Offering Accepted By Brenda Drake

Ephesians 1: 6-8
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

            He provided for us every step of the way.  Even in our acceptance of His provision, He is our righteousness within. I offer my life to His service; knowing full well, He is the strength and ability inside.  His love and provision in my behalf, makes my offering holy and acceptable in the Father’s sight.

The Offering Accepted

The Holy offering; was sacrificed,
The Son of God offered His life.
He gave so you could receive,
Everything you ever would need.
In His gift; of sacrificial love.
You are forgiven, healed, and led to the Father above.
In His holy work on the cross you find,
The place of mercy and grace aligned.
The debt of sin is forever paid,
For the believing heart provision is made.
A forever bond is formed; never to end.
Jesus paid sin’s penalty for new life to begin.
His gift is free but the cost was greater than you can know.
Full acceptance is assured for every believing, receiving soul.
When you come in repentance and thanksgiving, all needed to do,
Is to offer the life that is now saved, to in God’s holy direction move.
All you say, all you think and all you do with Christ in mind,
Is an offering accepted, when with God’s will aligned.
Even, an apparent mistake or miss-step in your way of living,
When you repent, is an offering accepted; and you are forgiven.

1 Peter 2:5
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

A walk in the Garden By Brenda Drake

Isaiah 51:3
For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

            This poem is an invitation to join our loving God in the sweet place of prayer that promises peace and joy for our soul.  I think it sounds so inviting; I yearn to go there now even as I speak.

A Walk in the Garden

Walk with me in the garden; where the birds sing,
An anthem of praise for the King.
Allow your heart to open up its door wide,
To allow the Son-shine deep inside.
In this place hope flowers and blooms in wild display.
Faith soars like an eagle in its majestic way.
The eyes of the heart are opened with great possibility.
What was hidden before is now clearly seen.
Come, my love, at any time of day.
I will gather you in arms of comfort, and will lift your spirit to praise.
Bring with you all the things you need to mend,
With full confidence your God attends.
Come, smell God’s goodness and feel the beauty of His smile.
Revel in the knowledge you His beloved child.
Take away His peace, His joy, and His love my friend.
Share with others and be sure to come back again,
As often as you desire to the garden with your King.

You will surely have a heart that sings.

Prayer
Father there is no place I would rather be.  I love the beautiful place of prayer, I love the sweet confidence and peace poured into my soul.  Thank You for providing such a lovely sanctuary for our soul.

Faith Speaks to the Wind By Brenda Drake

1 John 5:3
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith

                        Do you talk to yourself?  Do you speak to your mountains?  Does your faith stubbornly
refuse to shut up?  My answer is yes.

I tell myself who I am now in Christ.
I demand mountains of problem out of my sight.
I encourage and demand faith to speak to the wind.
As I place all my troubles at Jesus feet again.

Faith Speaks to the Wind

Faith watches for favor and speaks it to the wind.
Faith expects and is strengthened outside and within.
Faith climbs mountains high and hard with ease.
It soars like an eagle’s flight on heart’s knees

Faith allows the impossible to come to sight.
Faith, in the darkness shines magnificent and bright.
The negatives are no longer forefront in the mind;
Faith has left them far behind.
There is a faith left yet undiscovered,
Ready yourself, for its revelations to be uncovered.
A faith that not only, will mountains climb,
It removes them, and replaces them; with Gods design
Faith knows the One who loves them so much,
They watch for His favor…They expect His touch.
Faith is never disappointed for long,
For, the presence of hope and trust helps faith be strong.
Those faithful, trusts the One that marks their path
For, their hope and trust in His love, refuses to look back.

Prayer
Thank you Lord for the Word of God, I love the truth.  I stand on its promises. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Dip Into His Goodness By Brenda Drake

God hears and answers prayer. He leads and guides us to truth, and never tires of our interactions with Him.  It makes life a lot easier when we are at ease in His presence and know without a shadow of doubt, He is for us not against us.  We are able to call on His help day or night. He never will leave or forsake us.  I love to dip into His goodness in praise and prayer.

