Innate

To understand the theme, one must first understand the definitions of Innate and Intrinsic. Once you know that you can understand the poem.

Innate

My heart is the reasoning of my mistakes,
The sum is everything happening of late.
It's not just disaster when my heart breaks,
When caring is a weakness lacking true debate.

Strength seems to rule with actions in hate,
When choosing becomes choices written on slate.
Love is the default over my own mental state,
For reasons beyond choosing, this love is innate.

Written upon my heart before time was a factor,
Before it was ticking away or any of us mattered.
Where anger plays a role, yet discernments mastered.
Where kindness is displayed, yet death is faster.

Securing ones safety for a thought of the day,
Or sacrificing it all for our buddies' sake.
Thinking of life ever after, it's my turn to stay,
Then I was left standing while you went away.

The ones at home couldn't know nor understand,
It's displayed in their speech and how they stand.
Spoken on their tongues, written by their hand,
Making their minds, our efforts freely they disband.

I hope they find safety soon from the attack,
Sooner or later they will have to face the fact.
Someone wants their life so watch their back,
Everyone finds death, we all have that knack.

Live your life to the fullest for tomorrow we die,
Stand strong be bold and have not fear nor cry.
Fighting must take place so be brave do not take flight
My motto is not just my own, "Second to None" "Fight Tonight".

If you are unwilling to stand I will stand in your place,
Walking the thin line of sanity, just quicken the pace.
For the sooner we get this started it will be over,
The places I escape, the fields of flowers and clover.

This ocean of words keeps me floating as I write a poem,
I will not sink in depression as long as I move and roam.
Music keeps me alive; safely it keeps me close to home,
The thought of a wife or Christ is also to me well known.

Some things will forever be innate while some change often,
While some often change what is innate will not soften
Until I return I must continue, continue to roam.
When I continue I must walk, yet I mustn't walk alone.

For what we are built upon shall not cease or part,
Yet this task at hand I must finish or tear it apart.
What was built is strong and will weather the storm,
I was built of something that is not the norm.

For ever since the dawn of time I have been known,
Since my very birth I have felt it deep in my bones.
You can't trace what is, nor can you sculpt it from stone,
You can't discredit it, disprove it nor can you make a clone.

What could be seen might need some imagination,
Don't tie yourself down in blind limitations.
Some lack vision and some lack interpretation,
Inability to understand or just plain innovation.

For to have none of these is just a lack of living,
Like to have not known love is like not existing.
Find what you're made of and hold tight do not let go,
Whether morals or principals what makes you will surely show.

When I dream, I dream of what I want and who I am,
I dream of you in my life what we are, in this plan.
Why I continue, I must not quit can you understand?
It is not useless, what I offer life will demand.

To be a leader one must first have a servant's hand,
To serve others is love, it makes me and I must stand.
That's what makes our nation so great as it is grand,
From sea to shining sea, our flag shall fly across this land.

This patriotism burns bright; it swells inside my soul,
For this shall remain innate, and will forever glow.
As bright as a childs spirit, more precious than gold,
One nation under God, let the flag rise high on the pole.

Display for all the world to see, it will not stop.
We have done more than most, for this you cannot top.
It is for the Soldier I stand, for I've drawn the lot,
It is by their sacrifice, this nation forged and bought.

It is by their sacrifice and blood that we stand strong,
It is by their steadfast devotion and loyalty we carry on.
Never taking too much time, what is done right is not too long,
You can see the childs laughter; to free them is not wrong.

Poetry and music is my passion, maintaining my intrigue,
Music sings in my heart, keeping me strangely in need.
It's so diverse I love it, hardcore, melodic and even low key,
Its meaning is everything, keeping it special for you and for me.

It's in a guitars heavy crunch to the drummers own beat,
From the bag pipes presence, to the violins that sing.
In a vocalist's demanding voice to what the lyrics mean,
The piano's soft demeanor to the ever present pounding keys,
Music will forever be my inner fabric, it shall never leave.

The beauty of words, that can be found in expression,
Poetry is a defining art that cannot go without mention.
It is a never ending discovery, of my newfound obsession,
My design for existence, a purpose and its lyrical invention,
This obsession is so great; my every thought is its composition.

It's as if the seas opened up and all that was left was this notion,
It can be found at the edge of the universe, or the bottom of the ocean.
Poetry is seen in the night skies, quite places and self realizations
Wild thoughts, crazy times, cool people and deep revealing reflections
Whatever the place or whatever the cause, poetry is always in motion.

My family and friends also deserve a spot, for they hold my attention,
I hold them all so dear, for it not for them I would have no direction.
Most of them have been by my side, throughout all of my transformation,
As I change they look skyward, wondering what's my next integration.

What is natural to us in our defining moments shall remain intrinsic,
Each of these things contributed, bringing to surface my core aspirations.
One last thing that might find its way, capturing time to put away,
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I will find out one day.

In all of these things they will remain me, just name it,
Holding on to what they can't take it's all too intrinsic.
The building blocks of yesterday begin our souls today,
Hold on to what breeds the foundation, what makes you innate.

Jesse Raymond <><

Driving Us Under…….

Driving Us Under…….

What drives one man will poison another,
What's meant for me will drive you asunder.
Difference screams your not my brother,
Daring to dream it will pull you under.

I choose to believe, it makes you shutter,
Choosing to be, it's not your butter.
You made that choice and didn't stutter,
Another man chose to embrace the gutter.

What drives one man and stops the other?
You asked for applause and received thunder.
Agree to disagree, will you be my brother?
Denying my advance you put me under.

What calls one man to desire love,
Yet leaves the other hatefully rough?
Maybe choices made or voices listened to,
Come on man what makes you, you?

I desire to know the human mind,
The difference in life and my kind.
What drives one to raise and love a child,
Yet the other to rape and kill how defiled.

It's all in a state of mind and perception,
How can you see this right, what deception?
The innocent, the indifferent, and insurgent.
Killing your own kind is no encouragement.

A palm tree of sparks light up the night sky,
The sound of air splitting as the round goes by.
As the thunderous report makes my mouth dry,
Again I stand and wonder where the next will fly.

Then I hear your greeting thumping at the door,
I can feel the shockwave pounding up the floor.
The hate you sent get's closer exploding evermore,
The bloody stay limp and you sit to tally the score.

The deadly cycle again repeats itself,
As we hunt to put your head on a shelf.
You call us cowards yet you hide in stealth,
Now there is no thought to live in common wealth.

Even though you don't think what I believe,
We both are the same from Adam and Eve.
Who do you think you can even deceive?
You claim love, only to make others grieve.

You hide behind women and children the innocent,
Leaving the world blank in utter bewilderment.
You kill the defenseless to use as an instrument,
Your actions to all go way past the belligerent.

