A mother is standing by her son’s grave, tears are streaming down her cheeks.

He was only nineteen.

All she has left now, is her faith in You oh Lord.

Though that same questions haunts her every dream, why? Why!?

I cannot tell her, and she cannot find reason in herself.

For the only explanation that can be found in this world is:

“The Lord works in mysterious ways, He has reasons for all that He does”.

This true, but completely unhelpful response is not what she, or anyone is seeking.

It is the obvious, so obvious that it does nothing but anger those who are told this.

So I beg you, pastor, father, mother, brother, sister, DO NOT try to answer the question: why?

For unless the Lord comes upon you and shares His wisdom with you for a specific occasion.

It is NOT our job to find reason and purpose in the Lord’s actions, especially the painful ones.

It is NOT our job to explain His movement unless He has specifically called us to do so.

Because, though logical and scripturally backed, our own response to what has happened,

Is not what the Lord intends. Though his plan will succeed no matter what we do,

I beg you to be cautious with your insight and only speak when you are led to do so.

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When you pray, kneel behind a dark curtain.

When you do an act of kindness, let it be when eyes are closed.

When your hand opens and silver falls into the lap of a beggar, may he be turned the other way so you are not seen.

For the Lord delights in a private love and service of His people.

Do not announce your good works with trumpets and banners, do them in a hooded cloak.

When you are asked, “was it you that give this to the church”?

Answer “only at the command of the Almighty, for it was not I that did it, it was the Lord”.

Wear the mark of the Lord Jesus Christ on your forehead and hands, in declaration of your faith,

But do not act in goodness for the eyes of the public, for if your love and works are genuine,

The favor of the Lord will be reward enough.

Seek the curious smile of the people as they wonder who has done this for them,

Know that you have done the Lord’s work and be proud to be of service.

If you are meant to be seen by the eyes of the people, the Lord will shed His light upon you.

If you are meant to remain hidden, the shadows of His light will cloak your face.

Smile and rejoice, whether it be in light or shadow,

For you have served the Kingdom by the hand of the Lord.

By Justin Silcox 

Give me a blank stare and I will fill your eyes with excitement. 
Give a drooping smile that proves so many reassuring lies,

And I will make it shine as bright and as clear as the stars above. 
Give me a clenched fist and I will open it to give and receive.
 Give me words that are full of pain and laced with brokenness                                                                and I will turn them into a song of joyful praise. 
Rejoice says the Lord, for all is in His hands.

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Pray that you have a sharp ear among all the distractions of this world,

So that you may hear the Lord’s voice clearly and not take your eyes off of Him,

For He is what is important. He is what matters. He is everything.

He is more than you petty wants of worldly things.

More than you could ever imagine.

So do well in giving Him proper focus and heeding his every word.

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     Compassion is kneeling by a fallen brother or sister,  holding them close,                                                     and bringing them back to their feet.

Compassion is being loving, even to those you don’t think deserve it.

Compassion is seeing brokenness, pain, agony, in the hearts of those around you,

And sharing the truth of an everlasting love with those hearts.

How can we expect people to believe in the Lord when we,

His servants cannot even share a kind word to the downtrodden.

Believe me when I say, the Lord looks upon those with compassion and kindness in their heart with great favor,

In comparison to those who hold only bitterness and anger.

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Now you know that you are not perfect,

And you know that she is not perfect.

The question is, are you perfect for each other?

Now the only way you will find that one out is by asking questions, listening closely,

Having faith in Me, and honestly, just giving the chances that I provide, the best that you’ve got.

Hold nothing back.

Be patient.

Do not speak until I say speak.

Do not walk until I say walk.

Do not reach until I say reach.

Patience. For when you are on My time, you cannot fail.

By Justin Silcox 

May we be men of the Lord.

Let us rise up and stand with the cross at our backs,

Forever growing taller, surrounding us as we surround our community.

Let the light and the love that You provide Lord,

 Flow through our clean hands onto the women and children that we have sworn in Your great name to protect.

Let us be the faithful and strong men You have called us to be.

To Lead.

To Protect.

To serve.

To fight in Your name.

And to love.

Bless us and strengthen us, so that You may rise up from Your throne and call us Your good and faithful servants.

