Poetry of Christian Faith

Tim Carter, Dave Carter
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A conversation with Author Tim Carter about religion, poetry, and life. Formerly the "Living in God's Rhyme Podcast".

  1. 04/20/2023

    Not Perfect, But Willing, #100

    100, 10-10, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 4/20/2023)                         Today we are reading and discussing a poem about what God has offered us and 2 new poems written for today’s podcast. We’ll start with a poem from God’s Rhyme, on page 106. JOHN 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His  only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him  should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NIV) God loved us,  He gave us, His only Son, For everyone, Who believes In His Son Should not,  Will not, Perish, But have  Life Everlasting. What could be more poetic, More comforting than this? No words of yours or mine Could convey love like His. Gave His son, Whoever believes, Life everlasting, There is nothing, Not a thing, Left to say. Except, Thank you Lord  For Your love. Reflection: So, one day I thought I could make god's love for us sound more poetic, make it sound more . . . whatever that it is in the Bible.  I couldn't and happily admit it.  The work of God in human hands . . .   It should be left in God's hands. Discussion: THE PRAYER ROAD The time has come, At least for some, To kneel in prayer For what is there. ‘tis not the end, Hearts left to mend, Once having heard Through prayer a word. In the race we run, Is the shining Son, Filling us with love As we look above. The road we take, That God did make, Follow through faith Knowing His grace. It is not goodbye, No question of why. We did kneel and pray. He will lead the way, And in knowing Him, So we will follow.                                  tcarter, 4/9,10/2023 Discussion:   NOT PERFECT Not perfect, but willing. God continues instilling, My soul constantly filling. I look to the skies, Wipe tears from my eyes, Answering my whys. Not perfect on this earth, Yet I have found my worth, That began with a birth. Not perfect today, So again I pray I follow God’s way. I am not perfect in my present life,  but God is perfect and Jesus will lead me to perfection.                                (tcarter, 4/11/2023) Discussion: As we come to the end of today’s podcast, let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Dave, I thank you for the time You have given us to record these podcasts.  Through this time, we both have experienced growth in our faith and the need for You in our lives.  We hope that we have been able to touch at least a few listeners when they needed to hear what You have done in our lives and the patience You have had with us during this time, and before, in our lives.  We know that this is not the end of our days with You.  We trust in You, knowing that if we are open to Your will for...

  2. 04/13/2023

    Remove The Door, #99

    99, 10-9, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 4/13/2023)                         Today we will be reading poems about prayer. The first poem is in God’s Rhyme on pg. 33. PRAYER Dear Jesus, how do I pray,             what do I say? What words do I speak             for the peace that I seek? I give thanks to You             for all that You do, for the blessings You are giving             in this life I am living. I praise Your blessed name,             forever & always it is the same. Yesterday You guided me,             today You helped me see. Forgive me for all the wrongs, keep me singing happy songs. From temptation set me free so that in You I can be. I praise You I thank You I worship You I honor You Jesus, You set me free,             now I can see. When my vision is blurred             You show me Your word. As I have been blessed,             now I pray for the rest, for my sisters & brothers             who think they have no other. For our salvation You are risen,             for us new life You have given. Use me as You would             that others may have what they should. I praise You I thank You I worship You I honor You On bended knee or with hands upraised,             it is Your life that is praised. And as I give You my life             You take from me my strife. You have given me so much;             joy, life, love & the such. & all You have taken             is my life’s burden. You are all the love  from Heaven above. & Jesus, each time I pray  there is not enough to say.   Except,             I praise You                         & Your holy name,             I thank You  for what You have done,             I worship You                         as my Savior & Lord,             I honor...

