Six Bright Stars

Holy is your name, LORD of all creation.
You are righteous and true. You are
Merciful to those who call upon you. There are
No other gods, no one else worthy of worship.
Before the beginning—Alpha and
Omega—beyond the ending. Your hand is
Outstretched to save, for you are
Kind and willing to forgive your insolent people.

© 2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper

These verses are adapted from an earlier song I wrote,
“I Don’t Serve a Dead Man”

 
HAND-HEWN GOD
 
Priests of Baal danced round an altar of stones
chanting prayers; crying aloud,
but their hand-hewn god heard not a word
from the frenzied, pleading crowd.
A block of wood or stone can’t speak;
no entreaties can it hear.
There is only one Almighty God,
only One Lord to revere.

History tells of seers and philosophers
claiming they could show the way.
Now all are gone; their lips are stilled.
You can find their graves today.
But don’t go looking for the tomb
of the man called Jesus Christ.
His body lay there three short days;
then the stone was rolled aside!

Rome’s seal upon the stone was torn.
Now the vacant tomb is proof
That Jesus is the Living Lord;
in him resides all Truth.
Stop seeking for your future
among the graveyards of years passed.
Call upon the Son—the Living One;
let the past remain the past.

© 2011 by Dennis D. Kemper

The Crimson King book can be ordered from the Amazon Kindle store for $2.99. A sample can be downloaded for free.

MORNING HAS BRIGHTLY DAWNED 

Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 9:2) Matthew’s declaration (Matthew 4:16)

 
Despairing humanity,
deceived descendants of rebellion,
stumbling in the dark,
following twisting, stone-strewn paths
under the unearthly illumination of black-light,
treading among pale shadows
in a reversed reality of occult light
and glaring darkness,
have been
astonished by a sudden brilliance,
stunned by the rumbling eruption
of a towering fountain of light,
shamed as the white flames of purity,
indiscriminate, unsparing,
revealed tattered clothing
and grime-smeared bodies.

The bright vision spoke.
Do not be afraid.

Unwilling to return to the lands of twilight,
many stepped directly into the radiance.
Hot beams pierced flesh.
Consumed old rags;
swaddled in the glory of new creation,
until, like all children of the Light,
they could no longer be hurt by the flames.

They who were within the fire
Now found the fire burning within them.

Again the vision spoke.
Do not be afraid.
I AM the Light of the World
No longer will you walk in darkness.

Despairing humanity,
deceived descendants of rebellion,
existing in the bleak country of
unknowing exile, laboring under the hollow gaze
of the Overseer whose name is Death,
have seen a Great Light.
Its glare has washed from the heavens
All lesser suns.
Its unchallenged power has thrown open
the formerly barred gates
of unending day and unceasing life.
The long night has passed,
itself cast into darkness,

and Morning has brightly dawned.

© 2011 by Dennis D. Kemper

DEFECTOR

I’ve come from a land where the sun never shines,
Where a tyrant called Satan is king.
The people are cowed by his merciless hand,
He rules with a scorpion’s sting.
But I read from a book smuggled in from outside,
And I found there The Plan of escape.
I believed in God’s Son and he came, took my hand,
And we marched unopposed through the gate!

I’m a defector from the kingdom of Satan.
I ran away from his darkness and fear.
I immigrated to the kingdom of God’s dear Son,
And I found asylum here.
My allegiance is no longer with the devil;
Against him I’ve joined the attack.
I’m a defector from the kingdom of Satan,
And I will never, never go back!

Satan’s servants are bound with invisible chains,
The links forged of fear and distress.
They work long and hard; then receive their reward:
The wages he pays them is death!
Now I have crossed over to the other side,
Left behind the dominion of dread.
The wages of sin I am no longer paid;
I receive life eternal instead!

He promises pleasure
But delivers despair.
He’s called Deceiver,
The Father of Lies.
I’m sorry I served him,
But never again.
My loyalty now is with Christ!

I’m a defector from the kingdom of Satan.
I ran away from his darkness and fear.
I immigrated to the kingdom of God’s dear Son,
And I found asylum here.
My allegiance is no longer with the devil;
Against him I’ve joined the attack.
I’m a defector from the kingdom of Satan,
And I will never, never go back!

© 2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper

HIS COMING *
An Advent Meditation
 
This song I sing; this story tell
Of the Child, Immanuel.
The coming of our Lord Jesus
When God came to live with us.
I can never sing enough
Of his birth in Bethlehem.
I, too, would join the shepherds there
And kneel and worship him.

His coming—
A great mystery.
How I marvel when I see
The One whose voice angels obey
Lying on a bed of hay.

