Best Backslider Poems
Squeaky and his buddies resided somewhere deep within the church's organ.
That elusive rodent was the bane of the pastor, The Reverend Doctor Morgan!
The reverend almost lost his religion a time or two dealing with sneaky Squeaky,
Since he and his troublesome pals at inopportune times could be rather cheeky!
The doughty Ladies Aid Committee "religiously" prepared the communion bread.
There were 500 saints at The First Baptist Church whose souls must be fed.
For Communion Sunday, each Saturday they stored the bread on kitchen shelves.
'Twas an invitation for Squeaky and his squad to "commune" and gorge themselves!
The formidable Miss Freda Wringerhands had been the organist for forty years.
Hitting a wrong note on the old pump organ was one of her greatest fears!
She was puzzled by a strange "mousy" squeak that was occasionally heard.
The reverend doctor gave her a very reproving glare whenever that occurred!
Just as the reverend doctor finished his prayer and prepared to preach,
A screech awoke Mr. Clyde Backslider who shouted, "son uvva beech!"
His wife Grace fled down the aisle screaming, "Lord, have mercy on me!"
Squeaky had abruptly scaled her panty hose and was playing about her knee!
The Reverend Doctor Morgan did all he could to bring about Squeaky's demise,
But his kith and kin multiplied and produced generations of impish mice!
With the antics of Squeaky the tolerant congregation was somewhat bemused,
But the long-suffering Reverend Doctor Morgan was not at all amused!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Sin took away your Holy Spirit
Sin took away my Will
Sin took away my Praying
Sin took away my Fasting
Sin took away my Tithing
But Sin could not take away your Word In My Heart
THE GREATEST THING THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not all the flowers that grow,
Though they be so fragrant and pretty and colorful there in a row.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not all the songbirds that sing,
Though they tell the ending of winter and the coming of warmth in the spring.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not the gold sun in the sky,
Though its warmth and brightness is awesome as it shines above and so high.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not a great song we could hear,
Though the melody may be refreshing and its words that will enter our ear.
The greatest thing this side of heaven came down from that place long ago
And was born in a worst side of heaven—a manger, a stable so low.
The greatest thing this side of heaven was what this man offered for free:
A pardon from sin’s condemnation—His grace in believers to be.
It’s grace for the vilest offender, the one who’s gone deepest in sin,
If he will just simply accept it and let this great Savior come in.
It’s grace for the young Christian’s battles to keep him through doubt and despair,
For His grace is made perfect in weakness and will guard him and keep him right there.
It’s grace for the wandering backslider who made the wrong choice, is astray,
For grace will reach out to restore him when he comes back home from that way.
It’s grace for the suffering Christian, whatever his trial may be,
For Jesus will never forsake him, His presence for eternity.
Yes, the greatest thing this side of heaven is a gift that no else can replace:
It comes from the Father in heaven; it’s the gift of His marvelous grace!
--Based on a sermon preached by Dr. Tracy Fowler, Heritage Baptist Church, October, 2015
Opinionated- And It’s Eyes---
I awoke and flung my mind soul in the heaven
What could there be more purely seven?
'It's that lordship,' I muttered;
And am I the nonbeliever never okaying;
I crave the divine, deponent denominationalism Why?
Death shall bring skies;
What could there be more purely otherwise?
And its eyes have all the lapping;
Human dogs!! I discovered the deists;
And its eyes have all the licking;
Instead I uncovered the thunderhead;
The grounds the earth cries, the garden smiled;
'It's that pagan,' I muttered
What could there be more purely profiled?
That moment my soul grew ritualistic;
And its eyes have all the plaining;
Eagerly I looked for the deity;
I am shorn of my heterogeneity;
Eagerly I looked for the backslider;
I felt compelled to sniff the atheists;
I awoke and flung the redeemer;
And its eyes have all the scudding;
Of the Zephyr's that is spudding;
It threw its ghost against the churchgoers;
Only this and a dominion;
And the eschatology never poppling;
Somewhat louder than the public opinion;
It threw its ghost against the peonies;
There stood a dear dominion;
The epistasis brought such sorrow;
I discovered the adherents;
The damnation laughed;
The patristic parson pitting;
And its eyes have all the reputing;
Death shall bring religionists;
But in the fact that it was whispering;
Loping and loping with my euphorbia;
Mankind, opinionated- And It’s Eyes
3/6/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. ©2019
The backslider stepped into the chapel like an angel,
Outwardly, he is full of piety,
Inwardly, he is only a pity.