  3. 04/06/2023

    The lamb of God Who Saves US, #98

    98, 10-8, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 4/6/2023)                         Today we are reading and discussing 3 poems about Jesus, the Lamb of God, what He has done for us and the blessings that we receive as we receive as we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, lived on the earth as one of us, a life without sin, took the sins of the world upon Himself, as called to by His Father, a death that was the final sacrifice God required for the forgiveness of man’s sins.  If we will believe we will receive everlasting life in Heaven with our Savior. THE GATHERING LAMB Page 110 God’s Rhyme “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us  has turned to our own way; and the Lord has  laid on him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:6, NIV The Lamb of God, with God before time, perfect, as is God, in every way, before the words were written in lines Jesus, the unblemished Lamb was there. Jesus and God, with the Holy Spirit, indivisible, the Trinity; so the Lamb of God is also God, who saves our souls for eternity. We, living on this earth, a herd of sheep, we wander, are lost not knowing the cost, not knowing, we cause a pain so deep that God sent Jesus to find and save us. An earthly shepherd has a special one, one of the herd that seeks the wandering,  those sheep that are lost, that have gone astray, returning them home before the day is done. Our Heavenly Master has sent His Son to find the lost and to gather the strays, to bring us home before the end of days. The Lamb of God, a never ending search.             Before we knew Him             He knew who we were,             He knew our thoughts, He knew our prayers. And He knew of our rebellion, Before, He has always known. Yet He loves us still and He always will. He sent His Son to be the one that would seek us out even as we doubt. He sent His Son to gather us in, the unblemished Lamb, the Sacrifice, to pay the price, to die for our sins so that with God we are finally put right! . Reflection: The result of Bible study.  The lamb who gathers us in, who died for our sins. Discussion: THE LAMB OF GOD Page 14, Living in Gods Rhyme “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,  the root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open  the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,  standing at the center of the throne . . . Revelation 5:5-6 As I sat reading of John’s vision I felt as if I never fully understood That for eternity God’s decision Remains forever for my good. Yes, I have read of the cruelty  Of his beating on the way to the cross, Of the agony of his death, The death of God’s son. The death of my condemnation. I know that by God’s grace I will be with him forever. I know I will see his face And feel his loving embrace. But reading the words of what John saw, Though they shouldn’t, they rub my wounds...

  4. 03/30/2023

    We Are Missionaries, #97

    97, 10-7, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 3/30/2023)  Today we will be discussion the call to missions in our lives.  We are called to spread the gospel to the nations. THE MISSIONARY’S MISSION (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 65) They leave the comfort of home Where they were raised and grown, Where seeds of faith were sown, By those who gave them a home. With the love for those, These that God chose Have a yearning to share The love of God’s care. Traveling across continents and seas To spread his word and plant the seeds, Prayerfully hoping that their good deeds Will show more how God’s grace does please. Where language is a barrier  His word speaks to all, No matter the carrier, More will hear your call. More will hear your call Because they, many of them, Love you and those in need Of hearing a word,  Of sharing a good deed. It is God’s love that leads the missionary. It is his call that sends them forth, That sets the missionary on a course. He has set their hearts on fire With a spirit full of desire To help their sisters and brothers In a way not done by others. God will bless Those who help More who have less, Those who reach, Those who teach The one or more Who need help. He will bless evermore. Pray for those with a heart, A desire to live apart  From the comforts of a life, To live with those in strife. May their living, May their giving, Be the gift, Give a lift To the spirit Of many more adrift, Perhaps not knowing That as more do hear it, The words of works More will share, More will care That it is God’s word More will be sowing. Reflection on The Missionary’s Mission I got the idea for this poem on my way to work .  I had a few good lines that I fortunately remembered to write down when I got to work.  However, when I wrote it, I struggled.  I’m not sure what that means, if anything.  Maybe it was because I was writing about something I know little about.  But upon reflection during the day I realized that we are all called to be missionaries.  Where ever we are we are to share the good news of salvation.  At work, on the street, with friends, and especially at home.  And it all starts with our story. HIS WORD  MAY IT LEAD US (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 63) Matthew, Mark Luke and John, Paul, Peter, Timothy and Jude, Books and letters written  To show us the way to God’s love, The love of his sacrifice, The love of his grace, The love he has for us, The human race. Jesus said, Believe, Be baptized And spread the Gospel. We should not only pray, Pray every day, For those who have not heard His mighty saving word. We should speak So that we reach Those souls we know Of the gift we have received So they will not be deceived. We need to shout To the world about That Jesus saves, He is what God gave So the end will be better, So it will not be bitter. After Thoughts As believers we can meet in clusters So that faith and desire we can muster That as we leave the room We do not have a sense of doom But the faith to share, Share that we care, That others hear What we hold dear To...

