Of Bard's Battlefield or Walking Battlefields

How swift the eye perceives 

The innocent façade

That veils the part/heart that hails or grieves

The holiness of God

The battlefield of Bard (humankind)

Is neither ink nor page 

Beneath form's peripheral guard 

What storms of worship/passion wage 

Be still, my soul, and know

That He alone is God

He heals the battle-wounds below

The innocent façade 

© Janet Martin

The battlefield of Bard

Is neither ink nor page...

I do constant battle with a dark voice telling me I should quit this blog.

This fierce force laughs, jeers, scoffs, scorns, accuses, belittles, stabs, shames, 

in great attempts to dissuade, discourage and despair!

(It's not always easy to put one's mind and heart on public display)

But that voice is no match 

for The Other Voice who, 

as I bow my head He hears my heart,

 He whispers sweet peace to me.

He orders the demons out!

He restores my soul!

Hallelujah

 💝🙏

Whatever our personal battlegrounds are,

may we heed the Still, Small Voice of our loving Creator

remembering we can do all things through He who gives us strength,

and who designed us each with our own unique abilities

gifts and responsibility to them/Him!

If we proceed, empowered by His grace and for His glory

 we succeed, not always perfectly, but never in vain!

Let's keep in mind we are all walking battlefields-soul-diers-warriors,

and thus be more gentle with each other !!

***

The cure for fear and despair is always

to take my eyes off myself

and fix them on God

And His great love's 'battle-scars'

when He broke the curse of sin

when He was pierced for our transgressions 

and crushed for our iniquities💓🙏

Isa.53:5 

***

Over 12 years ago my friend gave me the tidbit below

and since then, it has been taped where I generally write,

as her gentle reminder when I need it.

Thank-you Jane W.

1 Cor.10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 

do it all for the glory of God.

One voice tells me to quit 

A critic mercy-void

A brute who thrives on fear and doubt

Till courage is destroyed

But oh, the other Voice

 Is gentle as can be

A friend whose tender grace and joy 

Whispers sweet peace to me 

One voice is loud and crude

The other, still and small

One makes love feel misunderstood

The other, not at all 

One voice is like a sting

And fuels dark despair

The Other sets the heart to sing

And fills/stills the soul with prayer 

© Janet Martin

He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me

 

A Melody of Mercy Plays (or, A Great and Effective Open Door)

Good, glorious morning (or afternoon) to you!

Lam.3:22-24

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Rom.13:11

The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,...

1 Cor.16:9

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

A melody of mercy plays where morning is a mist-kissed flow’r...

A melody of mercy plays where morning is a mist-kissed flow’r

Unfolded with a breath of grace from He who orchestrates the hour

God’s loving kindness is enough no matter what today may bring

Goodness and mercy follow us until we dwell at last with Him

He helps us (if we ask) to bear the toll of toil and troubles drills

Faith weeps for joy; from founts of air, God’s unforgetting favor spills

For His compassions never fail, in spite of we who often do

Redemption’s Author rends the veil where mercy’s melody pours through

…where a great and effective door swings wide, where adversaries boast

Thus, we should not advance before we are equipped to face this host

Without the full armor of God, no one is able to withstand

The devil’s wiles; a scheming fraud who thrives on breaking God’s commands

But, praise the name of Jesus Christ; through Him fresh courage is unfurled

Because, greater is He in us than all the armies of the world

Where all who walk by faith behold far more than meets visual gaze

As the bud of today unfolds the melody that mercy plays

…a sweet and solemn battle-hymn, to fit us for frontline warfare

Because the stakes are high and grim, with consequence beyond compare

For, to take up the cross of Christ and follow Him demands our whole

Self is the idol sacrificed to serve the Saviour of the soul

Be of good cheer! Ah, can’t you hear?! a melody of mercy plays

The day of salvation draws near; and then will be the end of days

Come quickly Lord, nay, tarry for too many still reject Your call

Where a great and effective Door opens once more to one and all

© Janet Martin

Rom.13:11-14

And do this, understanding the occasion. 

The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,

 for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 

12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. 

So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 

13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, 

not in carousing and drunkenness, 

not in sexual immorality and debauchery, 

not in dissension and jealousy. 

14Instead, clothe yourselves withc the Lord Jesus Christ, 

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Imagine if we lived each day with the awareness that 

we are living just outside the gates of Heaven! or hell.