Maybe it was the way we both were raised,
Still you leave me shocked and dazed.
Was it worth it to make your senseless point?
Your just as ignorant as a painful joint.

You say this country is no place to roam,
Yet if we leave you will follow us home.
So how do we end this and live in peace?
You say I must convert and this will cease.
You must know, my soul is not for lease.

You say God guided that round into the ammo depot,
Not a scratch on anyone, I say He protected His people.
The base was destroyed and everything was scattered,
Yet my God spoke as if none of this even mattered.

No plan shall defeat nor a weapon prosper,
Scream if you may but I will just whisper.
You can't touch Christ's children nor His flock,
As you might want to stop, listen and take stock.

As there was the rape and slaughter of a 14 yr old girl,
No doubt as precious and loved as a beautiful pearl.
It was not just the insurgents in this ugly crime,
At fault were the Americans in this twisted rhyme.

It is not just you that leaves me in painful awe,
It's the world and this hate that remains raw.
Do what you do, think and believe what you want,
One thing is sure that bloodshed and hate is not.

To battle is endless, where pain and hate is fought,
The endless cycle of misgivings and revenge is taught.
I kill you, you kill me until the end is surely caught.
Where to love and understand our fellow man is stopped.

So merely I ask of you and my fellow man,
What drives you, what is the main plan?
If bloodshed is the answer then strength I have none,
If love or understanding then the critic be stunned.

What drives you is not simply so tough,
Hate is driving us under and I've had enough.
It's not so hard to live and embrace freedom,
This will provide an answer if only given to reason.

For now I leave and you will see me around,
Violence will not chase me away nor silence my sound.
What is done in life will surely hunt you down,
When sowing becomes reaping don't wear a frown.

Social Vagrant <><

"To be simple minded is to be simple, and ignorant.
To judge is retarded and to hate is useless,
but to learn and understand regardless
if one agrees with the other is pivitol."
-Social Vagrant-

A Letter to A Friend

I have been happy to write poetry lately, as you know it is my passion. I think it's so awesome how ideas, imagination, and emotions can come alive on paper with just mere words. I have been trying to figure out how to write the impossible, this to me is the impossible.

I stepped out of my tent last night and looked up to the sky, it was crystal clear. As with being in Montana in high elevations where there is little to no atmospheric interference ...

The moon will highlight the very edge of these high level clouds and reflect a rainbows edge, with a moonlit landscape and then add stars that are very, very clear with little distortion... that is what I want to put into words... then add the black silhouette of Blackhawk helicopters flying low right over head racing toward their destination. These moments in time are very captivating and almost impossible to put into words.

I can put these things into words, but then it will end up kind of cheesy and cheapening the moment. This is what I don't like to do with poetry. The past poetry that I have written is very inspirational and spiritual, packed with emotions and yes some substance, but not the best I can do.

I am seeing things in poetry I have never seen before. This is hard to explain. One can make things rhyme and even have emotion and substance, but can one take the reader on a journey and leave them in awe? Can an author leave people not impressed with ones own work, but with the very idea that the author can create something so beautiful with mere words? That the words themselves come alive in the readers mind and bring out something so great out of a sentence that the reader is left breathless and inspired. This is the quality that I am trying to learn.

This is where I want to see my work and God's work in me end. With each poem so great that the reader cannot simply judge each work or piece from the other so easily. It is there I can feel it, it just needs to be found and used, exploited for it's full potential. Used in such a way that it makes an awesome impact.

I am not full of myself, only amazed at what God can do in me, what He can bring out. I finish a piece and I am amazed at it's simplicity to read and understand, yet it's complexity that has no end to application, at how it can be perceived. This is what I call a 3-D meaning, something that is complex in it's own infrastructure. Slowly with each piece I can see this skill being realized and sharpened like a knife, as the blade to my mind is worked back and forth across the sharpening stone. As the channel from my mind and spirit are enhanced and strengthened.

It is great and wonderful to praise God, I am however finding new ways to put it, despite saying simply God is great, well how is God great one might ask? Let me explain I reply and the words just flow as if a puzzle in my mind and explanation is put together piece by piece in words. This I love, I can't get enough.

Once I finish a piece I cannot wait to start the other, but for the fear of cheapening the moment, I stall, as if to build upon the creative pressure waiting to be released from my mind and painted so perfectly upon paper. Once this pressure is released it is like a volcano of words and emotion and things that are hard to understand. As if to build water pressure up in a fire hose, or as if to build that pressure in a magma chamber deep below and then something gives, that lever is tripped, that one thing holding back such things is released like a hammer to a pistol and then BAM! It happens, sometimes fast, sometimes over a period of days, sometimes within 20 minutes or 80 hrs, but released it is. As the pen strikes the paper that it holds so dear, as the pressure releases banishing fear, it is then that poetry becomes so clear.

It is there that I find myself, it is in this spot that I find perfect peace and tranquility, it is there in that place that everything makes sense. I want to convey that feeling to the reader. This is the place that I feel like the potter molding clay, this is where I feel like the expert, placing a round downrange on the target, spot on every time. Once I find myself there, I feel a great sense of satisfaction. I relive that moment by reading the poem, over and over again, picking and scratching at it's surface as if too find a fault. A point of perfection that can be further re-polished.

Then I revisit this point by reading it again. Once I finish I forget everything I write. I cannot recite any poem by memory for some reason, in order to remember I have to read it each and every time. I do not know why that is, why I can remember crazy combination's of numbers and why I am so bad at math, yet feel so comfortable with words, yet cannot remember them so easily. Only God can know such things I guess, no one can ever really fully map their own mind, not accurately anyway.

I love music and I think I will continue to play the electric when I can, I am more of a natural with the keyboard or piano than with the guitar, but with words, I feel like I can dominate my own world, I feel on top of the world, with just mere words. One can physically hurt someone and a scar will form, one can even kill someone. With words, one can wound someone and that wound can forever remain fresh, as if to never even make it as far as a scar. But with words, one can also nurture and heal. With words one can make a difference even more than a sword. As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword. I found this to be very true, yet the pen can even heal better than a band aid.

If these words are constructed well enough they can even influence the world even greater than an atom bomb. Words can last an eternity even longer than diamonds, a diamond can even be smashed or transformed from it's very molecules, words cannot. Words are going to be forever remembered by God, the mouth is a mighty weapon, at the same time a greater blessing. Aside from God's love and God Himself being eternal, I find that words too are eternal. Yet the only words that I can think of that will remain eternal, are the ones that heal, the ones that praise God and build each other up, it is here that I have found myself, I have found meaning in my existence with just mere words. Who would have thought it would have been that simple? That is why it all makes just perfect sense. Anyway peace for now.

Jesse <><

The Prayer Request

The Prayer Request.......

That I can have peace and not be so torn,
That I can continue with no reason to be worn.
That my mind can know love and not storm,
That my heart can rejoice and not mourn.