  5. 03/23/2023

    God's Days, #96

    96, 10-6, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 3/23/2023)                         Today we are going to follow up on Dave’s suggestion to read a specific poem.  This poem has one of my favorite titles, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrowday.  Sometimes I like to play with words and even make my own words.  Yesterday, today and tomorrow are all days of our lives.  And no, I have not watched this soap opera on tv.   I’m not sure how clean I would be after watching an episode. Ok, enough, I’ll get to reading.  Our first poem is found in Living in God’s Rhyme on page 157. YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROWDAY As I write this it is today. I wrote the one for yesterday Sometime earlier today. You will read this tomorrowday. Yeah, it sounds nonsensical. Maybe it’s like something from  A long lost, thankfully, musical Whose tunes you cannot hum. For some that is the total sum Of a week of days ever so weak; There was yesterday’s yesterday And then tomorrowday’s tomorrowday. But we must remember the times When writing of the week’s rhymes That spellcheck continues to tell us we that we are wronger With those red squiggly lines under words that are stronger. (Writers comment: Man versus machine, God always wins.) One day tomorrowday will be yesterday. We cannot worry about whatever day We find ourselves living in Whether we lose or we win. As we face each day we must pray, Pray aloud that God removes the cloud Of doubt so we may shout For the world to hear that we have no fear. Yes, we will have our coffee, We will have the lives we live, But these things become small When we answer God’s call. Yesterday I wrote, and today I write As I will tomorrowday write, “All I need today is a little Dr. Pepper And a whole lot of Jesus” Pray that we may Stay with him always, That what we say May reflect the way He has saved us, God’s Son, Jesus. Discussion: Not much to say.  It’s how my mind works.  Crazy, I know; the voices in my head are constantly telling me so. Let’s see what I wrote some other day.  This is found on page 53 of Living In God’s Rhyme. SUDDEN DAY The first day of the week, We worship him in church As comfort in our lives we seek Before out the doors we lurch. Tomorrow begins the weak days, Those days when we can easily forget What on Sunday he did say. As we step in the puddles our feet are wet. It is me In the mirror I do see. In the morning There is a warning In the prayer said That all I need Is his word to heed And I will be led My soul will be fed And then I open the door To the world that wants more. Each and every day I see A reflection in the mirror. But there are so many about As our lives we live out That have not heard  Us speak of his word. We must care, We must share, Let them know As we sow The seeds That will feed More than five thousand, More than loaves and fish, More than they could ever wish In years beyond a thousand. We can lead them to eternity. Away from God’s enmity, So that when it does arrive Sudden Day they...

  6. 03/16/2023

    Where is God

    95, 10-5, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 3/16/23)                         Last week I asked for prayers that God would answer a question: Should I read poems I have written and posted on Facebook  about the times we are living in.  My concern was the political content of some of the poems.  And again, I am stating that it is not the politics of today I want to discuss, rather it is the fight of good and evil that overrides all things. About 3 hours after finishing recording last week’s podcast I went to the computer, got on line and checked our bank statement.  Then a thought came to me while looking at the 3 books on the desk next to a pile of podcast files.  I wondered to myself, are the poems in here and is this what God has led me to.  I picked up Living in God’s Rhyme and was led to 3 poems.    I love the answers to prayers. The first poem is found on page 114. IS THIS THE HUMAN CONDITION (This is not a question) Where is God when we need him? Why has this happened again, Over and over again? We were told you were a good God, A loving God who cares for his people. Where are you in our times of need! Before our time of need  We should take time to read Of the history of his chosen ones, His beloved daughters and sons. In their times of greed They did not see the need To honor his glory and heed His word, words that feed. It is there for us today. Did we not know so we cannot say? Did we not know as we walked away That you despised our way? Did we not hear that Jesus came Not just for the Jew, but also the Gentile? He came so that with God we could reconcile So as Jew and Gentile we are all the same. If we love God and his Son, No matter what we have done, His love for us never is never ending. Our lives forever he will be mending, If we love him we must follow With words and prayers not hollow, We must be true to him who loves us, Loves us so much he sacrificed Jesus. There is a reason us rhymes with Jesus. But we never learned the lesson, Maybe because we never read Of God’s anger over the adultery Of his chosen ones with idols And false gods, the gods of others That do no good, but only harm. Gods of wood and gold, some were so bold To worship nothing instead of everything, All that their God had for them. So where is God today as children are slaughtered, As lives are abandoned and hope forgotten? He is everywhere, where are we? Reflection on Is This The Human Condition I think that I mentioned before that I had no idea what direction the book I am writing here would lead me. Although I talk of reading God’s word and receiving the words of the poems from God, I am probably the last person, if I were on the outside looking in, that I would think could have that relationship. It has grown since I started writing this book. But the poems continue to surprise and amaze me. I was reading Hosea before writing and I just stopped and wondered at the times God’s chosen people walked away from Him and then when trouble came, well you know what we all do at those times.  Today we are in the same place. I had no idea I would what I would write other than the title Discussion:  The next poem is found on page 159 MEANINGLESS WORDS First came the...

