where we need to be

But when we reach that great line where we'd seen the sun

behold .... as we look there's another one

and the goal that we sought on life's tangled track

is now far behind and we mustn't look back

For we travel life's road making many mistakes

but if we learn from them all then it's worth the heartaches

and if we learn from our journey and have faith in God

not treading again where we've already trod

there's a final horizon awaits you and me

with the most beautiful sunset we ever will see

So what is God telling me through this I ask

is it that in our lives there is always the task

of looking ahead to what we can achieve

and not looking back to what's  caused us to grieve?

For each goal that we set if it's good in God's eyes

will always be blessed if one only tries

But even in times when we walk the wrong track

and a load that's too heavy is strapped to our back

our Lord will correct us and turn us away

from the path on our journey that leads us astray

So do not be anxious or filled with dismay

at what may be round every bend

We've a Father that loves us, who'll show us the way

with a Son who's a trustworthy friend

 

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.  Isaiah ch.26 v.4

 

 



New Life.

This is a re-post of something I put up a few years ago. My husband accidently cut off a sprig from my Fragrant Cloud rose bush when mowing the lawn in the back garden.   There were two buds on it and there is a part of me which hates to see anything die, so I decided to replant it hoping that it would grow into another bush and the buds would flourish and open.

 

 

As I planted it in a pot of earth and gradually saw what was happening to it I was reminded of my life, and the gradual change in me over time as I am being taught by the Holy Spirit.   Very soon after I had transplanted the sprig new leaves started to grow from it. 

 

 

It reminded me of when I first came to the Lord and the Holy Spirit started to enlighten the Word of God as I read the Bible, teaching me gradually and renewing my mind in Christ.

 

As the days go by I can see  the buds lowering their heads as the branch bends over, the older leaves starting to die, and the new ones starting to increase and enlarge.

The new growth reminds me of what I would consider an initial instruction from the scriptures that is relevant when we are born again of God's Holy Spirit, as written in Colossians ch. 3 v. 1 - 3:- 'If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.   Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.'

In verse 10 we are told that our new self 'is being renewed in knowledge after the image of it's creator.'

 

The old leaves that are dying remind me of my on-going instruction from the Word of God to:- 'Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.'  Ephesians ch. 4 v. 31  and to:-

'put to death' what is earthly, such  as 'fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry, '   Colossians ch. 3 v. 5, and the lowering of the old buds remind me of the instruction written in James ch. 4 v. 7:- 'Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.'

 

 

I have found God to be a very patient and loving God Who understands that we are flesh and, just like my rose twig is taking time for the old to die and the new to form, so too has it been, and still is, in my walk with the Lord.  However, the more I have come to know the Lord and experience His love the more I run to Him and desire for my mind to be renewed in Him through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the more I endeavour to, and want  to, 'put to death' what is earthly in me.

 

Paul the apostle said in Philippians ch. 3 v. 12 - 14, regarding attaining the resurrection from the dead:- 'Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.'

 

 I too say these words, and also acknowledge the words of James in James ch. 1 vs. 2-4 'Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.' 

 

As I watch the transformation of my rose twig, and what it reflects in my life,  I speak these words from my heart to the Lord:-

 

 

You can make me whole Lord

 

You can make me whole Lord

and take away my fears

You've put laughter in my life

in place of all my tears

All I can say is 'Thank You'

and love You all the more

when I see how I am now

and think how I was before

My sickness You took years ago Lord

for me there was no price to pay

All You required was my trust in You

and that I look to You each day

I know that You see every sorrow

that is laying deep down in my heart

but know also that You are the Healer

and all pain from my past will depart

So as I grow up in You Jesus

let Your precious love open my eyes

Let my ears hear the voice of the Father

instead of this world and its lies

 

Lord I love You, Lord I praise You, Lord I honour Your Name

Lord I trust You, and believe You will make me like Jesus, the same. 

That kind of Love

Lord I'll never know

how a seed so small and insignificant

into a beautiful rose does grow

or why Your tender hands should form

a different face on each flake of snow

....... Could it be love?

Lord I'll never know

what motivates a God so full of purity and light

to sacrifice the One most dear to Him

to save humanity from their deserved plight

of dark despair brought on by sin

Could it be love?

Lord cause me to know

what I thought I would never know

Cause me to know

that kind of love

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what 

is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that

You care for him?

                                       Psalm ch.8  verse 3