Dip Into His Goodness

Some have discovered how to receive,
They come often for all their needs.
They know great supply is always near,
They dip into God’s goodness without fear.
Some arrive just because they love the taste,
They love the goodness of His grace.
Sometimes they come into His presence for another;
To share a morsel with a sister or brother.
When they come for another often gifts are prepared for them;
Thrills of joy and blessed peace that flows within.
As they partake and share God’s goodness others believe,
They also can His help receive.
Come and dip into God’s great provision,
Spend some special time with Him.
Consume the Word and lift words of praise and prayer,
And of His great abundance is with you shared
There is no time unacceptable, and there is no time limit set.
You can come at any time and get as close as you desire to get.
Drink in God’s goodness, dip deep in the flow,
And you’ll be filled with love that overflows
Bathe in God’s presence and you will the truth see,
That it was always God’s intention: He planned it to be.

Psalms 34:8
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is
the man that trusteth in him.

Jewel Thought By Brenda Drake

The world has so many distractions, problems, worries, fears, and heartaches that bombard our everyday life.  We need to make an effort to look up to the One who will help us through them all.  I am convinced when we purpose our mind to think “jewel thoughts” our day will shine brighter too.  As we seek His face, we will find His joy fills our mind and heart with His precious peace.

Jewel Thoughts

What am I able to do help? What good word am I able to say?
How can I make things better for another today?               
The sky has such lovely colors…Oh, look at the clouds so fluffy and white.
I yearn to pleasure God… to shine on earth His light.
I want to sing that good song I heard that sounded so sweet.
To serve like Martha and also I desire to sit like Mary at Jesus’ feet.
Lord, help me always be willing to Your goodness proclaim.
I wonder what I will do when Jesus calls my name.
I enjoy the feel of the sunshine upon my back.
I love that Jesus the Son of God has provided all I lack.
I so desire to bring honor to Him I adore,
As I walk in faith, thinking good thoughts, patiently waiting for my Lord.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

A Son That Serves By Brenda Drake

It is easier to picture ourselves as a servant to Christ than it is to imagine that we are actually now sons and daughters of the Creator of the Universe and beyond.  Our inheritance is more than our minds can grasp and so much more than we could ever deserve.

A Son That Serves

As you accept the call to service – you align with God’s plan.
You are entering a Blessed and Holy land.
When you humble yourself to do God’s will;
You have placed yourself in service to His mission fulfill.
You agreed to be ruled by the labor of love;
A willing servant of God above.
In turn you are placed at His side;
When life’s battle is over with Him you forever abide.
God’s love is forever, your earthly service is put to rest;
Shared with you is all possessed.
The Angels rejoice at what they see done;
As servant is raised to be with God as one.
All creation strains to share in the rejoicing as they behold man,
In the honorable place the Father has planned.
Each are marked as His and it is seen plain,
That though they come in service, Sons they forever remain.

Isaiah 1:19
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name:

I John 3:1-3
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not

I John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Extravagant Love By Brenda Drake

This is a poem in my new book soon to be released called Love Makes A Way by Brenda Drake

It boggles the mind to think someone loves us enough to die for us.  But greater still is the mind-blowing realization the Creator of the universe loved us enough to not only die for us but also chooses to live in us.  His love is never ending.  It is indeed extravagantly elaborate; He is willing and able to provide for our every need.  He is truly our prince charming! He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Extravagant Love

Love created – those created rebelled,
Evil entered to lead the way to hell.
Love had a perfect plan,
But it needed to help the blind to see His plan.
Love reveals Himself to those who will obey;
To tell others in need and to lead the way.
It is an extravagant love that never stopped its flow.
Only an extravagant love would choose to die to save every soul.
This love will not force His self upon those He desires to touch.
But He will never stop demonstrating His love.
The free choice to choose or reject Him is His first gift given to all.
But He will never stop wooing the one who will hear His call.
Extravagant love tasted death so death would lose its sting.
Extravagant love makes a pauper a child of the king.
Jesus is the love-word spoken from the cross of shame.
A love-proposal to offer His name;
An over-the-top expression of devotion to call His bride.
When He said it was finished, He for them died.
But this love could not in the tomb stay,
He arose conqueror, alive in every way.

