To Set Apart

I come here, looking like I’m ready to give my heart,
But it’s not a destination; it’s just a landmark.
I can come bringing incense to this altar,
But back at home, I practically live at another.

I come laying down my soul, but I keep back a part,
My own little slice that can keep in the dark.
I could bring it to light, each time I falter,
But instead I choose to remain undercover.

There’s a God who has loved me from the start, 
A Light who came even though the world was so dark.
His sacrifice the course of history would alter.
To call a people to Himself, he would die and suffer.

I was made for a higher calling, to be set apart,
To be different, within the void, a spark. 

He endured the hand’s stinging smart,
And their ridicule as a mocked monarch.
He came to the world He created, He came to His own.
Rejected, by those who should have made Him a king at home.

As He gave up His spirit, the temple curtain was torn apart.
He finished the journey from which Heaven he left to embark.
So, God, rule again in my heart. Reclaim your throne.
You went to such length, so help me be faithful, no matter how much I roam.

From the dawn of Creation this was your heart,
To call a royal priesthood, sealed with Your mark.
To this end, you pressed on that night all alone.
The Jews handed You to be killed by men of Rome.

Kneeling, weeping at the cross, I’m ready to be set apart.
Make me a star in the night, in the void, a spark.

Mark 14:55-65
"The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 'We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.' Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?'

'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'

The high priest tore his clothes. 'Why do we need any more witnesses?' he asked. 'You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?'

They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, 'Prophesy!' And the guards took him and beat him."

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Silence Is…

Silence can be ugly or beautiful,
It can leave you empty or full.
When God speaks out of the silence,
It is a lion's roar.
The oppressed were silent through the violence,
But now weeping breaks the stillness of the night,
The firstborns did not live to see another dawn of light.
After so long, the Messiah they were longing for. 
Silence is contemplation before the solution.
Breaking silence starts a revolution.

Silence is a break from the noise and bustle,
It is the empty space, the lost piece from the puzzle.
Silence is a chance to exist outside the rushed routine.
It is rare, hard to come by, not often seen.
Like following a pirate's map, silence is a treasure.
Blessed are those who seek it.
Silence is a desire, but no way to speak it.
Waiting in quiet,(silence is the anticipation)
For the sun to rise over the lake or at the seashore.
Silence is the rest is musical composition,
The period at the end of the sentence.
And, it is the comma, the everything left unsaid.
Silence is the overwhelming sense of absence,
It's when you read between the lines, 
And discover what's never been read.

Silence is the selah in the Psalms
There we are told to be quiet, be still, be calm.
To know He is God is the start
Of wisdom. In the silence, we give the Lord
An opportunity to speak to our hearts,
Give Him a chance to minister through His Word.
When we don't hear from God for a long time,
When our prayers go unanswered,
And we are tested and refined.
In the silence we learn how better to worship,
Besides, silence is a part of any mature relationship.

Silence is a space to think…
To dream..
To imagine…
To learn…
To read…
To write…
To listen…
Silence is a refuge, a way in the day of distress
To escape from the chaos like it's a fortress.

Some say silence is the antithesis of sound,
But rather voice, language dance all around.
But silence is also a dark void,
An evil with which many just avoid.
Silence is the lack of a voice,
And it's the refusal to make a choice.
Silence is oppression and slavery,
But to in order to ease the mood,
Remember it's the sound when the food
Is good and oh so savory.

Silence is the loss of a loved one,
But also the relief when the day is said and done.
Silence is the loss of what could have been said,
Or when you bite your tongue, and stay quiet instead.
Silence is a lost opportunity,
And when the relationship has lost all unity.
Silence is a friend who is distant,
And you long and long for them to be here.
The good news is, silence is never permanent.
Silence is the sin, when we lock up our message,
The world is dying to hear.
Silence is the meditation of the old sage,
Silence as a virtue grows in old age.
Silence is nothing left to say,
Death is the final silence on our last day.

But eternal life is imposed silence erased.
Silence is the posture of the Lamb,
And in heaven, we will see him face to face.
Silence is the martyr's death,
Believing through their sacrifice God can
Restore and multiply all that they left.
Because they refused to be silent, 
Now they celebrate their victory.
Though their end on earth was violent.
Silence is the blissful "The End" of the story.