Faith Where Satan Lives
by Michael Doyle

There are times of great expectation
But none so much as in Revelation
Eschatology teaches us, and we learn
All the things that we need to discern

Knowing what is spoken is real
Has the possibility of making our spine steel
Fruitful and productive in hostile space
God has revealed our needed traces

We keep the faith despite Satan's lies
Hidden manna is given as God's surprise
Our minds run ragged at shifts in tone
Our questions are shared, and we're not undone

The Word of God hits at us close to home
Sometimes it cleaves us to the our bones
The more we learn, the more we that we need
The more we need, and yet the more we will read

Faithfulness is our faith's golden prize
All this revealed before our tireless eyes
We live where Satan grows and openly lives
Yet, we find only God is omnipresent and forgives

Our culture drifts past the point of no return
Can we still hope to thrive as we finally discern
We still live, though we are hanging by a thread
But we can remain faithful to all that God has said

Recognize that Jesus is either God or a madman
In a league of His own, it is His hope that can
Bring us the righteousness rising from apathy
That comes from our vanity fleeced with sympathy

Christ is the only hope for mankind's eternity
Our belief is needed in society with some urgency
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess
As the good and bad in life comes to this final test

Trials to come will burn us to our quick
These will come to us with a real kick
Whatever happens, we won't feel the curse
Unless, we stumble on our own at the worse

It's a struggle to keep from our favorite sins
As we return to it once more, again and again
There are some things that we cannot compromise
If we are to keep to God's sacred promises

What it comes to and what it's truly is about
Is if we are Christian, we are Christian out and out
Half-hearted hanging on the enemy's broken fence
Comes hard without any decent sense of defense

Our relationship with God is direct and one on one
As we go before the Father and the Son
The faithful will find our true victory
It's been that way throughout all of man's history

A white stone comes to us at life's last mile
As we prevail against and in our life's trial
The white stone token is given to atone
Adjudicating our final standing is God's alone

We live until our white stone trophy is received
Triumphing over Satan's evil as we've believed
In the end, there is so much goodness to receive
It comes to us only as we believe

(c) October 27, 2024   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved