Behold The Lamb Christian Church

Behold The Lamb

A CHRISTMAS STORY

When I was young I thought it strange
that God could simply be
removed from winter storage
and put beneath a tree,

among candy canes and mistletoe
and jolly old Saint Nick,
with pork and fowl and stale fruitcake
which always made me sick.

A beer, a shot, a poker game
to make the season jolly,
and grandma who was fast asleep
beneath a heap of holly.

Mom and Dad were all strung out
with tinsel, balls and lighting,
while sis and I were up in bed
with one another fighting

about some fat old bearded man
who knew what we were thinking,
while all the rest of my small town
was in some tavern drinking;

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
and days of o'lang syne?”

Is that what this is all about,
this special time of year
when God Himself from heaven sent
His Son to join us here?

For unto us a child is born
a Son is truly given;
peace on earth, good will toward men
whose sin is now forgiven.

“Joy to the world, our Savior's come!”,
the angels did proclaim.
“Immanuel, God with us;
Y'shua is HIs name!”

Kings with gifts from foreign lands
to Bethlehem gave flight;
Wise enough to understand
the meaning of that night.

Shepherds with their flocks of sheep,
a silent vigil keeping,
while nestled in His mother's arms
a special child was sleeping.

“This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased”,
was heard by all who stood there,
and falling on their knees

began to shout “Hosanna!,
to God be all the glory”,
and that is why I had to write
this simple Christmas story;

for what has light with darkness,
or lies with grace and truth?
And what has Christ with Christmas,
or Santa on your roof?

From whence did these traditions come
which hotly do conspire
to turn you from the truth of God
and set your soul on fire?

From mans' imagination
have these traditions come,
based in earth and hell below
are each and every one.

Come out from among it all,
touch nothing that unclean.
Partake not of forbidden fruit
and then God will be seen

in all His righteous glory;
the begotten Father's Son.
The light which enlightens every man.
The Way, the Truth, the One.

Albert P. Pugliese
12-21-08

VANITY

Vanity of vanities
And chasing after wind;
To live and die
Not knowing why;
And never knowing Him.

Albert P. Pugliese
05-19-08

REPENT

A double minded man,
Unstable in all his ways,
Will come to understand
At the end of all his days

That serving God or mammon
Is all that really matters;
To choose the God of love,
Or the world that merely flatters.

The lust of the flesh and eyes,
And all life’s boastful pride,
Will offer little comfort
When death is at your side.

And, how will you account,
In the Day of Reckoning,
For all the times you sinned
When hell’s fire is beckoning?

How long will you remain
In sin and error doubting,
When all around are sounds
Of angels’ voices shouting:

“Repent! O foolish man!
God’s heavenly kingdom is near!”
How long will you pretend
That you really didn’t hear?

How long will you resist
God’s pleading Spirit calling?
How long will you insist
That you’re not really falling

Into the arms of him
Who was, from the beginning,
The author of all sin?
Your master who’s now grinning,

For you belong to him!
The night is fast approaching;
The light is growing dim.
And, you belong to him!

The master of deceit;
The father of all lies
Has deafened both your ears,
And blinded both your eyes.

Yet, the still small voice of God,
From somewhere deep within,
Is calling, gently pleading:
“Be reconciled to Him!”

Albert P. Pugliese
05-17-08

IN THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS

God is in the shadows.
He’s waiting in the wings
For His chosen people
To understand some things.

That He’s the One they’ve sought
For all these many years.
The Prophet, Priest and King
Who’ll wipe away their tears.

Mashiach Ben Joseph,
The One Who holds their hand.
Mashiach Ben David,
The One Who’ll rule the land.

Oh, Yerushalayim
I longed to gather you
Under wings of safety.
Instead, I was pierced through.

For all of your transgressions
And sins were placed on Me.
I carried them across
The road to Calvary.

A hill named Golgotha
Was where I died that day.
I left my Father’s side;
There was a price to pay.