That my spirit can love Christ and no other,
That my emotions are stable and don't suffer.
That I can be joyful and surely show laughter,
That instead of having weakness I can be tougher.

If The Lord wills I have a women to hold,
If The Lord wills I can be more bold.
If The Lord shapes me makes me His mold,
If The Lord shapes me makes me ten fold.

That I shut my mind and open my eyes,
That I stop foolishness and act wise.
That I treasure my friends and family ties,
That I can no longer feel lame and rise.

When I fall in Him I learn to confide,
When I walk in Him I will let guide.
When the seas get rough lessen the tide,
When the challenges arrive I won't hide.

And last.....
That I fulfill my obligation's,
That love is my proclamation.
That I follow the Word in all situations,
That honor is my constitution.
That I respect and reflect God's reputation,
That loyalty is in every stipulation.
That selfless service is my very definition,
That integrity is an expectation,
That Personal Courage is my every motivation.

This is all a man can pray for and receive,
If there is more then may I conceive.
Let this be your prayer for a friend in need,
Pray this and you shall be my friend indeed.

Jesse

The Dream

The Dream.......

Travel with me into my mind,
Simply drift into this dream of mine.
The land is green and just as fine,
The people a mystery but just as kind.

Walk the trail and see the forest,
The ground is soft and just as porous.
The fruit is good and it sure does flourish,
The animals sing a song all in chorus.

Step along and we see the jungle,
Wrapped in lush vines all in bundle.
The monkeys dance and never fumble,
See the sights and you'll be humble.

For the next step I mostly travel alone,
This secret place is where I roam.
It has a lake that I made my home,
Upon this lake sits a large stone.

It's shores travel, too far to see,
It's a place, a place I soon will be.
A place so secret, there is no key,
I find myself there, and so is she.

A perfect catch for a crazy desire,
With beauty to match her eyes on fire.
If only I knew, I might inquire,
A sight of love with all too dire.

A desperation and fleeting all my own,
With passion aching a steady drone.
Her heart beating a soft rhythmatic tone,
Locked in a daze blissfully in my zone.

The sky rumbles the clouds go dark,
Lightning strikes it's announcing spark.
The wind blows and the birds depart,
Locked in a gaze we still stand apart.

I stand, an awkward silence all my own,
The rain falls, pattering a steady drone.
My chest pounding a quick rhythmatic tone,
Reluctant to step out of my comfort zone.

The last time I lost, my heart went dark,
I struggled to keep the love in spark.
This one I knew could just as well depart,
This must be what keeps me standing apart.

The storm rages as I lack the courage to simply step up,
On this island in my lake in this jungle I might erupt.
On my lake on my shore this water keeps out all that's corrupt,
So simply she stepped into my mind in this dream I must wake up!

But this fire raging in my heart shouts a different song,
Desire to love again sings loud and it speaks strong.
The past hurts so much it keeps me from moving on,
But the beauty of this woman gives reason pulling me along.

I dream looking into her eyes that she could love,
Stepping aside she looks into the sky gazing above.
Freeing her hand behind her back she let's go a dove,
This must mean peace, as I wonder is this enough?

She steps back and looks into my eye's,
This time it's different I surmise.
This real beauty I see is no disguise,
With courage stepped up my doubt dies.

A break in the clouds the sun shines through,
A bright beam illuminates her body and hair too.
I can see each strand glow, as if brand new,
Her beauty is so great, it's origin I have no clue.
I am stuck in a trance with no idea of what to do.

She lovingly gazed into my eye's with a look sincere,
Her smile so bright that it could wipe away a tear.
I opened my mouth to speak something true and dear,
Who knew that as I began to mutter she would disappear.
The storm departed bringing along with it my fear.

I sat in wonder and let out a sigh and moan,
Here I was again sitting by myself alone.
On my island on my lake in my jungle home,
Waiting for her return so I can no longer roam.

Jesse Raymond <><

Twisted Disposition

So much was lost and so much was found,
So much it cost that it bought a frown.
The only thing left and the only thing sound,
Throw it all away, end it, drop in a round.

I lost a piece of me a piece that drowned.
Inner fabric torn, my loving soul bound.
I sold an ounce and lost every pound.
Fighting like a bear racing as a hound.

Running ahead, staying in front is a game.
Dignity,honor left behind, what a shame.
Shake a stick, point a finger I am all to blame.
I carry my trophy in sinner's hall of fame.

I'd get up and carry on but I am everything lame.
Can you guess who I am, can you say my name?
I'd pull the knife out, but I don't feel pain.
I show my love show my hate, it's all the same.

Tear it down, burn it, blow it all away,
Ignore it, store it, prove what I say.
Hide it, stow it, lock it in my brain,
Push it, keep it, I am already insane.

All was known now locked in a cage,
All that was taken now replaced in rage.
My Prize, ravishment and very mirth,
All that was me since your joyful birth.

Banishment is now mine there is no worth,
A loss so great no quench to thirst.
I looked for meaning and found a curse,
Analytically dissecting like John Rupert Firth.

I see alot now that I didn't at first,
The way the sun rose over the Earth.
As we sat in wonder of God's mighty hand,
Numbering stars beyond the grains of sand.

The Cosmos dancing in God's beautiful plan,
The eagle screeching, proclaiming it's stand.
Times such as these they sure were grand,
It was all for you my dear, across this land.

The sun proclaiming your beauty as I stood nearby,
Shimmering the hues and colors of your striking eye.
Lifting my spirits, ultimate peace as I felt high,
The world watched you leave and let out a sigh.

Living this life now is useless and all a lie,
You were my core, the only reason I got by.
I wander this world and wonder what's next,
A fool such as I to write such text.

A wise man would know there is none like you,
To hope is torture to dream is dead too.
I desire to feel again even if it's blue,
My heart is dead inside since I came unglued.

I hope to find you one day and hold you soft,
I can't live forever, so soon I sign off.
As a good lad must, ashes to ashes dust to dust,
In God I hope, we soon must hush,
In God I seek, so in God we trust.

<>< Jessie Raymond

Voices

So what's worse, the voices in my head or the voices in my heart,
Was it wrong from the beginning the end or the start.
What's this thinking I use now, it stings but sings like a harp.
My logic says one thing, and then speaks a voice to my heart.

So what is it, the voices in my head or the ones in my heart.
Was it wrong from the beginning the end or just a part.
The logic speaks a poison, a death from the start,
Then living water washes my soul quenching a stricken heart,
bringing new life, a new soul a brand new start.
Then life swings around taking on again this part.

Other's stay torn, ripped from life,
Forever, marred in loneliness and strife.
Will destruction become thier groom?
Is death and pain to be there doom?
Who can save them from this gloom?
It seems obscure, twisted and dark.
Alone, demented, despondent, and stark.
Which way do they respond, how do they turn?
They lived out life, and now they have none.
Man searches, earnestly seeking but it's done.

