Ravenhill, the poet

I Walked TodayI walked today as Dante walkedIn days of long ago;I gasped through stench of this earth's hell,The air was filled with woe.Men scarred with sin, in rags, ill shod,Their face blank in despair,Their livid eyes burned into me -I cried, "O Christ of Calvary,Waken Thy church to care."I walked today where Christ would walkIf He were here on earth;The air was thick with discontentAnd dark with lack of mirth.It seemed despair had carved each face,And greed and lust and viceLike chains, had bound resentful men."And, Lord," I asked, "Oh when, Oh whenWill Thy dear church revive againTo seek Thy power in prayer?"I walked today mid cultured viceAnd, as I walked, I wept.I thought, Lord, of Thy sacrifice,And how Thy church has creptAlong the road this past decadeAnd slumbered in soft pews,While millions in their sinful plightFall into hell's eternal night.O Christ, in mercy purge our blight;Anoint Thy church to tell!Leonard Ravenhill(Written after a visit to a drug area in a large city.)

Christ the BorrowerGod laid Him in a borrowed womb, Men laid Him in a borrowed tomb; His life was borrow, borrow. He had no pillow for His head,A stone He borrowed then instead,He borrowed fish for dinner.A cup He borrowed from a dameDespite her rather sordid name,To help that thirsty sinner.A borrowed boat from which to preach- A borrowed mount on which to teach- No time for fun or leisure. He borrowed once a lowly penny, Since of His own He hadn't any, For each belonged to Caesar. He rode upon a borrowed assThat prophecy might come to pass,No horse or golden carriage.A room He borrowed to celebrateHis last meal, and anticipateThe supper of His marriage.He borrowed (staggering to the mind)The whole vast sin of humankind,Our sacrifice to be;The Spotless One Who did such goodWas hammered to some borrowed woodWith scarce an eye to pity.His life was filled with "borrow, borrow,"Acquainted with grief, this Man of Sorrow,Deserted by His friends.They laid Him in a borrowed grave,The Christ, the Mighty still to save-With death His "borrow" ends! For soon, ah soon, the Victor roseTriumphant over death and foes,All power and principality.Who borrowed, borrows now no more,Triumphant then and evermore,The Lord of all eternity.He "was" before the world began-This Son of God was Son of Man,But now He reigns forever.Leonard Ravenhill

Some Work—Some ShirkSome feast, some fast, some laugh, some groan.Some fight their way to promotion.Some labor and sweat almost unknown;Some render unselfish devotion.Some even boast of what we have done,Some work with consecration;Some speak only of Jesus the Son,Some are full of self-adoration.Some work with an eye on the glory,Some work with an eye on the pay;Some run with the Lord’s blessed story,Some work toward the Judgment Day.Some tell of Thy great salvation,Some bury their talent with care;Some seek to evade tribulation,Some know the soul-sweat in prayer.Some doubt the power of Satan,Some think they’ve ”done all” and just stand;Some shirk, with skill in evasion,Some carry the burden He planned.Some work for the night is coming,Some toil in the heat of the day;Some laze their hours just sunning,Some fill their evenings with play.Some will rejoice at the Judgement,With deeds purified through the flame;Some, with their works only ashes,Will weep with regret for the shame.Leonard Ravenhill

Lars:Yes!! This poem (I Walked Today) speaks the heart of God! My own heart wept as I read it. There are 31.1 million people that die every year without Jesus Christ. 12.5 % of that number have never even rubbed shoulders with a Christian of any type.It grieves my heart but just imagine what it does to the heart of God?The Church must be awakened! Awakened to what? They must first be wakened to God's love. How can we 'do' the second commandment without knowing (living, understanding, walking out) the First? Does the Church love the Lord with all of their heart, mind and soul? When she does, the second will follow through because we will know the heart of God and His love will be in us for the lost.Have we been putting the cart before the horse? PS I would like to use this poem in one of the courses I teach. Can you send me the info on it? Many thanks. Trish