True bliss left him, even purity and dignity.
Though he mingled with the Churchyard
And in prayer session, he prays even louder,
So you get inspired and pray too with strong power.
Joyfully some backsliders will rise and shine again,
While others remain in their stain and gross pain.
If i were you oh backslider...
I will stand up and fight the destroyer.
You must strive and maintain your spiritual drive,
What drives you should be the cross,
For in him there is no loss.
Arise backsliders and stop being slackers,
Christ is coming son.
CM Onyilo
(Lightning Ink).
June 21 Scripture Meditations Based on Proverbs 14
Key Verse – Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
MY GOD, THANK YOU FOR SATISFYING ME
Thank You for satisfying me with Your grace-bounty
Constantly providing for my necessity
Causing me to trust Your supplying generosity
Here am I claiming for Your provisions midst scarcity.
Thank You for satisfying me with Your goodness-abundance
Constantly granting for my spiritual needs in Your accordance
Causing me to depend on Your ceaseless attendance
Here am I seeking for Your guidance.
Thank You for satisfying me with Your wisdom-truthfulness
Constantly teaching my heart and soul toward faithfulness
Causing me to cling to Your principles’ steadfastness
Here am I coming to Your instructions’ teaching-purposiveness.
Thank You for satisfying me with Your wealth-contentment
Constantly enriching my eternal investment
Causing me to labour in Your work with all commitment
Here am I praising You for Your riches’ inheritance-fulfillment.
Thank You for satisfying me with Your communion-fellowship
Constantly accommodating my prayer around salvation-relationship
Causing me to entrust to You my stewardship
Here am I begging for Your presence-leadership.
Thank You for satisfying me with Your blessing-magnitude
Constantly strengthening my moral fortitude
Causing me to ask for Your power for my faith-altitude
Here am I hiding in Your confidence with joyful gratitude.
June 21, 2022
6 foot 7 makes self sufficient
Drums pavement clink clanking walking barefoot
On Puddles of thought dried to subsistence
Carelessly focusing on how not to look
Indecisive ones with pure intentions
While restlessly calm fidget sitting still
In comes independence speech invented
Declaring loyalty but not to kneel
16 revoke as 17 revolt
Pure intent screams inside confused in sorrow
What looks as it seems does what is in fault
No cure no hope hearts pump love shown hollow
No need to rise up if we never fall
Then freedom can be freedom without crime
No need to let go if rights don't pause
Then love can cry because feelings have eyes
6 foot 7 inches independent
Hulks over reasoning for one reason
16 rebuke and 17 in division
Independence remembers true freedom...
And the ancients come before you;
And the people sing alleluia;
As the wonders of wonders;
Marvelously comes forth;
This is my testimony, this is my devotion;
This is my reasons for making Jesus my choice;
And God the people think me odd;
And Lord I must withstand the ridicule;
I've repented and turned myself around;
I've stop those choices that had me hell bound;
Oh, Lord, God I come before you Holy
I come before you Holy
I'm no longer the man that I used to be
Oh, Lord, I come before you Holy
I come before you Holy
I've stop doing those evil and unclean things;
Father God I am yours
All the naysayers and the doubters;
All the saved and under minders;
All those back-biting believers;
All those under achievers
I call them out, yes I call you out
You who are the backslider, preacher one thing but doing another;
And God people think their odd;
And Lord they to are ridiculed;
I can't judged them for this is where I once was;
All I can do is pray for them to turn it around,
Pray for them so that they won't be hell bound;
Oh, Lord I come before you Holy
We all come before you Holy
Sinners saved by grace awaiting your heavenly place
I come before you Holy
I am no longer the man I used to be;
Because I come before you Holy
We are not what we were as you can see, now we're clean;
We come before you Holy
Oh, Lord I come before you Holy
Written by James Edward Lee Sr.(c)2017
July 16 2017
from forth coming anthology "Samaja"
Often I stand and I think about time;
Sometimes I sit here and I wonder why;
Why, is there so much hatred and lying;
Why, are there so many people hurting and children crying;
I just don't know;
Lord I wanna know;
am I thank full enough;
do you, do I really trust;
and why have I let sin nature;
re paint my picture
only one thing left to do
and that is to choose you
and Jesus
I thank you
VERY MUCH
Many times I've backslid
But your word says I AM HIS you are married to the backslider;
I just don't know;
Lord I wanna know;
am I thankful enough;
do you, do I really trust;
and why have my past choices;
caused this divorce between us;
it's not your fault;
so I repent your all that meant (for me, I mean I am unworthy)
and this one thing left to do
and that is that I should always chose you
and Jesus
I thank you
VERY MUCH
I trust, in you very much
I honor and obey this I much
I love you more each day, I stand still and receive your will;
I trust and love you such;
so very much;
Love I wanna know am I thank full enough;
In you do I, do I really trust;
For I must redeem the time;
For you are forever mine;
I trust, in you . . .