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Actions Speak Louder than Words By Brenda Drake

James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Let my words demonstrate what I will do.
Allow my actions to my words prove.
You are the Word in me strong.
Allow my actions to cause another’s heart to burst out in song.

Actions Speak Louder than Words

 Louder than what you say is what you do;
To profess without works is untruth.
To say you love your neighbor and to walk away in their need
Is to expect a harvest without planting a seed.
To say you care for the sad, the lonely, and afraid,
Without cheering them is like offering a cake unbaked.
To say you will pray and then you forget,
Is like promising to get clean without getting wet.
If you say, I will help – I will do this or that,
But instead you do not, what good is in the act?
Words that are kind and generous are never to be laid aside;
But words that uplift should always remain alive.
The one that truly loves will water what is sown.
Words need action; they do not stand-alone.
Make sure to take the time,
To do the generous thing in mind.
When you love in word and in actions as well,
A great work will be accomplished that God’s glory tells.
Jesus did what He said, and He said what He did,
You must do the same, for you are the body and He is the head.
Words speak loud, but not as loud as the deed done.
This is truth from the Father, Spirit and the Son.

Prayer
I desire to do as Jesus did.  I follow in His footsteps, with His strength and ability to do as the Word has shown.  Faith without works I know is dead.

The Divine Guide By Brenda Drake

What a wonderful display of love is shown to us in the plan of Salvation. We are blessed with the gift of life and the greater gift of eternal life with God because of the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.  Jesus then sent us Holy Spirit to lead, guide, teach, and comfort us till we get there or until He returns for us.

The Divine Guide

In the womb formed,
Before the day you were born,
You were known and seen clear,
Well-loved and held most dear.
Before the world began you were on God’s mind.
So precious is His love and so great is His design.
His plan was to draw you close and make you His bride.
Jesus knew He would for your sins die.
His love calls to Him,
To save from the grasp of sin.
His everlasting love leads and guides the way.
His Spirit teaches to obey.
He is Divine guide, Teacher, Comforter and friend,
He is the Good Shepherd that leads you from within.
The guide of the soul leads to the cross of shame,
To show the “Way“….Jesus is His name.
He saves, restores, and makes new inside.
He will never leave you as within He abides.
As you seek first His kingdom and trust His work in you,
You will abide in Him and will bear His fruit.
His fruit are sweet and causes pleasure to the soul;
Full of healthy results that prove God is in control.

1John 4:9
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

He is Beautiful By Brenda Drake

He is Beautiful

In this world there are many things for the eyes to see,
The colors are lovely displayed endlessly;
The sky is blue some would say,
But I’ve seen countless color-combinations on display.
The mountains can tinted green, brown or white,
Or blue, pink or purple to cause watching eyes delight.
Water seems at times blue, brown and green too,
The shades of trees, grasses and flowers amaze you.
But when a glimpse comes to reveal,
The Treasure of Heaven and His touch you feel;
There is nothing that can compare.
All life’s treasures are found there.
Jesus is beautiful, so beautiful; in wonder we become aware,
That so great and so amazing is the gift He shares.
His love gave His life to give life to the lost.
He suffered to pay our debt of sin on the cross.
He is beautiful, so beautiful is all my heart can say.
All I am and ever will be is invested in His name.
I am free to live with eyes able now to behold,
All the beauty that this life can hold.
And I am able to recognize the One who lit the way for me
So His beauty is evident in all that I see.

John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.