Words of Fire

Picture from WLTX Columbia: http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=87228

The Newly renovated G. Allen Fleece Library at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC, reopens today, Tuesday, January 17th, after being badly damaged in an electrical fire on May 8th 2010. Below is the report of what happened and a poem I wrote on May 14th 2010 to remember and to declare that God's Word lasts forever.

The Gene Allen Fleece Library of Columbia International University, a Bible College and Seminary in Columbia, SC, suffered from an electrical fire on May 8, 2010. While no one was injured, the total damages were estimated at around 1.5 million dollars. Rare and out-of-print books have been lost. Please pray for the faculty, staff, the student body, and the alumni, as well as associated academic bodies and international ministries which partner with and depend on the University and the library.

View more photos of the library after the fire here.

Read the news report from WIS TV, Columbia, here.

Visit the G. Allen Fleece Library here.

Join the Fleece Library Group on Facebook here.

Deuteronomy 8:3

“He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don’t live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth.”

Words of Fire

(John 1:1-5)

Words like fire

consume falsehood.

Truth! Truth!

Complacency and apathy,

Aloof! Aloof?!

Awaken!

The Fire kindles;

Absolutes remain.

The Gospel never falters,

nor waivers,

at sin’s disdain.

Justice and Truth,

You reign! You reign!

Truth never falters,

or vanishes in flame,

and more than ashes remain.

Truth never waivers,

and is a person with a name.

Proclaim! Proclaim!

The Word is retained!

Truth is spoken and stays;

The Logos,

The Ancient of Days.

© 2010, Robbie Pruitt


John 1:1-5 and 14

“The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing! — came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

Shaken: He Never Walked Away

Messages from Haiti

Photo by B.S. Wise, © 2010

Three years ago today Haiti was struck by an earthquake that forever changed this country and her people and took so many. We were not here then, so I cannot begin to understand or imagine.

A student shared his story with me back in September of 2011 about how life as he knew it was shaken by the quake, but not his faith in the one who never shifts or waivers in His faithfulness. He shared that he rested and rests in God, and in His promises in His word, specifically he rests in Proverbs 3:19-26.

Shaken: He Never Walked Away
(Proverbs 3:19-26)

Earth shifted
Beneath my feet
Shadowing my certainty
Unsettling my sensibilities
Shaking reality
Broken underneath and around me
Now broken within
Scarred and scared
Unsettling
Not resting in . . .

And by His knowledge
The heavens formed
The depths were broken up
And the rain stormed

To His wisdom I will cling
Not letting it depart
From my eyes
Life to my soul
He will provide
Walking safely in His way
Abide
My foot feels the tremor
I will not stumble
Survive

When I sleep
I do not fear
Sweetness
God is near

The sudden terror
Does not shake
To His presence
I awake

Shrugging off trouble
When the wicked come
The Lord is my confidence
My portion’s sum

© Robbie Pruitt, September 4, 2011 http://robbiepruitt.blogspot.com/

Proverbs 3:19-16

"The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught."

Knocking at Knees

Jacob Wrestling With God, Painting © 2011, by Jack Baumgartner

To see more of Jack Baumgartner’s work visit his web site here: http://theschoolofthetransferofenergy.com/

To read an art review of Jacob Wrestling With God, by Jack Baumgartner, click here.

“All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.” – Ezekiel 7:17

“It shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 21:7

Knocking at Knees
(Philippians 2:5-11)

Knocking at knees
They flow like water
Wobbly, they wash and flow
Like fear. . .
And at fear they bow
At all that is unknown
Knees knock
At times clock
And time ticks on
As fear grips the shock
Knocking at knees
At wind’s gusts and breeze
Until God sets our hearts at ease
Strips our fear away in humility
Until our knees bow;
In surrender; In worship
With Holy fear; In serenity
In adoration, with bended knee

© 2011, Robbie Pruitt

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’” – Isaiah 35:3-4

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:10-11

The Face of God

Star of Bethlehem, Magi - wise men or wise kings travel on camels with entourage across the deserts to find the savior, moon, desert, Holy Bible, Etching, © 1885 © Photo By Wonderlane

