Each New Day a Miracle © 2021 Peter Rhebergen Last modified on September 29, 2021 EACH NEW DAY A MIRACLE Poetry by Peter Rhebergen For most of my life I have written poetry. Some of my poems may be good (perhaps even very good), some are merely average and far too many are pleasing only to me. I do not pretend to be a great poet; I am just a man who has experienced both joy and grief and has reflected on these in words. I write because I know The God listens who reads my heart; who finds worship in every smile and tear; who receives each joy as praise and who will heal every wound. The words on these pages have sprung from the realization that I have no one on whom I can depend other than God. These poems are cries to Him for help; praise to Him for His wonder; and reflections of the universe He has made for us to enjoy. They are the marks of my passage through this wonderful life He has given me. I hope that in seeing my footsteps your own may be made more sure. These poems are my worship to God. It is my prayer that in reading them you will be encouraged to worship God and praise Him for the life He has given you, regardless of its pain or joy. Here are some of my most recent updates and additions I Fail to See It Flame Arbiters of Truth We Don't Understand Exemplars And Not at all Like Either Not Quite Darryl, Either Not Quite Rosa, Buddy How? Evil Screams Against Love's Whisper A Christian's Duty Mark of the Beast Two Years Down My Great Good God The Star Secondary Issues Row Me a Boat Online Mis-Understanding the Cross Politics How Must Heaven Weep Hebrews 10:25 Far Too Many No Other Place to Go How Church Feels This Morning The Gallery All Your Wonders September 29, 2021 I Fail to See It there’s a bunch of us up in arms who protest that the vaccination passport is a hideous and Satanic infringement of our human rights and which will lead to a two-tiered world and who knows what other horrors if a strong stand isn't taken against it by proclaiming it as equal to Nazi segregation of the Jews to the point even of sewing Hitler's obscene yellow star to their own sleeves and denouncing the governments that mandate these vaccine passports as Godless and tyrannical usurpers of God's authority and doing all in their power to remove these governments from their positions of power and who at the same time affirm that Christians who don't see this or who agree with the vaccine passport are not but are worse than blind sheep and strangers to the grace of God (I guess you know where I stand now, if you didn’t already know it) but I don’t get it, I simply don’t I can see from where their discomfort comes I mean, how dare we turn away from our services those who wish to attend yet we owe the living a reasonable expectation of life’s constancy and Jesus Himself, on healing lepers, said (knowing full well they had been fully healed) “Show yourself to the leaders, that they may confirm you are well, that you may carry on with your life that you may rejoin your people.” and again I say, Jesus knew! He, the highest authority around, Who could have given anyone the cleanest bill of health imaginable said to those He had personally and completely healed “Go, see the leaders that they may certify your health.” and I wonder on knowing this how was that not also a ‘vaccination’ passport? September 29, 2021 Flame the fire blazed in me this morning in the middle of a Facebook exchange hatred rose inside me hot and horrid but for the great good grace of God its flame would not be quenched September 29, 2021 Arbiters of Truth you asked me as have others, often (occasionally with reason?) “Who made you the arbiter of truth?” (tongue in cheek, I’d like to answer “God!” but don’t for fear of seeming sanctimonious despite His command to test) but (all kidding aside and overlooking your anger) in asking this question do you, do they a) say that I am not and could not be an arbiter of truth b) say that you are and should be the arbiter of truth and I found a smile alive behind my tears I wept for our dissension as I smiled at the irony I would much more enjoy speaking to such people if they did not speak to me in a way that made it seem they did not care to hear what I had to say or evaluate the value of what I said. In this case the person in question repeatedly encourages fellow believers to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2) yet who asked “who made you the arbiter of truth?” when I asked how they could defend a pastor who flouts public safety measures; who repeatedly refers to civil authorities as “Brown shirts,” “Nazis,” “Gestapo,” “Communists,” Fascists” and “Hyenas” and who’s practice of our Faith appears not to follow the example set by Jesus, James, John, Peter and Paul. September 28, 2021 We Don’t Understand we don’t get it, we just don’t we see our ‘rights’ being stripped and cry “Persecution! It’s the end of the world!” why? because we’re told we cannot gather? or must wear masks if we do or must be separated if we do or must be vaccinated if we do as if we alone were restricted as if we alone were the target as if we alone were suffering have we forgotten our founders? have we lost our faith’s foundation? have we failed to believe our Saviour? our first brothers and sisters suffered were persecuted, were put to death yet loving God above themselves withstood their hardships for His glory in His power changed the hearts of men September 28, 2021 Exemplars Babylon, six centuries before Christ a furnace, dead men beside its door three men, no! four! together inside the golden pillar stands forgotten the musicians have all gone home and on his throne, a king, amazed his loyal stewards were preserved yet we know of no complaint still Babylon, still six centuries before another man walks among the lions his sleepless king tossing, turning awaits the dawn and his hurried rush hopeful God would save his favourite the most loyal of his captive servants and found the man alive and faithful yet we know of no complaint Philippi, some years after Damascus an inner prison is filled with praise two men, in stocks, at midnight sing worshipping the One, glad to suffer for the honor, the glory, of His name earthquake, despair then salvation! and release in accord with the law yet we know of no complaint Rome, a few years later, another cell he writes of imprisonment for faith with the same pen, in the same cell he asks for prayer for his ministry that those who keep him may see the glorious beauty of his Saviour in hope they themselves be saved yet we know of no complaint Rome, again, about the same time another man, writing of suffering reminds his brothers to be faithful obedient to God, and, if suffering to suffer for doing good, not evil warning that suffering would be asking that it be borne with honour yet we know of no complaint Jerusalem, in the time of Christ dark morning on Golgotha’s hill three men die, one man innocent unjustly arrested, unfairly tried unreasonably put to His death even now, He shows only love "Father, forgive, they don't know." yet we know of no complaint this world, today, amid a pandemic love is cast aside for false liberty rights held more closely than life loyalty to one's king is abandoned brethren are judged, condemned in the mirror of self-righteousness with anger the Gospel never knew yet we know only complaint how disappointed in us they must be our exemplars, whose bold example we tread underfoot as were rubbish crying for our rights, our liberties our Liberty is placed in dire danger in pursuit of frail earthly freedoms we risk the loss of our Saviour’s joy September, 23, 2021 And Not at all Like Either I protest I protest you Christians I protest you Christians who claim to know you claim to know but you don’t understand you don’t understand the Bible at all would that you were more Berean than you are Pharisaical would that you took more out of it than what you put into it our faith it’s not about rebellion it’s not about life, or liberty or the pursuit of happiness it’s not about security it’s about sacrifice sacrifice to God above all alone September 23, 2021 Not Quite Darryl, Either the apostle Paul might have done it he might have gone to Tim Hortons had they had one in ancient Rome but I doubt he’d have gone spiteful to thumb his nose at any Roman law limiting how he could live his faith I think it would have been more like “Hey Paul, you wanna go for coffee?” “Sure, Timothy, that’s a great idea! Here’s my purse, my treat this time!” and he’d have gone, despite the law for coffee and donuts with his pal September 23, 2021 Not Quite Rosa, Buddy A reflection on an insult to Rosa Parks and the reduction of her brave stand to the level of a circus side-show.