Below are a few breath-stealing pages

 I have been parked on this week

and I can't resist sharing with you

to enrich your pondering (and practicing) pleasure, 

to challenge, encourage and refine our daily resolutions...

There is a Fountain-

 

The Fight is Real, My Friend

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

 but against principalities, against powers, 

against the rulers of [a]the darkness of this age, 

against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Eph.6:12

...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,

 through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,

 that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, 

having escaped the [a]corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3-4

Wonderful, Merciful Saviour

 

Jesus Paid It All...

The fight is real, my friend

The enemy we face

Will often tempt us to defend

Errors of truth and grace

We should be on our guard

Armed with the Word of God

Because the fight is real and hard

And without worldly laud

Pride goes before the fall

How careful we should be

To seek God’s Kingdom first of all

With awed humility

The foe we fight is sly

Unscrupulous and vile

With all that cannot satisfy

He lures us with a smile

Seduction’s schemes seem sweet

Enslavement’s camouflage

Disguises stampedes of defeat

With pride’s vain entourage

…and we would all fall prey

To depravity’s sewer

Without God’s Word to light the way

So that we may endure

His divine power grants

Everything that we need

To equip us as we advance

Through (battle) fields of thought and deed

© Janet Martin

Just as Jehoshaphat cried, as he stood in the assembly

of Judah and Jerusalem, do we...

2 Chron.20:

6,

O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, 

and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, 

and in Your hand is there not power and might, 

so that no one is able to withstand You?

12,

O our God, will You not judge them? 

For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; 

nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

15,

“Listen, all you... Thus says the Lord to you:

 ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, 

for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

17

Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,

 who is with you...

Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them,

 for the Lord is with you.”

In this promiscuous age we pray for wisdom like never before...

Prov.9:10

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, 

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Today's post inspired in part by today's

Bible Love Note

Battle Hymn

In The Sweet By and By

With hearts groaning with prayer for those caught in the evils of war

this poem became an outpouring for all of us 

in the battle against right and wrong!

Battle Hymn of the Republic

The battle between wrong and right

Is constant and acute

We need the Lord’s armor to fight

And bear the Spirit’s fruit

Mankind is prone to selfish pride

To rebel to God’s rule

To win the fight we must decide

To be wise or a fool

To despise wisdom’s Holy Grail

Is to embrace deceit

No matter what fools boast or hail

Their end will be defeat

Only by the kind grace of God

And for His glory we

By faith and with feet gospel-shod

Will win the victory

Take heart; Truth cannot be undone

The fight that faith affords

Bids us take up our cross and run

The battle is the Lord’s

Hold fast to the sound words of He

Who does not change or fail

For the Lord’s honour and glory

His army will prevail

In the name of the Lord we pray

In His Name we are strong

In His Name we approach the day

Of everlasting song

Lay down thy sword; take up the cross

Beyond this world’s façade

Though what may now appear as loss

Is the glory of God

Follow the way He has prepared

A Banquet has been spread

To honor He who was not spared

But crushed the Serpent’s head

Earth’s suffering is not in vain

But the sacred prelude

To Triumph’s everlasting reign

And enemy subdued

© Janet Martin

Eph.6:10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

  11Put on the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 

12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,

 against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age,

 against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

and having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,

 having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

  16above all, taking the shield of faith with which you 

will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

17And take the helmet of salvation, 

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

  18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

 being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, 

that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

  20for which I am an ambassador in chains; 

that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Battle Cry...

Yea, though we walk through the valley of

the shadow of death, we will fear no evil.

Your rod and Your staff comfort us...

clinging to these verses this morning

from Psalm 23

Please, join us in praying for this situation!!

Missionary group confirms kidnapping of one Canadian, 16 Americans in Haiti

What next?!! I cried as this headline surfaced

and prayers weep and plead on their behalf!

What next we cry 

as sorrows try

and Trial wields its rod

What next for sheep

In the Shepherd's keep?

The goodness and mercy of God!

Prayer is the believer's battle cry!

If God is for us who can be against us?

Rom.8:31

Wars without and wars within

God, deliver us from sin...