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” – Genesis 3:8

“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” – Genesis 3:24

The Face of God

(Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 2:1-12)

Once we walked in the loving gaze
Of the face of God
In Eden’s beauty paradise
On heavenly earth; on heavenly sod
Our transgressions made us outcasts
And dark winds blew us,
To the East, it threw us
The wind withered the land
The fallen outnumbered the sand
None could rest, not kings in their riches
Nor the poor with outstretched hand . . .
And the prophets cried out
The priests offered sacrifice and praise with shout,
And the kings waged war and decreed
Until it was clear, all people bleed
And silence deafened the people in need
Then the starry night came. . .
Wise men were called from the East
Back to their Prince of Peace
His star led them there
With gifts of worship so fine and fair
The Light had entered darkness
After four hundred years of silence
Broken in a babies cry
For all to live, who once had died
The Shepherds came with staff and rod,
And these wise men, to see the face of God
In former days, and in many ways
God spoke and now by His Son,
In these latter days
He walks again with His people
In Eden made anew
His face and their face; seen through and through
To once again walk in that loving gaze
In the Glory of the face of God
In Eden’s paradise
On heavenly sod
To be right again with our God
Heaven came down and intimacy restored
Both rich and poor have seen their Lord

© December 2011, Robbie Pruitt

Hebrews 1:1-4

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;^ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

Comfort! Comfort!

Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord in Jesus
Painting © 1627 by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned. . .” -Isaiah 40:1-2

Comfort! Comfort!
(Luke 2:22-38)

My eyes to your salvation gaze
To the light that turns my night to days
Behold! Your salvation I see!
Before death, when I taste eternity
Waited, waited, and waited
For comfort to come
In the Temple’s Holy sanctum
I have seen your consolation
For this, and every nation
Our souls to rescue - Save!
You comfort . . .
Our fear we brave!
In your glory we bathe
Comfort! Comfort!
We are not in want
“May I see the consolation of Israel!”
Experience fulfillment of this narrative’s tale
Anna waits in expectancy
And death knows no reality, until mine eyes can see
Salvation which dawns to eternity
Simeon is my name
Waiting until The Lord’s Messiah came
Basking in His glory and fame
Watching as He removes our fallen shame
A light for every Gentile
To Israel and all people; for all the while
Asher waited too
Holding her beauty through and through
Waiting for consolation; Comfort! Comfort!
A patient bride without effort
Daughter of the face of God
Partaking in the journey to Heavenly sod
A beauty fit for Priest and King
Waiting on betrothal’s ring
And the Glory of the song that Heaven sings
The comfort that the bridegroom brings

© Robbie Pruitt, December 2011

Simeon’s Prayer

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.” -Luke 2:29-32

Nightlight Flames

Night Flames, © 2011, Photo by Robbie Pruitt

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” – John 1:1-5

Nightlight Flames

Smoke in the air
Stench filled
Billows
Of ashen tomorrows
Burnt and bare
Embers and ash
Cinders and trash
A light
To Illuminate
The night
So darkness does not
Overshadow
With fright
Courage stills the steady hand
That knows no flame

© November 2011, Robbie Pruitt

“And what communion has light with darkness?” – 2 Corinthians 6:14

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” –John 8:12

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:5-7

The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982.

East Wind Blowing

Offshore winds on the SS Gairloch shipwreck,

photo by dcysurfer / Dave Young

“Behold, it is planted, Will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” – Ezekiel 17:10

“Your oarsmen brought you into many waters, but the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.” – Ezekiel 27:26

East Wind Blowing
(Ezekiel 27: 25-36)

Will we topple and fall
Waver to and fro
Be swayed back and forth
As we blow

Where we are planted,
Will we thrive
Fight against the prevailing wind
And survive

Will the east wind break us
Out at sea
Swamp us and drown us
Endlessly

Throw us into wave and tide
Swallow us
From the starboard side

Will the fruit and seed be blown,
Be dried and withered,
And never grown

East wind blown
And buried
Tossed and carried

There is another prevailing wind
A Wind, Life Giving
Blowing within

© November 2011, Robbie Pruitt

John 3:5-8

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – Jesus