VERY MUCH
written by James Edward Lee Sr.(c)2017
Dedicated to and Inspired by "Sunlite Wanter"
I was a Backslider hell ridden
Now I am born again been forgiven
O saved that I am, no longer a slave to my sins
Free that I am birth I've been born again
Now I was drowning in a sea of my sins;
Jesus came along in a boat he said get in;
Couldn’t breathe anymore;
We both rounded up on shore, (on shore);
I hollered out and cried Hallelujah
I was a Backslider hell ridden
Now I am born again been forgiven
O saved that I am, no longer a slave to my sins
Free that I am birth I've been born again
I was trapped in my burdens and shame;
So distraught didn’t recognize my own name;
Jesus came and renewed me over again;
Now I am promised glory, this be my story;
I was a Backslider hell ridden
Now I am born again been forgiven
O saved that I am, no longer a slave to my sins
Free that I am birth I've been born again
I was a wretch undone;
On my way to a eternal hell
Glory came to me this day, cause I prayed
Jesus came along sing (daughter-son)
Your sins are forgiven, you’ve already over come
Just Stop, Stand, be still listen
No longer backslider hell ridden
Now you’re born again you’ve been forgiven
Now saved that I am, no longer a slave to my sins
Free that I am birth I've been born again
Free that I am birth I've been born again
Hallelujah
I hollered out and cried Hallelujah
12/1/20
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2020©
from anthology "Just Jesus"
The dread been telling you
And you hypnotized by high fashion society
And you backslider calling yourself celebrity
The dread been telling you
Dread things to come coming now
A fire on the dry canefields of sophisticated reality
A fire red hot and burning and churning mortality
Emotions harrowed without plough
The dread hustled it for a song
Minds frazzled, mankind on the edge of inanity
Tettered and strained in thought shackles of vanity
Time to reap the world wind of wrong.
Finally the ceiling of heaven is crack
On laments and libels uncongeal before the throne
The almighty Yahweh is ready to redeem his own
For whip and whack he will pay back
The tyranny on the pitied poor
The fire rises from the west and the dark winds moan
Across the crooked tide of seas, he will not condone
The child crying at the callous door
Of mercy and man's insensitivity
Behold the fire that fable and kingdom has overthrown
Red hot and burning dread, God walks here alone
Weeding out the crass and inhumanity
August 21 Relationship to God Bible Meditations Based on Hosea 11-14
Key Verse – Hosea 11:10 They shall walk after the LORD…
LORD GOD, YOU ARE MY WALK DIRECTOR AND GUIDE
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who directs me even since I was a child
Thank You for saving me with Your love from being sin-defiled
Indeed redeeming my soul against hell furiously wild…
Keep me abiding in Your perfect will, divinely styled.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who hinders me from being a backslider
Thank You for calling me with Your deliverance-order
Indeed letting me enter into Your safety border…
Keep me following Your commands as my all to You I render.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who leads me by Your covenant
Thank You for empowering me so I won’t remain fruitlessly stagnant
Indeed upholding me to prevail through Your mercy, always dominant…
Keep me staying in Your love worshipfully as Your praise-filled tenant.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who frees me against chains of iniquity
Thank You for making me dwell in Your assurance, braced by certainty
Indeed offering me Your sacrifice to rescue me from damnation’s fatality…
Keep me serving with Your grace, showing my commitment-sincerity.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who molds me with Your compassion
Thank You for enlightening me with Your vision
Indeed driving me from selfishness toward Your kingdom mission…
Keep me sharing Your Gospel along Your satisfying provision.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who teaches me toward wisdom-learning
Thank You for instilling in me truth needed for soulwinning
Indeed reinforcing me for discipleship and stewardship-gaining…
Keep me trusting Your Word toward continuous faith-refining.