In Thy StorehouseThere are riches in Thy storehouse,But, my Lord, we are so poor.There is power in Thy storehouse,But the cripple clothes our door. There is wisdom in Thy storehouse,But in ignorance we grope.There’s revival in Thy storehouse,But we’ve millions without hope.There is freedom in Thy storehouse,But Thy people are so bound.There is glory in thy storehouse,But it does not shine around. There is love within Thy storehouse,But Thy people are so dry. There’s compassion in Thy storehouse—Then my Savior, why, oh why Are Thy people stony—heartedAnd our eyes so desert dry?Leonard Ravenhill

These items are brought forth from:Heart Breathings Leonard RavenhillHarvey Christian PublishersL. W.

Our LethargyI walked down the steaming jungle path‘Mid exotic flowers and trees, There were streams and gorgeous butterflies, But my mind was not fixed on these. My head and my feet were burning, But my heart burned hotter with shame As I saw the diseased and degraded Who never had heard His name. I thought of our stately churchesAnd their softly cushioned pews, And I wept for the sin-damned millions Who never had heard the News Of the spotless Christ of Calvary Who died their souls to save. Unless there’s a change, that heathen mass Will go Christless to the grave. God, pity our empty fullness; God, pity our barren tree; God, pity our long-range blindness; God, curse our lethargy! Turn our much-used words into action, Change ease into Spirit-born care, Baptize us with Thy compassion That puts feet under our prayer. Leonard Ravenhill

Thy GloryWhen Thy Shekinah glory fell, The priests stood still in awe; Nor could the great Apostle tell The glory that he saw When Thou didst lift him to the sky To sights unseen by mortal eye. When Moses stood with unshod feet And Thy great Presence felt, No trumpeter could call retreat While gazing where Thou dwelt! He listened, raptured by Thy voice, And strangely did his heart rejoice. The toilers’ fishing nets were left In answer to Thy call, And worldly men, of sense bereft Before their feet would fall. Those simple men Thou didst endue With power original to You. O Lord, we labor in a dayWhen men of faith are few. Now just a remnant watch and pray. Again we beg - endue Thy church with apostolic power For true revival in this hour. Have we the holy channel blockedWith unbelief and sin? Have we not asked and sought and knocked To bring the glory in? How is now Thy Spirit grieved That He withholds the shower That would revival tide bring in And apostolic power? Is Thy blest Holy Word unread? And have we ceased to pray? Have carnal longings in our hearts Brought spiritual decay? Come, great Physician, come, And circumcise the heart; Fleshly impediments remove And all Thy might impart. So let the beauty of the Lord On Christians be outpoured, That we forget “our” ministry, And glorify the Lord. We hate the boasting flesh Which often claims Thy name. Descend, Oh Holy Ghost, descend With all Thy purging flame!Leonard Ravenhill

Lord, Don’t Ask MeI’m just a week-kneed Christian,So, Lord, don’t ask of meThat I go to the battle frontTo do exploits there for Thee.I like to read of courageAnd Christians who make their mark;But, Lord, that’s surely not for me;I’m quiet and hate the dark!I sometimes lie in bed at night, And it upsets my quietTo think of heathen far away,Diseased and drunk in riot.O Lord, a coward then I feelAs in my bed I sink;I’d like to sleep, forget it all,But I just think and think.I muse on that great final dayWhen at Thy throne I stand.With flaming eyes You look at meAnd, under great duress, I see excuses torn from me;I stand in nakednessAnd hear You say, ”You called me ’Lord,’And did not things I say.You missed your glorious, great reward,You toyed your life away.”You did not read and pray aright,Gave time to eat and drink,And left the heathen far awayTo fall, fall right o’er the brink”Of time, to hell’s eternityTo grope in endless night.You could have stretched a hand to save,You could have changed that plight”Less comfort had You had on earth;Then scores of precious soulsHad got the truth, and by your helpHad reached God’s offered goals.”From all my folly, Lord, I turn,I’ll do as well as say;And, from this hour, may all my worksSurvive the judgment day.