The wars that wage within us can stage bitter battle zones

Where wars that wage without conflict where reasoning intones

Where, while we dally in the valley because hills look hard

Windows of opportunity expire, shut and barred

To trust the Lord with all our hearts and not logic of thought

Is to yield humbly, and to seek first the kingdom of God

In all our ways acknowledge Him, and turn the other cheek

For the spirit is willing but the flesh is oh, so weak

To fall is not to fail; it is to learn to grasp the Hand

That leads not to temptation but helps us securely stand

Our Father, who art in Heaven, You are truth and light

Through you the grace is given that will fit us for the fight

Your Word is a lamp to our feet, a light unto our path

And suffering is not a foretaste of Your righteous wrath

But is like a refining fire burning off the dross

To see if what remains is broken chains beneath the cross

© Janet Martin

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

 he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: 

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

 I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Blessing In Disguise

'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. 

For the battle is not yours, but God's.

2 Chron.20:15

On Sunday at Ron's remembrance service

his daughter, powerfully and beautifully sang this song...

Yet Not I But Christ In Me

The battle is the blessing 

Not by trophy’s reward 

But by our hearts confessing 

All honour to the Lord 

How oft the battle pains us 

Yet it is not for naught 

For when life’s struggle drains us 

We find the strength we ought 

Not by our faulty merit 

Do we gain victory 

But by the Holy Spirit 

Christ works through you and me 

If we put on God’s armour 

Then we will be equipped 

To withstand Evil’s Charmer 

And wiles, 'luringly-dipped 

So do not fear the terror 

When foes of faith increase 

But rather fear the error 

If the battle should cease 

Dear Soldier, fight Faith’s rival 

For He who remains true 

The battle is the channel 

That Christ’s power flows through

  

© Janet Martin 

Phil Wickham-Battle Belongs

For Soul-diers and Prayer-warriors...

Dreams break; the heart harbours its shards and in hope’s tender aftermath
We learn to carry on where dawn carves out a fresh and gleaming path
For change of plans is part of man’s allotment; we are not in charge
One greater than Want’s meager scope is at the helm of mortal barge

Wills clash; the battleground upon which many silent wars are waged
Appears quite nondescript even while crucial forces are engaged
On terrain strewn with ash of fears while faith is hewn from humble tears
As Mercy stands its ground and Mortal yields to He who commandeers

Time flies; pelf-prizes once fought for have lost their luster; thank-you Lord
But oh, how hard the reckoning of damage no one can afford
While we, still works in progress learn, in the matrix of tick and tock
That truth will never change no matter how much we argue and balk

Grace frees; oh God, without it who could bear the waves of consequence
The rift that Was is bridged by Love and Your gift of deliverance
Where once we too were blinded by the view with foolish vanity
Before the blow that forges faith and fathers true humility

 

 Dreams break; but by God's grace we learn to make the best of what remains
Wills clash; but praise the Lord, the battlefield is strewn with broken chains
Time flies; the prize worth fighting for waits when we pass through death's dark door
Grace frees; now we stand taller on our knees equipped to win this war

© Janet Martin

 Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Read the whole glorious chapter HERE 

A Call to Prayer

Victors, Even As We Fight

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, 

and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

By this we know that we love the children of God, 

when we love God and obey his commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. 

And his commandments are not burdensome.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. 

And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world 

except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:1-5

Not overcome by evil; no, but victors even as we fight

We battle a defeated foe if we are walking in the Light

Though Satan like a lion roams still seeking whom he may devour

Though he with desperation combs the world with his limited power

He knows the fullness of his woe and the hopelessness of his plight

And though the victory is won the fight is real; the fight is hard

And though the work of Christ is done, the soul must be on sober guard

To be love’s living sacrifice with kind regard to human race

To be willing to pay the price that comes with Mercy’s gift of grace

As on hope’s Steadfast Beacon we fix faith’s blurred reason, sorrow-scarred

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might

Put on the whole armour of God so you may withstand evil’s smite

For without Him defeat is sure; death and hell, its secured reward

Ah, who such anguish can endure and who such horror can afford

But we, according to His word, are victors even as we fight

© Janet Martin

Eph.6:10-18

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  

 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 

but against the rulers, against the authorities, 

against the powers of this dark world 

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  

 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 

you may be able to stand your ground, 

and after you have done everything, to stand.  

 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, 

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  

 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  

 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, 

which is the word of God.

  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.