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Your anger is fire spewing from your lips,

It burns and causes pain to your brother and sister, making them fearful and sad.

Your anger is a poison that will, and spread, and devour your very community.

It numbs your ears, clouds your eyes, and laces your lips with venom.

As you hold anger deep inside your heart,

The Lord will keep you from His alter,

Flames of holy fire will push you back until your words turn from death to life.

Repent for your wrong doing, seek reconciliation with your brother,

Pursue the light and the love of the Lord so that He may tame your tongue.

For it is much to evil got you to handle alone.

May he bless you with a family, a community of forgiving, heart healing followers of God.

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Smile and let live, turn and walk from the face of rage.

Be the noble man that walks in righteousness,

Rather than the foolish man that lets his tongue run untamed.

Blessed is the man that remains strong in the discipline of the Lord and

Places the very poison of his tongue and the sin of his heart in the hands of God.

For the Lord can take every piece of anger, bitterness, venom, guilt, and resentment

That we hold inside and make it pure.

Though it may be a painful road of many tears,

The light that you will stand in will be a reward that makes up 10 times over.

For when you lie in obedience, the Lord is pleased and has great favor upon your soul.

Be brave my brothers, have the courage to know when you have done wrong,

And the wisdom to make it right with your neighbor and the Lord.

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When it comes down to the wire, who will you be?
The face of nobility, righteousness, courage, wisdom. 
Or will you fear the end of this short life and turn and run.  
I beg you, think clearly and stand tall, you have nothing to fear. 
The sting of death has been dulled into nothing. 
The victory of hell has been pushed into submission. 
All that is before us as we stand in the light, 
is the everlasting freedom of true life. 
True life in Jesus Christ. 

By Justin Silcox

Judgmental eyes. Persecuting hearts. Scathing tongues.

Who are you, you people that claim to be mine?

You lie and speak death over those who do not believe your deceit.

You cast them out of what you call My house, but I do not dwell there.

You mark them as outcasts when they are the ones that truly shine in My light.

These chosen people, the ones you call exiled will be My children and live in My blessing.

Their hearts will burn with Holy fire and it will spread over these lush fields and vineyards                        that you call My blessing,

And they will be no more.

These flames of My pure light will rise high above your plain four walls and convict and burn

The false prophets, murderers, liars, and guilty that you shelter.

The pure and righteous will stand and dance in my flames,

No longer restrained by the treacherous ones around them.

Chains broken. Blood cleaned. Scars wiped away with a flash of My light.

Nothing is beyond My power and grace.

Believe and live in My mercy, you follower of Christ.

But do not doubt the impending death that lies just beyond the thorns along your path.

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Flames burn, waters rush, winds blow, I stand upon a strong foundation,

The strongest known. Lord it is You.

I look around and I see You everywhere, as Holy Fire burning my heart and igniting others around me.

As Living Water quenching my spirit and sustaining me along my path.

As a Whisper in a soft breeze forever leading me.

As the Holy Ground on which I stand.

You are in everything Lord.

Even though I may hide from You in the darkness, wishing that You not look upon my filth,

Your light will always find me.

Whether I sit, cloaked in sin.

Stand in rebellion.

Turn with shame.

You will always find me Lord and You will always seek me.

For I may be unclean, unfaithful, unhealed, unsure, or unknown.

I know that I am not unloved.

For Your love for me and Your people is never ending.

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her,

That her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for”.

-Isaiah 40:1-2

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Though we may hide in the shadows, cloaked in darkness, wallowing in sin.

The Lord is there.

No matter how far we push Him,

How far we run from Him,

Or how hard we fight Him, He will never leave our side.

He is desperately reaching out, pulling us towards Him, wishing that we would accept His embrace.

He will stand at our backs keeping the darkness at bay, shielding us from all that attacks and wished to devour.

Keep your faith in the Lord and your spirit held high,

For as long as our eyes are kept on His face, we are unbound by the chains of the world.

We stand before Him freed by grace, viewing the chaos at His back,

Knowing that He is what has delivered us.

Lord, we cry out to You, Thank You! Thank You my Merciful Lord!

May You be proud of what we do and will do in You.

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Take a look around and tell me what matters.

You see people and people, a crowd is gathering all around you.

You make one action to please them and make another to please Me.