Fate seems sealed by the one who sealed it.
Life seems missing by the one who steals it.
Death seems plenty by the one who deals it.
Hate seems rampant by the one who feels it.

Mercy sings "GIVEN" by the ONE who gives it.
Life sings "WORTHY" by the ONE who lives it.
Death cries "CONQUERED" by the ONE who killed it.
Love sings "ALWAYS" by the ONE who means it.

So it's The Voice in my heart,
Taking logic and breaking it apart.
I was wrong from the beginning,
But made right from the start.
The curse is broken and the poison cured.
Living Water breaks the mold, So I am lured.
Renewing life, healing my soul, Sealing a new start.
Life stays in Christ, Forever thought about.

I was reading time magazine and this scientist was writing about God and science. He started to make sense but in the end was all wrong, he said God should be discussed in theology not science they were two different things, however, He started out right and missed the very truth in his own message, I was left thinking "science is God" "God is science" true He spoke things into existence, man has a way of explaining the process, calling it science. However, unknown it may be to us the very process of physical science is God, elements, how rainbows are formed, biology and so on. Man saying that God has no business in His own works, but any who that was that little poem that I wrote, and then it was also talking about me and how my focus and "logic" mans thinking, can sometimes fog what God is telling us to our own hearts and then we miss the message and again are off course. So I as well can be off in my thinking. but any who, I wanted to comment on that article and kinda did but not really.
Jesse Raymond <><

Fight

So yeah I had to rhyme,
It's been too long this time.
I feel kinda off and rusty,
My mind feeling just too dusty.

I am just a Jesus Freak 4 life,
pullin this thing out a dull knife.
Yo that can't be too healthy,
My heart, man I feel kinda wealthy.

Having fun I just can't stay,
Like the contrast night and day.
That's my hearts condition,
I need more of life's ammunition.

Rushing and shooting this mind,
Death is hunting and killing my kind.
Holding and gripping to what I have left, Searching and finding this theft.

You stole my life but pay you will,
Mock me stand there just still.
Stand there but watch for the left hook.
Smashing your teeth and face you crook.

Christ got my flank he has my back,
Pinning you to a wall just like a tack.
The same one you used on me,
The same one that made a tree.

The form of a lower case "T"
Jokes on you and not me.
Just remember the hill, Calvary.
You best back up or it's round three.

Oh ok so round three it is,
Might I remind you who He is.
He saved my life owns my soul.
Fills my heart with flames like coal.

Nothing you can touch so lets dual.
I got my Christ on don't be a fool.
My mind no longer just your tool.
Cause I got legions at my disposal.

Well so much for sin and this,
By Christ you just got dissed.
Hanging my gloves I didn't even fight,
Christ did it all and that's just too tight.

I want to raise a hand and battle,
Everytime I do it's all ready handled.
Even if I trip and stumble,
Christ keeps me humble.

Well yeah so I tried,
I hope my effort isn't dried,
Pulling out of this famine,
I am hungry and I want salmon.

Maybe some fishes and loaves........hey wait there's not enough.........nevermind Christ got this one too. I'll just sit down and let him handle this before I hurt myself.

Jesse Raymond <><

All I need is you

So much to worry about these days,
About life, relationships, in many ways.
Cars, houses, money and a few more things,
Friendships, churches and love that sings.
Painful and hurtful as they might be,
Shredding the moral fiber that is me.

Where do I go from here one might say,
Why do I care some might even stray.
Honestly I can guess or say I don't,
Caring one bit about this life, I won't.
Only one thing for sure I know,
All I need is to see you glow.
All I need is Love so true,
All I need is you.

I can say I am rather lonely,
But I can say you know me.
I would ask that others didn't
I just need a soul splint.
Like the sound of a crushing heart,
Never an end but always a start.
Only one thing for sure I know,
All I need is to see you glow.
All I need is Love so true,
All I need is you.

When does life become a blessing,
When can I lay down, and stop guessing.
When can I have a companion to hold?
Out of who's rib will you mold?
To have a life of peace and bliss,
Having someone to hold and not miss.
Only one thing for sure I know,
All I need is to see you glow.
All I need is Love so true,
All I need is you.

I don't know if I need another friend,
Never bringing this heart to mend.
Never to fullfill what you predestined,
A companion that you say will be so,
I wish I knew but surely you know.
Heavenly Father in ALL of this,
Let your Will be done, cause you don't miss.
In the meantime, and for always,
My heart be yours for ALL time.
And Father........
Only one thing for sure I know,
All I need is to see you glow.
All I need is Love so true,
All I need is you.

Your child,
jesse <><

Life

One was taken,
One was given.
One to life,
and one forgiven.
Both of flesh,
Both of life,
Both of blood,
and both of Christ.
Both of joy,
Both of love,
Both a boy,
from Christ above.
Boast this day,
Boast of life.
One to stay,
and one to Christ.
See that smile,
He's with Christ
One to stay,
raise to life.
One to stay,
raise to Christ.

Apprentice <><

Pain (hip hop)

My friend I love ya like no other
My friend your more like a brother,
I wish I could take your pain,
and those night that you felt insane.
When you can no longer maintain
Jesus Christ, It's the only name.
But more than coke he's the real thang

I wanna tell ya a story of pain,
I felt real bad and kinda lame.
See I got a friend but I'll hold his name,
That's up to him and it's his lane,
But he broke down he felt real insane.

See he searched life for an answer,
He even looked for it in some dancers,
And not the kind that do the ballet,
But more the kind that'll make ya pay.
He even looked for it in beer and liquor.
Drink enough of that and it'll hit ya quicker.
He served his country and he went to war,
It got real hot 120 and maybe more.
He even cried that he killed a man,
But I told him about the devine plan.
That Jesus loved him More than that,
Where sin abounds, yo grace got ya back.
Because Jesus Christ died on the cross,
With Christ, yo nothings is lost.
He got yo tab, cause he paid the cost.
I asked him what the cause of his pain was,
He pointed to himself, and said he was.
I replied That Christ was enough,
He loves you more than you dreamed of.
Without Jesus man you only crash,
Like meat and no mrs dash,
Like a bank and with no cash
Just irritating like a rash
Like watching the same episode of mash.
Cause he felt alone and irritated.
With alcohol he was really irrigated,
He was drunk as a skunk with no lunch to munch.
The food I talk about is the Spirit,
He had nothing close or even near it.
He said I don't get it man,
You had more pain what was your plan
How can you make it when I can't
What's your secret man tell me the stats
I have so much pain man but not as much as you,
I looked at him and said, yes this is true
You wanna know why? Yes he begged as he cried.
I said i made it cause of Jesus, bro
you can't make it out the gutter, yo
Unless you ask Christ cause only he knows.
How to stitch the pain of a heart, cause he'll sew.
All that went wrong in this life.
He even knew the story of my wife,
How I disobeyed my true love Chirst.
How it brought about pain and strife,
But got brought back to life, cause I brought back to Christ.
I didn't see him again after that night,
He went to the desert again to fight.
I just pray that he's alright
Cause only Chirst can win this fight,
Cause your my brother man,
Trust Christ cause he got the plan.