Lord God, You are my walk Director and Guide
Who nourishes me with Your goodness
Thank You for nurturing me by Your kindness
Indeed reviving me to serve You along devotion’s earnestness…
Keep me obeying Your voice to work, practicing diligence against slothfulness.
August 21, 2023
You wont find me with my bible sitting in the first row
You’ll sometimes find me lifting my hands just to put on a show
I sing in the choir but my heart is always being pulled out the door
I haven’t in a while let the holy ghost fill me so I fall on the floor
I cant go fully in the world because of the life here that I have made
I cant fully give it over to him cause in a way I am still afraid
I want to have everything to be okay and just to have peace
But I know that because of my sin that I will never feel at ease
You ask if I am a backslider and why I am with out the only one that truly loved me
For some reason I cant answer that for you and that’s the reason that I am not free
I want pity from no one because it was only my doing that caused this
I needed the hand of god on my life and that is one thing that I really do miss
He is something that I don’t deserve and I know that I never will
To me no matter how hard I try I know I never will become for filled
I want to live a life of love and just serve him with all of my heart
I have done this before and half way through it I always fall apart
Yes I want that high of knowing that I just do not care
But no I don’t want that feeling of knowing that through it all no one is there
The path that I have chose now is not even a path at all
I just stand at the middle of the road and wonder where is my call
I look around and see people that I have grown up with and suddenly find myself hating them
I am filled with such resentment and ask why I have not one friend
The same people that I once thought so highly of and wanted so badly to become
Are now the people that I have lashed out at and I have cursed every last one
I glance back and remember the one that I used to be
Now all that I can say is that the one I am now is not me
Freedom is what I long for each and every day
But lust is what I want and that feeling of knowing that I did it all my way
I am drawn to the rawness of sin and all that it is to me
But I deeply realize that to live in sin is something that only brings you down on your knee
So what to do at the end of this horrifying night
Where all I do is just try and find ways to do things all right
How will I ever walk freely when I am trying to run threw out this sand
How will I know what is me or can you tell me who I am
Form:
The Backslider
By: Tom Wright
2/17/99
Do you follow a path
encumbered with weeds?
have they seemingly appeared
from your planted seeds?
Are the tracks you once followed
now faint and dim?
Becoming tracks of the world
and no longer of Him?
Does some inner longing
tell you "reset your course"?
Have you so soon forgotten
your power source?
Has your once robust witness
been choked out by tares?
Have you become complacent
and now caught in Satan's snares?
Though having strayed from the path
there is balm for your soul.
Christ, can clean and reenter
making you, once again, whole.
Following tracks of the world
has a significant cost.
Foremost, when your path ends
you'll be eternally lost.
Travel not the broad path
make your course the narrower way.
The path leading through the straight gate
to God, and Heaven someday.
THE GREATEST THING THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not all the flowers that grow,
Though they be so fragrant and pretty and colorful there in a row.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not all the songbirds that sing,
Though they tell the ending of winter and the coming of warmth in the spring.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not the gold sun in the sky,
Though its warmth and brightness is awesome as it shines above and so high.
The greatest thing this side of heaven is not a great song we could hear,
Though the melody may be refreshing and its words that will enter our ear.
The greatest thing this side of heaven came down from that place long ago
And was born in a worst side of heaven—a manger, a stable so low.
The greatest thing this side of heaven was what this man offered for free:
A pardon from sin’s condemnation—His grace in believers to be.
It’s grace for the vilest offender, the one who’s gone deepest in sin,
If he will just simply accept it and let this great Saviour come in.
It’s grace for the young Christian’s battles to keep him through doubt and despair,
For His grace is made perfect in weakness and will guard him and keep him right there.
It’s grace for the wandering backslider who made the wrong choice, is astray,
For grace will reach out to restore him when he comes back home from that way.
It’s grace for the suffering Christian, whatever his trial may be,
For Jesus will never forsake him, His presence for eternity.
Yes, the greatest thing this side of heaven is a gift that no else can replace:
It comes from the Father in heaven; it’s the gift of His marvelous grace!