The prophets saw Messiah come.
Saw him born of virgin’s womb,
And then they saw him like a lamb
Taking on himself our sins.
I can never praise enough
One who gave his life for me
Before a cross on Golgotha’s hill
I fall down on my knees.

His coming—
A great mystery.
How I marvel when I see
The One who made the mountains stand
Clutching at His mother’s hand.

Among the stars his own hands made,
Shone one that made others fade.
A light that guided wise men far;
Hope was shining in that star.
I can never gaze enough
At the star of Bethlehem—
A beacon fire that leads us to
The Savior of all men.

His coming—
A great mystery.
How I marvel when I see
The One who spoke, and there was light
Come to earth one holy night.

___________________

* This song is available for listening. I have slightly altered the lyrics since the recording was made

Original version © 1991 revised edition ©2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper

BEHOLD THE GLORY
John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness
 

He must increase. I must decrease. He is the conflagration; I am the wavering oil lamp’s flame. He is exalted among angels, men, mountains, rivers, creatures great, organisms small. And I—I stand in the shadows of his radiant glory. I am not worthy even to assume the lowly role of a slave removing the dusty sandals from his master’s feet.

My Brothers, My Sisters, Children of Israel and Children of Ishmael, I have come to the desert to announce, to this barren land to proclaim: He has come! The promised One, bearing the name, Savior, and the unparalleled title, God Is Here! The Christ—Our Messiah—has come!

Behold, privileged generation: The Lamb of God! Behold your King!

The Lord is merciful. He has not forgotten us.
The Lord is compassionate. He has not abandoned us.
The Lord is long-suffering. He has not condemned us.

This is why he has sent me to you, compelling me to divide among you—all who desire a share—the vast riches of his goodness and mercy. All who desire a portion will have enough, and still more—much more—will remain.

The old creation is not large enough to contain the entirety of the King’s treasury nor pure enough to withstand the blaze of his glory—brighter than the fires of a forge, more luminous than the glow of molten metal pulled from the roaring flames of the smith’s furnace. He will baptize with such fire. Some will wither like dry straw; others will be cleansed of all impurities when their souls are plunged beneath the flames.

He must increase; I must decrease. His words are like the roar of ocean waves collapsing upon the rocky shore. Mine, in comparison, are merely the soft plash of a raindrop on a dusty path. His voice resounds with authority, unhesitatingly obeyed and acknowledged by the highest ranks of the heavenly hosts, reverberating even down to the deepest caverns of the earth. Dark spirits hear, and tremble.

Nevertheless, I will shout to make my voice heard above the clamor of the marketplace. I will declare the Glory of the Lord for as long as he gives me breath. Therefore I proclaim to you today, and to generations yet to come; I will announce to all tribes and nations across man-made borders, to those near and to those far away, across the boundaries of the ages, crying as loud as I can out in this wilderness: Prepare the way! Prepare the way for the Lord!

© 2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
(Stay on the Road)

Stay on the road,
Christian,
Stay on the road.
Don’t turn aside
For the glittering gold.
Other roads beckon,
But they’ll lead you astray.
Straight is the true road
And narrow the Way.

Stay on the road,
Brother,
Keep your heart pure.
Don’t be deceived
By the Devil’s detour.
Keep marching on, soldier
Keep marching on.
Fight the good fight ‘till
The battle is won.

Walk in the light,
Children,
Walk in the light.
Follow the Master,
Keep Jesus in sight.
Follow the path
Saints victorious have trod.
Stay on the high road,
Be true to your God.

© 2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper

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SANCTUS SANCTUS SANCTUS
(Latin for HOLY HOLY HOLY)
 
Spirit most holy, by
Archangels attended
Not seen by eyes of flesh
Concealed in cloud and fire
Tabernacles among
Us in the wilderness.
Satisfies our hunger in the desert

How may a mortal approach your throne?
One cannot look upon your face and
Live; neither can one enter into
Your presence if any uncleanness be found in him.

Spirit of Wisdom
Ageless, Timeless
Nothing hidden nor
Concealed from your eyes.
Teacher of righteousness
Unveiler of
Secrets and ancient mysteries.

How marvelous, how wonderful you are. If
Only I could walk with you in the
Luxuriant garden in the cool of the day as
You once did with your first human children.

Spirit most tender
All giving, all forgiving.
Nurturing mother
Caring for her young.
Taking no pleasure in their distress
Unwilling for any to perish, casting their
Sins irretrievably into a bottomless sea.

Has anyone ever manifested mercy as vast as your mercy?
On a day of night-darkness and terrifying thunder your love
Lacerated the temple curtain from top to bottom. Into
Your presence, where nothing is hidden, I come.

© 2011 by Dennis Dale Kemper