  7. 03/09/2023

    Jesus Open My Eyes and Heart, #94

    94, 10-4, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 3/9/2023)                         Today, we will be reading and discussing 4 consecutive poems from God’s Rhyme.  They are found on pages 5 through 11.  My journey to salvation may sound unusual to some.  I first had the desire to know Jesus and understand His love for me through the love Father Larry Dunn shared.  I have shared before, I was raised In the Episcopal Church, was married in the Catholic Church and later converted to Catholicism, and many years later was led by God to leave the Catholic Church and am now attending an Evangelical, bible believing, teaching and professing church.  The following poems are 4 of the first Christian poems I wrote in the later 1970’s.     MY FRIEND JESUS  Take my hand  as we walk this land, feel the sand as time drifts away, hear what I say, just be what you may with my friend Jesus. A little boy, a baby girl; sometimes the days like a waterfall swirl until I feel the sun’s rays & I know it’s the Son,  Who, tho blinded to some, is Who I will follow. A walk thru a field & I find I must yield, give of myself, die to my wants. I opened the door & found Him waiting there, wanting no more than that breath of fresh air. I found the way. As people had said, it’s not what you say or the thoughts in your head. It’s not just the grace of an evening meal. It’s something you always feel, something that starts deep in you heart. Take my hand & walk with me; There is so much to be. Together we can stand, not just the two of us, because we are three with our friend Jesus. Discussion: FOR YOU TWO  Thank you Jesus for loving me,             for being able to see             that I am more             than I think I can be. When the world             seems to swirl around             & sounds are blurred, somehow your love is heard. You’ve given me a life;             a loving wife,             the sweet joys of a baby girl             & a little boy. I have been blessed. I just need to take time             to look between the stress             of a world that wants what is mine. I know I don’t often tell You, I’m so often overdue             in remembering it’s not just the words,             but more the actions that are heard. With You tho, I have a new start             In seeing thru the lies,             for it’s not just with...

  8. 03/02/2023

    What God Gives Us

    93,10-3, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 3/2/2023) Revised 2/26/2023 Today we will be reading and discussing poems about what God gives us. AS ONLY YOU CAN  (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 116) I look at the clouds and I wonder aloud What lies beyond the skies? What ever can be though looking I cannot see. I look at the wonder of it all and I hear your call. Beyond the skies is Heaven above, Where there are no whys, just your love. But first we share in this world of ours For what we care in each day’s hours. The mountains, the valleys, The meadows, the deserts, And the vast deep waters, They all exist inside of us. You spoke the earth into existence, You breathed your breath into man, Your power knew no resistance. It was only and is only you who can. May we live in your glory, Be a part of your story. May we every day strive To have you in our lives. May we see the splendor, Of all you do, of who we are As we shine brighter than the stars When we let you, Lord, be who you are. Discussion: THE WONDER OF GOD’S WAY  (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 182) God’s love is shown and Jesus is known As the words of King David are heard Many years after and many years before, After the creation and before the resurrection. In times of grace and in time of waste God’s love for us never falters, never fails. His is a love we may never understand, While on this earth we are merely man. David writes: the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger; abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;  he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:7-12) How can we on this earth understand this love? We live our lives struggling for love  While we struggle at times to give our love. We shake our neighbor’s hands with winter gloves. If we have fear for the Lord, the awe and respect he deserves, We have opened the door to our hearts to receive his grace, If we truly believe and accept this and are not reserved In our faith, he is faithful to forgive and remember never. Be thankful that as Isaiah writes of God, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” declares the LORD . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8,9) Live in awe filled wonder and his voice will not thunder Because of who he is, as we live, he forgives. By faith through his grace, we have the gift to forever live Through the death of his Son, who took upon himself our sin. Be thankful God is who he is and always will be, Be thankful God loves you and loves me, Be thankful God created us in love So by believing we will see him in heaven above. God so loves us that he sent his only Son to die for our transgressions. If his ways were our ways, we would still be dying in those transgressions. Be thankful and accept his love,

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About

A conversation with Author Tim Carter about religion, poetry, and life. Formerly the "Living in God's Rhyme Podcast".

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  • Creator
    Tim Carter, Dave Carter
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    101
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Dave Carter, Tim Carter
  • Show Website
    Poetry of Christian Faith