Apprentice <><

Here ya go again bucker, hot off the press, just finished it. just happend last friday, pray for him will you?

Jesse <><

Chosen Son

He is a precious sight,
He is a delicate one.
I am willing to fight,
I am willing to go on.

The sickness is closing,
It's grips are getting tight.
This little son is chosen,
Lord please use your might.

Cast out this illness,
Bind this pain up tight.
Fill him full of wellness,
Take away this plight.

I am feeling really hopeless,
I desire to take his place.
I try, but can't cope this,
I try but step out of pace.

I love him like my own,
He is my flesh and blood.
I am sinking like a stone,
I am in a vicious flood.

I am being tossed about,
I am haunted in my dreams.
I am choking in this drought,
I am torn from my seams.

I think of him through the day,
I think of him through the night.
I am lost in dismay,
I am hopeless in this fight.

Lord God hear my cry,
Christ Jesus hear my plea.
As I gaze upon the sky,
You are looking right at me.

I know you have a plan,
I am lost in it's purpose.
I am only just a man,
I feel lost and worthless.

I can only praise your name,
And trust in your goodness.
I know you heal the lame,
I know you feed the homeless.

I know you are the Shepard,
I know you love your flock.
You even heal the lepers,
For Lazereth you stopped the clock.

Let your healing flow,
Let your love shine on.
Lord save his little soul,
Christ Jesus stop all wrong.

Father, as I pray to you,
I am fervent in this faith.
I know you love him too,
It is written on your face.

You have formed him in the womb,
You have shown your love and grace.
You arose from the tomb.
I feel your love in this place.

My brother is in a foreign land,
Lord Jesus bring him home.
Jesus stretch your healing hand,
Help me express this poem.

One voice cries to another,
I cry and scream, shout as I might.
Christ Jesus take pain from my brother,
Please heal your little son tonight.

To Haden my little nephew, keep fighting little brother, never give up we are behind you. You have much love on your side, for Jesus knows your pain more than any other. I love you brother man.

Uncle Jesse

My outcry is by freedom

"Yet these emotions are so scattered,
Making no sense like they never mattered.
No paper could record these thoughts,
But let my focus be what Jesus taught."

"My outcry is by freedom,
That by these words I can lead'em.
These thoughts that are random,
The cost of a reckless abandon.
My mind has drifted as I stare,
My mind is lost and not aware.
One asks why I look alone,
My only answer, my mind is a poem.
A neverending story of lines and twists,
A neverending philosophy that's missed.
Emotions spiral into highgear,
As this pen strokes the paper it holds so dear.
Yet it seems my point is missed,
As this very rhyme is dissed,
My mind stuck in a poetic bliss."

"And that my mind is full of emotions,
And full of many unknown notions,
Stuck in my heart, these poetic oceans"

This place I talk about I don't fully understand, yet I dwell in it daily.
You know when i don't write and I feel such a love for poetry and hip hop, I feel empty of the and confused, then full and ready to explode in emotion and poetry> My mind is an ocean of emotion and poetry and need I say deep emotion, when I finish a poem, I feel satisfaction or shall I say fullfilment, in Christ. I feel where this ocean once existed, in that very part of me that I am talking about, tired, exhausted, but in a good way. There is a place in my heart, soul, and mind. It is filled with Christ, emotion, understanding, deep thoughts and words. It seems this place fills up and needs to be exhausted or can I say, gratification in the Spirit. I can't explain myself in this place or what it is, you know the poem criticism and a thousand thoughts, I briefly explain it.

<>< Apprentice

Criticism and a thousand thoughts, (hip hop/peom)

A thousand thoughts to a thousand rhymes.
A thousand words to a thousand times.
A thousand emotions to explain my mind.

Yet these emotions are so scattered,
Making no sense like they never mattered.
No paper could record these thoughts,
But let my focus be what Jesus taught.

Is this a story? Then to Christ be the glory.
Is this a poem? Let Christ be known.
Is this a song? Then to Christ may it belong.

I like to write what you haven't heard.
I like to be this Christian nerd.
For Christ I'll be that outcast,
Only through Jesus will these words last.
With what standard do you measure?
Who in this life is your treasure?
By what focus do you judge me?
Telling me what should be in my story.
I write for Christ and my expression,
Not for you or your social complexion.
I am judged by no man, only Jesus,
Broke our bonds and freed us.
If I am free, then why do you bind me?
With "constructive" criticism,
and judged by harsh cynicism.
My outcry is by freedom,
That by these words I can lead'em.
These thoughts that are random,
The cost of a reckless abandon.
My mind has drifted as I stare,
My mind is lost and not aware.
One asks why I look alone,
My only answer, my mind is a poem.
A neverending story of lines and twists,
A neverending philosophy that's missed.
Emotions spiral into highgear,
As this pen strokes the paper it holds so dear.
Yet it seems my point is missed,
As this very rhyme is dissed,
My mind stuck in a poetic bliss.
My point is to not judge my words,
By what they should contain and meaning they serve.
And that my mind is full of emotions,
And full of many unknown notions,
Stuck in my heart, these poetic oceans.
Things you'll never understand,
So don't undermine the Devine's plan.
Meaning only He can change me,
Not you, the world or anybody.
So just let me do my thing,
Only Christ can make me gleam.

Now this poem was written because of legalism in the church and between brother's and sister's, basically founded off "The believers freedom" and also not to dispute over disputable matters, in other words don't get all bent out of shape over little things and therefore judge your brother and try to tell him/her what he/she should do for Christ, that isn't up to you but only Christ to say what goes on in a brother's realationship with his Lord and Saviour.

<>< Apprentice

Love

To: Grandmother June Zurphey
May you sweetly rest in peace
Written in the month of May 2002

Did you know Christ?
That would be nice.
To be away from sin,
That infects like lice.

You would be stainless,
White like rice.
Playing with death is useless,
Like the tossing of dice.

Hell is thick of pain,
Like that of stew.
I pray you are in heaven,
Where the color is blue.

What God said was true,
Someday I hope to see you too.
In heaven where I can love you.

God's love is clear.
My love for you sheds a tear.
Your passing came like a spear.
How much I wish you could be here.

When I left I said I'd be back,
When I returned,
Reality pinned me like a tack.

There is one thing this world does lack.
That's you grandma,
You were always there to pick up my slack.
We were a family, tight like a pack.


It was love, grandmother and grandson.
But you were more than that,
You were my best friend.