But I am not pleased because you are sharing what should be Mine with them.

Do you care so much about what the people around you say and think that you change yourself,

Make decisions, take steps, and walk a path based on what they want?

Do you?

I am enraged when you do one thing in the dark and do another in the light.

Your heart is pure, clean, and white but your hands are covered in blood                                                   and your feet are black with filth.

Walk in My light, do as I do, follow My every step.

Do not stray, remember where your heart lies because it is with Me.

As the crowd roars and yells, turn your head and face Me.

They will pull the chains that hold your arms and legs, causing you to stumble and fall.

Rise up! Run towards Me! My arms are open in embrace.

They will pull you down again, and again, and again.

But as the chains cut into your wrists and blood trickles down your fingertips,                                           not a single drop will hit the floor.

I will reach My hand out and catch any that fall. I have bled in your place                                                     so that you would not have a debt to pay.

Look into My eyes, I love you. I want all of you.

So tear the chains apart, shatter and destroy them. They have no place on your body.

Follow My every step, walk as I walk, speak as I speak, soar in My radiance,

For I have died and risen just to set you free.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31

  

By Justin Silcox 

My beautiful sisters, how you radiate the Lord’s light.

You are examples of His ever present love and nurture.

The things you do, the things you say, the things that you suffer through are so incredible.

May the Lord lift you up in all His glory.

Each and every one of you mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends.

I admire your resolve and strength.

To nurture when we need nurturing. To fight when we need protecting.

You build us up when we are down and leave a red imprint of your hand on our cheek,

When we need reality returned to our lives.

How I love all that you do.

May the Lord bless your every movement, your every step, your every word.

Because I know that I am blessed by you.

By your beauty, by your sweet words, by your strength, 

and by your wonderful grace in the face of the world.

“Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, 

majestic as the stars in procession?”

-Song of Songs 7:10

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Running hard, breathing heavily, I stumble through the brush, 

thorns tearing at my legs and arms.

Blood drips down my hand and falls from my fingertips.

I see Your white robes wave slightly as You disappear through the bushes ahead of me.

The things that pull and cut and hold me back are pushed aside by Your glory, 

not coming near You.

I inhale sharply and return to my pursuit of You.

Still I run, sprinting, being sustained by the glimpses of You that I see.

I run past scenes of an orphaned child being held tightly by a crying woman.

Your love flowing from her, blessing the now smiling child.

To the left I see a man in dirty clothes, sitting on the road begging people as they pass for coins,          food, and even work.

A man walking, shining in Your radiance, kneels by his side, lifts the beggar to his feet                            and takes him to your house.

Your love is shared as he is cared for by Your people.

Still running, I break through the brush and now I stand in a desert, the wind blowing at my face.

I see the back of Your head disappear over the next hill.

I smile and wipe the sweat from my brow and take off running after you,

For just because I wander through the wilderness, does not mean I am lost.

To the right I see a preacher leaning against a wall in a tight hallway, sobbing,

Completely unsure of what to tell the people that await him.

You’ve brought his wife home to be with You in Your palace.

He is broken and beginning to doubt.

A young girl stumbles into the hallway, seeing her father crying.

She hugs his side tightly telling him that she trusts in both of her fathers.

Your everlasting love is shining in her eyes and shared with her father.

Your glory reigns as he steps out of the hallway, facing the people.

He speaks of your word and your message with confidence and trust.

Still I run, seeking Your heart and face.

I am thirsty as I follow You through the desert.

As I come over the next hill, I see You sitting, waiting for me.

I kneel by Your side and You share Your living water with me and I am refreshed and sustained.

You stand and smile at me as You turn and continue walking swiftly deeper into the desert.

I breathe in and praise Your glorious name as I start running once more.

Before me I see a woman, sitting limply in a chair, the room dimly lit.

A needle lies on the table by her side.

She stares blankly into space, her breathing light.

A young man walks into the small house, late from work.

He sees his mother strung out, yet another broken promise.

Your power and might comes upon him, he is filled with a righteous anger,

The mark of Christ burning brightly on his forehead.

He knocks the needle and other objects from the small table with a swing of his hand.

He throws the table aside and picks up the half empty bottle of liquor by her leg,

He throws it against the wall, making it shatter, its contents spraying all over the floor.

