Joan M. Stevens

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~Poem~

Where Dwellest Thou?
Victory Won
False Doctrine

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~Poems~

WHERE DWELLEST THOU?

Two of John's disciples asked Jesus,
"Rabbi, where dwellest thou?"
Delight must have over-flowed His heart,
As a smile lit up His brow.

As He thought of Heaven, He must have thought,
"You know not what you ask.
For to answer that one question for you
Is a well-planned, three-year task.

"For where I dwell tells who I am,
And of my Heavenly throne,
And why no hut, nor cave, nor house
On earth do I call home."

Their question must have stirred in Him
Many things He wanted to say,
About His Father, about Himself,
Where His Spirit would dwell one day.

Then, He must have smiled a tender smile,
Knowing all that would come to be,
As He gave his invitation for them
To simply, "Come and see."

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VICTORY WON
 

Jesus whispered to me
In a voice so soft and low,
I bellowed out His quiet words
For all the world to know.

"No, no, my child, "He softly said,
"Those words were just for you,
If I had wanted all to know,
I would have told them, too."

"Failed again," the devil cracked.
"Failed again," I echoed back,
"Failed again."

The Lord withheld finances,
To test my faith, He said.
But borrowed I the money
From another friend instead.

"No, no, my child," He gently said,
"You must depend on me,
For I will give you all you need,
If you'll just pray, you'll see."

"Failed again," the devil cracked.
"Failed again," I answered back,
"Failed again."

Then Christ said, "Go my servant,
There are plenty seeds to sow."
I turned my steps the other way,
Was too afraid to go.

"No, no my child," He firmly said,
"Don't be ashamed of me,
Or when I stand before my Father,
Ashamed of you, I'll be."

"You failed again," the devil cracked.
"I failed again," I echoed back,
"I failed again.

"Dear God," I cried out loudly,
With tears, and full of woe,
"Why, still do You call me Your child,
When I have failed You so?"

"My child, with your salvation,
You are mine eternally:
I love you, and no failure can
Take you away from me.

"The devil is the accuser
Who does not wish you to grow
(He's already been defeated,
But does not wish you to know).

"So he'll always point a finger
To discouragement and doubt,
So from the race you run for me,
Grown weary, you'll drop out."

Well, the next time God said, "Witness!"
I opened up, and out it came.
And before I had the time to think,
I testified to His Name.

"Yes, yes, my child," He sweetly said,
"Your flesh you had to kill.
You surrendered to the Spirit
And by faith, you did My will."

"Victory won!" I heard the cry,
"Victory won," was my reply,
"Victory won!"
 

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FALSE DOCTRINE
 

There's an old wave on the ocean,
Powered by the tides of sin
It drowns men by the multitudes
By flooding them within.

And It claims to carry Scripture
In the movements of the foam,
As it motions to the wanderer
In his desire to roam.

It promises tranquillity
In the stillness of the calm,
Then dashes men against the rocks
In thunderous alarm.

It lifts souls to the mountainous height
Of self-indulgent pride,
Then plunges them to the basin floor
To be split open wide.

Then it gaily ripples with laughter,
Powered by the waves of sin,
As it seeks another waiting for
the next tide to come in.
 

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