As the olive is crushed
To extract the oil
And filtered till pure
Free of contents that spoil
A crushing takes place
And we’re filtered until
The dross stays behind
And we bow to Your will
Poetry
As the olive is crushed
To extract the oil
And filtered till pure
Free of contents that spoil
A crushing takes place
And we’re filtered until
The dross stays behind
And we bow to Your will
We need the holy wind of God
This rushing, mighty wind
Breathing Spirit life in us
Healing us within
We are sustained by Spirit wind
The Breath of Life supreme
Who raises, heals and sets us free
To worship God, our king
Within black velvet skies above
The stars are on display
Like Sapphires of great brilliance
They softly light our way
The moon on the horizon
Casts a path across the sea
As she rises like a golden ball
Reflecting playfully
Waves crash against the solid rocks
And foam upon the shore
Then rush back to the depths again
Just to return once more
The sand is soft beneath our feet
A perfect place to pray
And give thanks to our God for all
This beauty on display
You died alone at Calvary
To give me life eternally
The crown of thorns You bore for me
Renewed my mind and set me free
Rejected, naked, shamed,Your plight
To clothe me in Your glorious light
Your back was scourged and blood flowed free
Each lash, a healing, Lord, for me
Your hands were nailed onto a tree
To cleanse my hands to work for Thee
The nails that pierced Your feet that day
Enabled mine to walk Your way
My sorrows and infirmity
You bore that day in agony
And, Jesus, from Your wounded side
The Father made a spotless Bride
All things exist because of Thee
The stars in every galaxy
The sun by day to give us light
The moon to shine for us each night
The raging winds, the pouring rains
The deserts vast, the fertile plains
The mountains, valleys and the seas
The leaves that rustle in the breeze
All that happens, You have planned
You have the world within Your hand
The earthquakes, tremors and the droughts
The rich, the poor, the layabouts
You take the clay out of the fields
To wet and trample till it yields
And when the clay has been abased
You mold the vessel to Your taste
Your closest friends deserted You
Fleeing from Gethsemane
When the soldiers came at night
To arrest You secretly
Peter denied You three times
Before the cock crowed twice
Because of fear that gripped his heart
And held it in a vice
Even John kept far away
Though they’d walked with You so long
Feeding, teaching, loving them
At your capture, they were gone
Betrayed by a kiss from Judas
Thirty coins, betrayal’s price
How little was the value
That he placed upon your life
The crowd who saw your miracles
And partook of much of them
Who shouted “Hosanna’ a week before
Cried: Crucify that man
Religious leaders, soldiers
And the multitude became
Enraged, bloodthirsty, eager for
Your suffering and Your shame
Tortured, wounded, bleeding, torn
Unrecognizable
But that was not enough for them
They hungered for the kill
Yet, as the nails were hammered through
Your hands and feet that day
And thorns pierced deep into your skull
The people heard You pray
Forgive them, for they know not what they do
Forgive, forgive
You freely gave forgiveness for our sins
That we might live
Not once were You offended
By their hateful, shameful deeds
In the midst of pain and suffering
You kept sowing loving seeds
You took time to give salvation
To suffering, dying thief
While You hung in agony on the cross
In utmost pain and grief
Obedient even unto death
In faith You rose again
To harvest love from many who
Make following you their aim
Once more I see the beauty of nature
Created by the Master’s hand
The trees in various shades of green
Bowing in reverence across the land
As lovingly they caressed by the breeze
And kissed by the morning sun
Flowers arrayed in colours so gay
Their magnificent perfume overshadowed by none
The majestic mountains reaching up to the sky
In all their glorious splendour
The snow white clouds in skies of blue
The doe with eyes so tender
The bubbling springs and streams so gentle
Raging rivers after a storm
The turbulent seas with their fleeting emotions
The indescribable wonder of dawn
The sunrise reflecting a birth in the morning
A life through the day, at sunset a death
And portraying Christ in His burial and resurrection
Rising in the East, setting in the West
The golden moon reflecting the sunlight
The twinkling stars that brighten the night
The fireflies glowing as they fly to and fro
Dancing and singing in great delight
The croaking of frogs leaping in exultation
The melodious song of a nightingale
The mournful owl calling in mock lamentation
The surfacing of the awesome blue whale
The innocent face of a child at play
A blessed reminder of Jesus
Who left His Glory to dwell amongst men
Lowly, inconspicuous
To die for our sins on a cross, hacked and bleeding
Wounded, in great agony
Then I realise that God’s greatest masterpiece
Was my Jesus at Calvary
As I gaze in wonder at the fathomless sea
It’s beauty impassions my soul
The gigantic waves rising and breaking into snow white surf
Fulfilling their role in the endless flow of the sea
Her manifold changes of mood, sometimes tranquil
Rippling rhythmically to the shore
Leaving behind little shells and blue bottles
On golden sands, inspiring awe as she ebbs and flows constantly
Oft’ times in anger, as dark storm clouds gather
She crashes tempestuously ‘gainst the rocks
Unleashing her fury in frenzied agitation
Her temper subdued, swiftly seeming agog to calm down repentantly
As fickle and restless as all worldly people
Never in one accord, always in search
Of something to satisfy on new horizons
Finding no perfect contentment on Earth as she changes perpetually
And as with people, just one thing could still her
Only one Voice ever made her obey
Only one man could walk on her prevailing
Only the Christ kept her temper at bay, for He’s God universally
As the heavens are high above the earth
So great is God’s mercy toward those who fear Him
And as far as the east is from the west
So far has the Lord cast away all our transgression
As fathers show kindness toward their children
The Lord has compassion on all those who fear Him
He remembers that we are subject to time
For He knows we are dust, He remembers our origin
Our days are like grass, as a flower of the field
So we’re born and we flourish and then we are gone
Like a fragile flower in the force of the wind
And by many we’re forgotten before too long
But the mercy of the Lord endures forever
Toward all of His people who fear His Name
And His justice toward all our descendants
The children of the Covenant living in His reign
The Lord has established His throne in Heaven
And His Kingdom rules over all of His dominion
Bless the Lord all angels who do the Lord’s will
Bless the Lord all you hosts, in perfect unison
I see You in the daffodils
That grow in fields so green
Their golden petals speak to me
Of Deity supreme
I see You in the sunrise
Within its amber light
Though Your Shikina glory
Outshines the sun so bright
I see You in the rivers
In the wells and waterfalls
For if I drink my fill of You
I’ll never thirst at all
I see You in the antelope
Suckling her young
For Father, You are El Shaddai
The All Sufficient One
I see You in the scarlet rose
Like velvet to the touch
I see You in its dark green leaves
And thorns that hurt so much
Its scarlet petals speak to me
Of blood shed on a tree
Its green leaves speak of life eternal
Given unto me
Its thorns speak of a crown once made
And shoved upon Your head
Which pierced into Your flesh
And made Your blood flow in my stead
I see You in the fire
Burning brightly in the hearth
For fire is the substance
That You use to purge this earth
I see You in the gentleness
Within my children’s eyes
For You are love and it’s Your love alone
That satisfies