His mother’s eyes are wide with shock as she stares at him.

He wipes the blood from her arm with a rag and he lays his hand upon her head and prays.

The filth inside her is burned away by Your might.

Her soul is cleansed and shrouded in Your light.

She looks up to you with pleading eyes, begging for forgiveness.

Her son turns as he sees shadows moving upon him and his mother.

He yells with power, Your great voice enveloping his and the demons are banished from his home.

Your love and glory flow through him into his mother,                                                                          saving her from the darkness inside her own heart.

Forever will I pursue Your face and seek Your heart Lord.

I may stand, clothed in rags, hungry, thirsty, and without shelter, but I am happy and content.

Protected and sustained by Your everlasting light.

I see You turn and face me, Your voice so full of love rings in my ears.

“what’re you standing around for? Come on and follow me”. You walk swiftly away.

I smile and sing praise as I run after You, forever running after You.

Karov Adonai le’nishberei lev v’et dakkei ruach yoshia

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

-The Kingdom of Heaven reigns throughout the world.

Justin Silcox 

You will come to a point in your walk when you will reach the end of yourself,

And must rely entirely on Me.

You may not have food, or water, or shelter.

But you will remain healthy.

You will not be hungry, for My word will be what sustains you.

You will not be thirsty, for My living water will quench your thirst.

You will not suffer the elements, for My love and My grace will be your foundation, your home.

Your worries will be nothing.

Your strengths will be nothing.

Your weaknesses will be nothing.

All that will matter is Me.

All the comfort that surrounds you will disappear before your very eyes.

At this time, your strength will fail you.

You will feel the weakest you have ever felt but also the strongest.

When this time comes, I will come upon you and my strength will keep you going.

My power will give you life, My breath will be the wind under your wings.

So fear not my son, this time will be a time of marvelous growth in Me.

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Though proud of our strength and faith in the Lord,

Humility must come upon us.

For each and every one of us that hears the Lord, sees the Lord, and stands in His Grace,

Once stood seemingly alone in a desert with nowhere to turn.

Before we were brought to His throne, we wandered searching for water to quench us,

And now when we have been blessed with Living Water,

Pride comes upon us and our sight is weakened and our hearing dulled.

So believe me my brothers and sisters,

I have known utter silence and sheer blindness,

It is not a place you wish to go.

So hear me, I say repent for your pride in yourself.

Give the glory to the Lord Almighty who delivered you from your darkest places.

When someone praises you for your works, shout It was not I! It was the Lord who has done this through me!

Praise Adonai, for He is good and gracious.
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

-Proverbs 11:2

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Let your flame burn brightly for all the world to see.

Share the light of the Lord with all who will see.

Take your fire and let it shine in the places where only darkness dwells.

Let the eyes of the people be opened to see His wonderful grace.

For we are the Lord’s tools.

Let His power and might flow through our hands and onto those who need to be lifted up.

Take your brothers and sisters and walk along the dark broken road.

Do not walk past the wounded and down trodden.

But kneel at their side and speak the Lord’s words of life into them.

Bring them to their feet and share the Lord’s love and light with them,

So that they too may go along the road and do the Lord’s great work.

Prepare the hearts of the people so that when the Lord sees fit,

He will make His flame burn deep within them.

May the eyes and ears of the people be turned up to the heavens.

May the Lord’s work be done.

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Lord, I can feel Your all consuming fire burning all around me.

The air is hot and thick with Your might.

Before me is a raging inferno, Your sparks and flames dance before my shielded eyes.

I stand in Your midst, terrified but confident. Trembling but firm.

Lord I fear You, You are the only one that I fear.

The storm that is your flaming light rises into the sky, higher than I could possibly see.

You tower above me and I kneel, prostrate to Your glory.

Just when I think You will finally take me to your kingdom,

The air cools and a cold blue fire envelopes me and I am not burned,

But reassured of Your love and beautiful grace.

This once charred valley is now overflowing with Your beautiful creations, Your perfect artwork.

Flowers of every color, calm and crystalline streams, utter peace in this chaotic world.

A Dove flies above me as I lay my sword upon the soft, lush grass.

There you stand before me, burning in blue fire, too bright to see.

Your white robes flow gently in the wind.