But I don't worry we are still one.
Nothing said between us is ever done.
The war of death is already won.
It was done by Christ, God's one and only Son.

I pray you took his hand in time.
I pray your love will always be mine.
I pray you are in heaven,
Where we can talk, under a pine.

Covered by God's love and grace,
For after Christ it is you I will embrace.
Without you I feel out of place.

Then my mind fills with emotion,
And I step out of pace.
Is this the case,
That your in heaven to see Christ's face?

To wear a fresh robe,
Made of white clean lace.
If only now I could have one taste,
Of that love that is as thick as paste.

Regardless of pain
You always made me a meal.
Whether it was steak, peas,
Or plain 'ol' veal.

I knew exactly how you would feel.
Your food was an awesome deal.

With you my problem's stayed at bay.
At your house I had a place to stay.
At your house whenever I could I had a place to lay.
And when I was bored I had Joey to play.

Grandma I will never forget you.
In my heart your love will remain true.

Your love will always be sweet
Like the chocolate of Nestle.

This poem was written in response to my grandmother's death. I don't know if she was saved, however my other grandmother had also just died about a month before this one. So both of my grandmother's died one in march one is april, this is my first poem, sparked no doubt by the emotion I felt, then after each poem written out of emotional events, for some reason these words didn't come unless something tragic happend, I soon found my release and how to take out my stress and pain, and most important how to do it for Christ in a way that would glorify him. This is the one that started it all.

Sincerely and lovingly
Your grandson, Jesse.

Why?

Father why can't they see?
They go about sin as busy as a bee.
Man brews wickedness as easy as tea.
And yet you have me father,
hook line and sinker, lock and key.

You found me, like the sniper from the grassy knoll.
Your son has paid the ransom, he has paid the toll.
I can't discover what to do, your love is all I know.
Father your love has found me,
Like Cupid and his Bow.

Men can't see what they do.
They fatten themselves in sin, like thick greasy stew.
I try to have patience like you.
Father why do they not pay attention?
For I know in my heart, you can make them new.

The people of this world, they don't know what your about.
They walk around like they have clout.
Without you Father, their as hopeless as a sparrow chasing a trout.
You Father, put everyman in his position, and at will take them out.
Father they don't know that to be absent of your love, is to be without.

Father, I know of your love,
It descends down upon me, like a soft white dove.
The gift of your Son fits me, just like a nice glove.
Yet man rejects your love.

Men find many sinful substitutions.
Men find many addictions.
They don't stop, despite many convictions,
Men have many false depictions.
They reap what they sow,
Their fruit will be their destruction.

Your son, wrapped as a gift in lace.
Your patience is sent with grace.
Sin stings like pepper spray and mace.
Turn from your evil ways,
Your trapped like a mouse in a maze.
Find the Lord, fully explore his ways.

Yet there is another
He is the accuser of the brother
He divides families,
from father to brother from sister to mother.
He claims to be God,
But there is one, and no other.
He is a murderer and a liar.

He causes sexual temptation.
I want to smash his efforts.
I will spread this information.
With God's help I will be a thorn,
a painful complication.
He has caused this himself,
He has caused this mental contemplation.

I choke from all of these tears,
By choices made from desperate peers.
From ignorance and unknown fears,
Everyday is a battle, I try to gather momentum, I just grind gears.
I see everyday, gospel falling on blind eyes and deaf ears.

Is it possible, can I shake this pain?
Is this my existence. to struggle in vain?
I refuse failure, I refuse to become insane.
This death, this sin, Christ has already slain.
This gift, this happiness, I can't contain.
This covenant, this love, I will maintain.
Through their tongues, their hearts death is all they'll gain.

Find Christ, he is the son.
Because of him we've already won.
Through him it's already done.
I beg you, repent, all are guilty
and no one is righteous, no not even one.
Hell is hot, you'll toast like a bun.
This isn't a joke, I intend no pun.

You think this is a joke, you think this is a lie?
You think you have it made, you stand there and ask why?
Then to death you are close, and to hell you are nigh.
Excuses are nothing, a pain to my eye.
there is only one answer, for He sits on high.
His name is Jesus Christ, he sits on The Throne.
Take account for yourself, don?t groan and moan.
Challenge him if you wish,
but prepare for an answer,
that's as cold as stone.

Look into his loving eyes,
Stand before him, give him an excuse,
Stand before him, and ask what for, and why.

This poem was the second one I wrote, the first is one titled love, I just started writting christian hip hop this year so none the less these poems still sound rappish as one would say, but no matter what they are it is all in Christ and for him, for it's Christ first and the rest later.

By: Jesse Raymond
Through Christ Jesus

The Storm (hip hop)

As I sit the tidal wave looms.
Over my head it pauses, awaiting doom,
I sit in the eye of the storm,
This time it just ain't the norm.
As I sit I await the other side,
Nothing seems right not even the tide.

I look, think and wander about,
Stuck in a seamless haze of doubt.
Feeling old pain and things gone wrong.
What am I to do and what is this song.
As I walk in this place of shady gray,
Between life and death with no place to stay.
Like a playground and no place to play.
Can't find my friend's not even today.
Awaiting something big, guess what it is
Wait here comes someone, oh no not these kids.
There the ones I am in here with,
Something in common but can't uplift.
Like following the blind man off the cliff.
We can't help but feel pain and strife
All is calm for a split second of life,
Then the Storm comes and hit's like a knife.
Takes away my mental and even my wife.
Don't know what to do stuck in a groove,
What's my options and the next move.
Like I am stuck in a game of chess,
Reach to my heart put a hole in my chest.
You can try cause I got my bullet proof vest.
It's the Holy Bible the one I got's for survival.
Call on Jesus cause he's that cat's only rival.
Beat the world down like it got tribal.
Cause I got this crazy funny vibe,
That we all a team and part of a tribe.
That devil can struggle and he can try.
No matter how hard he can't devide,
What the Father put together,
So go on ahead and cry.

Got's that rightouess deep mark on my head,
The one I'll have even when my body dead.
That says we his children,
that don't have that dread.
Gotta keep taken my Jesus meds.
Pumpin spiritual weight like it ain't no joke,
Gotta spread that awesome Holy Ghost,
The one that keeps me high, yo give me a toke.
Of that good stuff the rightouess Holy Smoke.
I ain't talkin about them drugs,
Only Jesus and his love filled hugs.
The one that be savin them thugs.
Christ get's to yo heart when he tugs.
Yo gather around and collect yo mugs.
Collect your mental and listen to this,
Christ can heal ya and put ya in spiritual bliss.
Just listen to Christ and please don't miss.
That love He got for ya, that book a sorta list.
It's called the Book of Life,
and you want yo name in it.
Just read Romans 10-9 and 10,
The one that gonna help you to win.
And get away from that sin,
Yo let me spark up this beat again.
Yo just call on Christ and let him in.
Gotta leave my family behind but not in sin.
Christ got me on a mission to begin again.
Or to carry over his Gospel to the streets,
But they all muslim, and I am gonna take some heat.
But gotta tell them it's Christ that ya meet.
If they won't listen just dust off my feet.
Let Christ come down cause he walked this beat.
He already did this thing and all this stuff,
and He's the one that make it not so rough.
Pull your heart out and just start to bough.
Yo He's gonna Spit, shine and polish it up.
You can get away and escape all that's corrupt.
Just listen to Christ cause He's the One,
Don't act like you shocked or you stunned.
It's the same message from the begining,
The one that says if it's Christ you can be winning.
But yo gotta drop this mic and I am outta here,
Just listen to Christ cause I am droppin a tear.