In Eden Adam sinned,
And sin brought death to all.
In heaven God had planned
Just how to mend the fall.
For God so loved the world,
He gave His only Son,
That whosoever would
Believe that He had won

The victory, once for all,
O’er hell, death and the grave
Might now live…forever.
It’s you I came to save.

Y’shua HaMashiach,
The One who holds your hand.
Y’shua HaMashiach,
The One Who’ll rule the land.

Oh, Yerushalayim
Your Prophet, Priest and king
Still longs to gather you
In the shadow of His wings.

Albert P. Pugliese
9-24-06

A SIMPLE STORY

God thought about the world one day,
And in His mind began to say,
“The heavens shall declare My glory!”
And that’s just how this simple story
Began, one night, so long ago,
When God’s own Spirit here below
Awoke the earth from its dark sleep;
And dawn broke early that first week,
Because God said, “Let there be light!”
From day to day, and night to night.

And then God saw in His mind’s eye
A perfect place to put the sky;
Between the water high and low
A mighty wind began to blow,
And, soon, the heavens did appear
The second day of that first year;
God then cupped water in His hand,
And in its place He formed dry land;
The earth was named, and then the Seas;
And with it all God was well pleased.

The third day grass began to sprout,
And seed was scattered all about;
And from the roots of every seed
Grew all the food we’d ever need;
Then God perfumed the morning air
With plants, and flowers everywhere;
Now, as the light began to fade,
God looked, again, on what He’d made,
And from the forest where He stood,
God thought the earth looked pretty good.

Day four took no one by surprise
When God strung lights across the skies,
And, from His pockets, pulled two spheres
To mark the days and count the years;
For signs, and seasons, night and day,
The sun and moon came out to play;
And, in the twilight, one could see
A trillion twinkling stars that He
Hung in space to tell the story
Of Creation, and His glory.

Now, in His wisdom, God sure knew
Just what, exactly, He would do
With all the water here on earth;
And, that is why, He soon gave birth
To all the fish within His dreams;
Then dumped them in the ponds, and streams,
And lakes, and seas, and riverbeds,
And scattered birds above their heads;
“Be fruitful now, and stay alive!”
And that’s what happened on day five.

Well, if you think day five was good,
Just take a look at what God would
Accomplish on a sixth day fling;
Beasts, and cattle, and creeping things!
Man in His image and likeness made;
Male, and female, and then He bade
Them multiply, and tend the lands
That He was placing in their hands;
Every green herb would be their food;
Then, God said, “It is very good!”

Heaven and earth will pass away,
But ‘till that time, the seventh day
Is sanctified, and truly blessed;
And, God commands us all to rest,
For on that day His work did end;
The Sabbath is a time to spend
Remembering what God has done,
His mighty hand, the victory won;
So, now, ends this simple story;
And to God be all the glory…Amen!

Albert P. Pugliese
5-29-03

RESTORATION

In Ramah, Rachel’s weeping
For her children are no more,
And Ephraim is grieving,
But the Lord will soon restore

The fortunes of His people
Who are gathered in the land;
Then Israel and Judah
Will forever understand,

Because the law within them
Has been written on their hearts
By the very hand of God…
The new covenant imparts

Forgiveness and a cleansing
From iniquity and sin,
And God is in His Temple
Ruling from Jerusalem.

Albert P. Pugliese
7-3-02

THE RIGHTEOUS SEED

For God so loved the world, He gave
His one, and only, Son to save
Us all from death, because of sin;
And, puts His Spirit deep within

The hearts of those who will receive,
By faith, the promise, and believe
That Jesus Christ is God’s own Son,
Whose death on Calvary’s Cross has won

The victory, and brought release
From Satan’s grasp; So, now the peace
That passes understanding fills
The hearts, the souls, the minds, the wills

Of all His children here on earth,
Who’ve undergone the second birth,
And have become the righteous seed
Of Abraham, and Christ, indeed!

Albert P. Pugliese
3-3-02

GLORY

As near as your next heartbeat,
And as close as your next breath;
Never leaving or forsaking
You in life, or you in death.

The Spirit born within you
Is My promised gift of love;
Making known to you My Son,
Who is here with Me above...