I hear a whisper of a song float through the air, “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty”.

I turn and look around me and I see Your people,

Your warriors, healers, prophets, preachers, musicians, artists, and writers.

All kneeling before Your majesty.

Lord I love you, let us serve Your kingdom for as long as You wish it.

“For I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that it’s waves roar-

The Lord Almighty is His name.

I have put My words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-

I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth,

And who say to Zion ‘you are My people’”.

-Isaiah 51:15-16

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I understand that I am broken. I am shattered.

I am a sheet of glass constantly breaking and rebuilding itself.

Trying to shield itself from the stones being throne.

Lord I am torn down by the smallest pebble when I walk alone, straying from Your path.

But when I lie in discipline and keep my eyes upon your face,

I am empowered. I am shielded. I cannot break, no matter what may bounce against me.

For You oh Lord are the strength I hold inside.

You are what gets me through each day. Whether it be painful or joyous.

Lord forgive me for all that I do, I strive to be better but I cannot without You.

I cannot heal alone. I cannot be strong alone. I cannot. I cannot without You.

Lord may my eyes forever be upon Your sweet grace.

May Your flame rise up inside me and burn for all eternity Lord.

May the deceit that lies on my lips, my own blood that coats my fingertips,

The darkness that surrounds me every step be wiped away with Your marvelous light.

For it is You Lord. It is all You.

The air I breathe and the water I drink.

It is all You.
“When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.”

-Genesis 8:11

Justin Silcox

I am wandering through the desert, aimlessly searching.

I call out and I hear nothing but my own voice.

As I walk through the dwellings of demons,

I am torn down, oppressed, broken, scarred, and wounded.

I am defenseless for my eyes have left You.

I have taken it upon myself to face this enemy, this terrible enemy completely and utterly alone.

I will lose this fight. I will be tainted and ravaged for my faith is no longer in You.

And as I lie bleeding on the road, darkness surrounding me, the Evil One steps forward

To devour my very being.

I breathe in. I breathe out. I breathe in. I breathe out.

And he, the destroyer stops for Your name is being said aloud.

I take my eyes off the dirty road, off the blood that my wounds have left there.

And I gaze up at You. I feel your light surround me, the darkness shudders.

I bring myself to my knees and I stare up at You, I cry out Your sweet name.

Forgive me oh Lord! Deliver me from this place of evil so that I may have another chance to live in You!

Lord save me! I was wrong, I have no power or strength without You oh Ancient of Days !

And there, in the midst of the evil and darkness, I see Your face. My eyes stare into yours and I know

That I have been saved.

I see You walk towards me, a blinding light, only your outline is distinguishable.  

Your powerful arm reaches out and casts the demons aside effortlessly.

The Evil One hides his face from your light, for its very presence burns him.

He runs away, terrified of Your might. My Father has saved me.

You place Your warm hand atop my head and I am healed and cleansed,

Your fire has sparked and burns within me again.

Forgive me Savior, may my eyes never leave Your face again.

You turn and beckon me to follow and I do, I stand by your side as we walk through the

Illuminated darkness and back into Your Kingdom.

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

Psalm 31:2

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As the days of end approach, the Christ will be seen in the hearts of the people once more.

For though they have strayed, the Lord Almighty will redeem his children,

And bring them back into His magnificent light.

The final revival before His long awaited return is upon us now!

An awakening of the people of God.

Our Lord’s Bride will be the heart and the soul of His people once again.

She is and always will be our nurturing mother, feeding us milk until we are ready for meat.

The people of God will step out of their square buildings, homes, and places of comfort.

They will travel the Earth in great numbers speaking the very words of God.

His light will shine through them, His words will be heard from their mouths,

And His work will be done by their hands.

Churches will rise in the slums, in the middle of the darkest corners of our world,

And they will shine for the Light of God is within them.

Where demons walk, the ground will be purified by believers and turned Holy.

The dead will be brought to life, the blind will be given sight, and the diseased will be cured,

All in the name of The Almighty I Am.

I say again, the revival our fathers spoke of is here, it is now.

We will live in it and our children will live in it.
Countless believers will be made, the Kingdom of Heaven will reach out across the world.

All will stand up and cry out Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"”

John 12:13

Justin Silcox