<>< Apprentice

my mind, (hip hop)

With all these things on my mind,
Yo we runnin outta of time.
What?s with this family of mine.
am I really going to Iraq, that's fine.
But am I ready for blood, bombs and mortars,
Bullets from insurgents crossing the borders.
The violence, hate and mourners.

Death runnin so rampant,
Yo get back to the camp but,
Just take it kinda slow,
Watch out for childs playin in the road.
Wait there's a bomb in the road.
Whoa watch out it just exploded,
Grabbin my weapon it's already loaded.
Hey our vehicle just got hit,
A hole in the door that's legit.
Looking around I am alright,
Those guy's shootin at me just for spite.
Shakin yet not stirred, I aim like a spear,
Ready to pounce, the subject disappeared.
What just happened? Boy that was weird.
But I ain't stickin around and askin for directions,
Lookin and checkin for blood, my daily inspections.
I grip the wheel and go a little faster,
Praying, I remember my pastor,
My church, family, and all my friends.
Will I survive?..well that depends.

(chorus)

This soldier left to fight for you,
All this pain and you ain't gotta a clue.
Will I survive from all this hate? We'll see.
Prayin Lord God deliver me.

Yo this place ain't really that bad,
If your names Abduhl Alahmad
But yo I am American and they ain't feelin that,
Being a target wide open, Hey not this cat.
Give me some cover and a weapon
Some steel resolve and I be steppin.
Yo gotta go and spread that gospel to the masses.
Just some time and weekend passes,
Some CD's, tracts and a chest like a Bull Mastiff.
I pray that I won't slip through all of this,
That I can move, praise The Lord, when he shoots he don't miss.
He's aimin right at your heart man,
Before your life, the world and your parents he had a plan.
It includes you whether or not you accept it
You can be with him or against him just test it.
Yo it doesn't matter, if you not,
He's God yo, and everytime he hit's the spot.
Are you gonna be like Christ or Pharoah.
Wide open or narrow,
Be the raven or the sparrow,
Bible or the cards of tarot.
Hey the choice is yours, and that's great.
Our Heavenly Father loves you, but he doesn't rape,
In other words he won't force his love on you or anyone,
Good news man you're Saviour just called, he's on line one.
That?s right brotha, he knockin right now
Pick up the phone man answer the door I'll show you how.
Just hit your knees and pray to let him in,
Pray "please forgive me lord For I live in Sin,"
You can pray if you want to win
There's two choices, live with the world or with Him
It's like throwin a grenade with the pin.
He won't work if you don't let'em.

(hook)
What is done in the dark will soon come to light.
What is written wrong will be written right.
What is written right will soon come through,
What is done in Christ will always remain true,

Yo I believe that to my hearts core,
I breath it down to my hearts door,
A child 7 yrs old cryin and hittin the floor.
Yo I am Christ let me in I got flavor,
Not this world that's bland I am your saviour.
I keep sayin this and screamin it to my dying breath.
But I can't help it, it's my history and that's it.
I gotta write these words for Chirst and can't stop it.
Listen up real close and even your can cop this,
Like the bubble wrap in a box, you can pop it,
Just remember who to give props too,
It's Jesus Christ my saviour and not you.
Hittin these beats with pride,
Yo, cause my saviour is inside.

(hook)
What is done in the dark will soon come to light.
What is written wrong will be written right.
What is written right will soon come through,
What is done in Christ will always remain true,

(chorus)
This soldier left to fight for you,
All this pain and you ain't gotta a clue.
Will I survive from all this hate? We'll see.
Prayin Lord God deliver me.

<>< Apprentice

Christianity 101 (hip hop)

(intro) (chorus)
Let God be true and everyman a liar,
Confess Christ, in his ways inquire.
Follow him who leads, in heaven you?ll retire.
Reject his words and your place is fire.

Hello class, welcome to Christianity 101,
To begin we will start in the First Chapter until were done.

First chapter we begin with evolution,
Believe that, you?ll be like that cat Lucion.
Live in the real underworld solution,
Those thoughts will lead your minds pollution.
The scientist say this, the scientist say that,
Don't believe them man, their whack.
Let me teach about the real plan, creation.
Between Jesus and man we must make a distinction.
He shed his blood on the cross for our salvation.
(Turn to Genesis and we begin with an awesome contemplation.) voice
The creation of the earth, a race with no damnation.
He loved us before our spoken existence,
That's more to say than your ignorant persistence.
To write him off, snuff him out and deny his divine subsistence.
(Are you afraid to answer for your sins, actions and miss
interpretations.) voice
Enough of this, it's making me mad,
Just don't deny my Divine Dad.

For our next lesson Chapter Two is where we start.
This next subject brings pain to my heart,
I think of it while I lay awake in the dark.
It involves that gruesome death at birth,
Too young to die and be returned to Earth
A devilish practice forged in hell's fire,
Believe this lie, it's an abortionist's desire.
My Daddy he don't like this, it's hell you'll acquire
This subject is of political leverage,
Why consider this, it's murder an incorrect message.
No this child ain't dead, but alive, feels pain, but not as corrupt
as your flesh is.
True we are all born in sin, but this child doesn't conspire within.
This child dreams to someday live,
and live he shall among Christ's kin.
By this I only have one question.
(What's this nations problem why do they stand with Satan.) voice
Yahweh spoke and said (by my Son I forget your sin.) voice
So what's your dilemma and why do you reject God's plan.
We are nothing and meant to have Jehovah's hand.
See now I am off track, but heed his word watch what you attack.

The Third Chapter is a unique kind
We now study a subject, that's a favorite of mine.
What's marriage and how it's defined.
A man and women united is just fine,
But why do you try to change his perfect design.
A protestor and media frenzy,
What's going on with my country.
These real issues attack my mentality.
So I hit my knees and I pray "deliver us daily."
I try not to judge, but this is real sickness
I try not to budge, but this is real trickiness
How could anyone be attracted to the same
This idea is useless, straight from satan and lame.
Opposites attract, they have from the beginning.
It seems that it's lost but only Christ be winning.
This is real on the daily,
Straight attackin my mentality,
Ill relationships in Homosexuality,
It's the real hell bound sensuality.
Named Sodom and Gomorrah in it's own pity,
Called Sodomy and named after it's own city.

