Talking with the Devil,
There's a fire in his eyes,
With a voice of cold thunder
He offers me a prize.
The snake says he can take my pain from me,
Erase all the memories.
But what would I be without the times
I was not at ease?
The clever tempter acts a gentleman,
But he continues to pull me down in slippery sin.
He lies, he lies,
I try to run from him,
But the coils wrap stronger and
I can no longer see the sun.
There's no escape today
From the one who brings misery,
So I get down on bended knee
And then I pray and plead.
Get thee hence,
Get thee out,
And Satan runs away.
I am left alone for now,
Saved by the light of grace.

Everyone is gonna be happy / be happy
you're gonna make me so happy / so happy

My sins didn't hold
By sin I'm no more sold
you're poring into me
you're forgiving as can be
the line was formed with red
By your son who rose from the dead
you've taken sin away
i'm fine, so fine this day

your hands have warmed my soul
unlike the sin that was a part
the hole you fill so comfortably
but now i'm pouring out my heart
i will make room i'll empty out
i'll tell my sins to you about
i'll change my everything for you
just keep on doing what you do

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep
If I make it through the night
I guess I've won another fight

Listen Lord, for now I pray
I wish to live another day
I've been bad since my beginning
I've been involved in lots of sinning

It's time I made a choice and turned toward a better road
It's time to leave my past behind
I've prayed before but was not committed
I was afraid of what I'd find

Lord, help me make it through the night
Show me how to reach the light
I only ask for one small sign
I'll give you all I have that's mine

I've found salvation in a glass
In needles and in smoke
Lord, that is just where I've been
Since the last time that we spoke

Many folks have come to me
To try show me the way
I toasted them on their way out
And continued on life's play

Now, I've had enough of all
The hurting and the pain
So, Lord, I pray to you this night
Will you listen once again?

Now I lay me down to sleep
A sinner through and through
Just let me make it through the night
Just tell me what to do

I put my faith in what I see
I don't believe in other's words
So, Lord, just help me this one time
Show you listened and you heard

I drove 150 miles round trip
To hear a friend preach
And see him baptize an infant
This morning.

My friend preached on the Father's love
For the prodigal son...
Said, "The father loves those outside the fold
Every bit as much as those inside the fold!"
Made me remember that the Good Shepherd
Hunted far and near to bring the one lost sheep
Back to the other ninety-nine.

I thought, statistically speaking,
The Good Shepherd leaves no sheep behind,
(A hundred percent salvific rate
I'd call it... Pretty good odds for even
A dumb sheep like me...).

After the ceremony,
Lunching at the family's house,
The older brother of the baptized boy
Looked up at me,
Cake in his mouth,
And asked,"Are you Jesus?"

Took me quite by surprise,
But smiling,
I said, "No, I'm not Jesus!"
He asked, "Where is Jesus?"
His grandfather said,
"He's here!"
Pointing to the little guy's chest.

A little while later,
When his mom sat next to him,
He pointed to his chest,
"Jesus lives in here!"

Sunday sermons...
One in a church,
One in a garage...
I heard two today.
------------------
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

After the funeral, I was sent to heaven.
St. Peter stood at the gates.
“Welcome”, he said, “your sins are forgiven”,
“Go to the Chamber; Jesus waits”.

Jesus summoned me with boisterous mirth,
“How was your short time on Earth?”
“Fairly decent”, said I with a smile,
“Every moment was worthwhile.”

“Starting from the time of my birth,
I did plenty of things on Earth,
I studied hard, acquired a degree,
Got a job and made pots of money.”

Jesus shot me an unhappy stare,
And ordered me to take a chair,
Carefully he opened a slim file,
and scrutinized it for a while.

"You were given the ability to write,
To rhyme, to compose and recite,
You could have been a famous bard,
Like Shelly, Milton & Arthur Ward.
In the quest to earn bread & butter,
You poured your talent down the gutter.
A talented, young Indian Author,
preferred to undergo corporate slaughter.
Should I have written it on stone?
Man doesn't survive on bread alone?
Gifted with wit, spirit and foresight,
You were sent on Earth to write"

Shocked & aghast, I fell to my knees,
"Give me a chance, I beg you please"
"No", he said and refused to relent,
"You have an eternity to regret & repent".