Finally we turn to Chapter Four.
This makes me angry, so mad I slam the door.
My childhood was hard and a real chore.
Child abuse of every kind was quite the norm.
Waking in the night screaming (no more, no more) frantic voice
That young with no Idea what's in store.
What's my life, for who and what for.
I didn't know and too young to understand.
Satan tryin to undermine the Divine's plan
But that's ok, Jesus still won, and he da man.
With that blood on the cross, I think I can.
Physical, Sexual and mental abuse,
How long will this last and what's the use.
I cried for help, an exit from this excuse.
I am not your problem send me to the hospital (sarcastic)
The kind so crazy that it's mental.
Try to sneak and get past the sentinal
Man caught again sent to the padded room.
Convicted and sentenced to doom.
This system, this justice it's just shady,
Oh were sorry ma'am your sons not crazy. (sarcastic)
We just realized he's just a baby. (sarcastic)
All this just five ta six years old,
Satan tried to be a rat but Jesus just told.
Got me out and now I am feeling bold.
How can I reach the youth of today,
I try and try but to my own dismay.
But that's alright and it's just OK.
If I made it out the madness you can too,
Just confess Christ after all he loves you.

After all just

Let God be true and everyman a liar,
Confess Christ, in his ways inquire.
Follow him who leads, in heaven you'll retire.
Reject his words and your place is fire.

<>< Apprentice

No Other

As I seek your kingdom and as your blood washes over, your loving
caring eyes penetrate deep within my heart, my mind and my soul.

Your blood cleans deep into parts unknown, your love, your
compassion, your sacrifice, your eyes, your very ways, my mind is
blown.

What devotion, what conviction, what lifestyle, what substance, what
substitute can replace you?

I have sought and I even seek, but see none. satan tries and try he
does. Then you remind me of what you've done.

I stumble much, I fall, I am capsized and thrashed about.
I get caught, I get stuck, I get lost and sucked into a drought.

These trials, these tribulations, these problems, they arise.
They thrash me, they beat me, they stick me, they kill me, and I act
suprised.

"What should I do"? calls one voice to another.
"Call on Jesus" he replied "For there is no
other".

So call I do and I call aloud. I search and I search but can't find
him. He's lost in a crowd.

I start to go crazy, my mind is lost. I look into the crowd and
scream, "JESUS AT WHAT COST"?

I search, I look I start to grow frantic.
My mind explodes, I am in a rage, I've gone well past panic.

I cry, I rage, I scream and I fall to my knees.
I beg and I cry and I shout, lord please.

This pain, this hurt, these wounds, this strife it all meets.
These things, these objects are capitolized with shollow words that
run deep.

Where is my saviour, my king, my emanuel. He is nowhere to be seen.
Where should I go, where should I turn, what could this pain mean?

"What should I do"? cries out one voice to another.
"Cry out to Jesus" he replied "For there is no
other".

So cry I do and I cry aloud. I search and I search but can't find
him. He's lost in a crowd.

I am confused and I am mystified on what should take place.
I know I am a sinner, a loser, and an idiot that is saved by grace.

I look into the crowd with bloodshot eyes.
I scream upward and onward into the darkening skies.

I cry and I scream and I remember what to do.
Cry out to Jesus, that's what the voice said to you.

I start to crumble, my mind is lost.
I gaze upon the crowd, trembling as I cry "JESUS AT WHAT
COST"?

"At mine" He replied. "Nothing done in me is a
loss".

I whip my head around and there he stands.
With love in his eyes, passion in his heart, his wide open hands.

"What should I do"? quivers one voice to another.
"Quiver to me" Jesus replied, "For there is no
other".

We sat and talked and talked and talked.
Then I remembered listen and listen and listen.

"What should I do"? said one voice to another.
"Follow me" Jesus said. "For there is no other"

"How"? I said.
"I will show you". Jesus replied.
He smiled, I seen the love in his eyes.
And then I awoke, but I am still dreaming.

<>< Apprentice (Jesse Raymond)

By dreaming I am refering to life as a dream, I awoke in my dream (ife) and Christ awoke me from my slumber. These trials and life are ongoing, there is no conclusion as Christ only knows it. I am still dreaming in life and these problem's still exist, but Christ will show us all what to do. These words were provided by, through, and only glorify Christ. These words are not of my own making but by his.

Jesse Raymond

Enemy

The enemy is closing fast,
The enemy is closing in.
How long can I last,
Will I ever give in.

Since my young days,
You have told me this,
"Follow all my ways
And you will live in bliss."

But if I leave Lord,
Will I give in?
To the lies I heard,
When I lived in sin?

To follow your ways Lord,
Is my only hope.
To worship and praise Lord,
Is the only way I cope.

I can hear the enemy,
He is coming swift behind.
He draws closer,
Even in this broken rhyme.

His ways are lust and greed,
He creates pain and strife.
Evil is all he'll breed,
There is only death,
Not even life.

As I run down this road,
His wolves are closing tight.
And like an ugly toad,
Pitiful is their site.

Foaming at the mouth,
For my very life.
He aims to take my house,
He even took my wife.

He aims to steal my family,
He's just an evil heathen.
He's got no hope at all,
Cause Christ's name is what I am screamin.

And when I speak Christ's name,
He comes swift and soon.
He floods out the enemy,
Like a strong Monsoon.

I thank Jesus for his gift,
Cause I know he's mighty strong.
He comes sure and swift,
To write out all the wrong.

The devil's got no hope,
Or his evil heathen.
Cause like I said before,
In Jesus' name is what I am speakin'.

And Christ's blood's not lost,
satan tried to get the fee.
But Jesus paid the cost,
And now I know I am free.

SO SAY GOODBYE TO THE ENEMY!!!!!

<>< Apprentice

The poetry of Jesse Raymond

Jesse and I met several years ago while he was serving with the Army, fighting a war far removed from our safe places at home. This Hip Hop poet and lover of the Lord shared his writings with us on our AKO Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians Army site, and our Safe Haven Forum. Everytime he shared a poem, the Holy Spirit would move throughout our group, and move others toward accomplishing the Works He Wills.

I just received word that he has once again found himself in the war zone of Iraq. In the midst of it all, he sent another fabulous poem that captures the depths of his faith and feeling. He has given us permission to publicize all of his poetry so the Works that God leads him to do, can be shared and move others according to His Will.

After careful consideration, we felt that the establishment of this blog would highlight his songs to and about his walk toward Jesus Christ in the best way for other Christians to access. So we're gonna maintain this site for him while he is facing dangers overseas, and keep him in our prayers, as he writes the words that stir his soul and moves us to higher spiritual places.

God's blessings, Jesse!

David "Bucker" Becker