Preparing you a mansion
In His Father’s house of glory,
Interceding for you always,
But that’s not half the story.

When the trials and temptations
Of this life at last are done,
Then, forever, will you share
In the glory of My Son.

Albert P. Pugliese
6-30-01

PIERCING THE VEIL

Piercing the veil is my desire,
Taking within my breast the fire
Burning before Thy glorious throne;
Making eternity my home.

Whither Thou goest I would go,
Within, without, above, below;
Breathing in unity one breath,
Awake, asleep, alive, in death.

Always beholding face to face,
Undying love, unending grace;
Calvary’s cross has sealed my fate,
Now open wide is heaven’s gate.

The veil is rent and torn in two;
Thy Spirit bids me come to You
With open arms and unveiled face;
Forever held in Christ’s embrace.

Albert P. Pugliese
6-24-01

THOU DIDST MAKE US

Thou didst make us in Thine image,
And in Thy likeness were we made;
Then Thou placed us in a garden,
In a garden where we played…

In the brightness of Thy Presence,
And in the Presence of Thy Son;
We laughed, and danced, and sang all day,
‘Till the setting of the sun.

Then darkness dawned within our hearts,
And cast its deadly shadow there;
Marred was the image of Thyself;
Vision lost beyond repair.

But, lo! A distant light doth shine;
A Day Star rises in our soul,
And God’s own image is restored;
God, Himself, has made us whole.

Albert P. Pugliese
6-18-01

MARIONETTE

Suspended in space
And silent in time;
The marionette
Dances on rhyme
And it’s raining.

Waiting for someone
To help him he sighs;
The marionette
Closes his eyes
And it’s cloudy.

Hoping that somehow
His heart will appear;
The marionette
Fights off a tear
But, it’s showing.

Dressed in white linen
A scarf and some bows;
The marionette
Tries, but he knows
That he’s helpless.

Made up in grease paint
A cap on his head;
The marionette
Feels but he’s dead
And it’s hopeless.

Until, next season
When love pulls his strings;
The marionette
Dances and sings
In the silence.

Suspended in space
And silent in time;
The marionette
Dances on rhyme
And it’s raining.

Albert P. Pugliese
1981

I FOUND YOU

I spent the night with you today;
The sunset’s rising, by the way,
And dawn is setting in the east;
I think I like you, or at least
I love you.

Deep within the woods of time
You picked a flower from a vine;
A gift of seeds you gave to me;
They have been planted, now you see
I’ve grown too.

The world I knew has slipped away,
And seasons change from day to day.
The past and present are all one;
The future too, I’m having fun
Becoming.

The sun just kissed the moon goodnight;
A rainbow bathes the sky in light,
And stars are dancing on the ground;
I once was lost, but now I’m found
I found you.

Albert P. Pugliese
9-20-80

SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTER

It’s raining this morning
And I’m in love,
Although I don’t quite know
What with;
Maybe it’s with thought:
“In the beginning was the Word”,
That other self,
Unconscious,
Always with me;
We’ve been friends since conception,
In spirit,
Perhaps even before:
“And the Word was made flesh”.
We’ve had our differences of opinion,
Hated each other sometimes,
But we’ve grown together;
Learned to listen,
And I suspect
We shall be one in eternity:
“We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye.”

Albert P. Pugliese
1980

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is fast relief
From existential indigestion,
A monotheistic expression
Of selfless love;
Where the meek
Shall inherit the earth
And mans’ individual worth
Presupposes a spiritual birth
Second to none.

Christianity is mind candy
For the metaphysical sleuth,
A paradoxical truth
Of mystic faith;
Where life is death
And death is life
And mans’ inevitable strife
Presupposes eternal life
Thought to be won.

Albert P. Pugliese
1979

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

Seeing through conditioned eyes
We perceive what is real;
Reality reflected,
Deflected,
Filtered through colored lenses,
Scattering images
Across the surface of the brain,
That gray area of the mind,
A nebulous matter,
Nervously shooting impulses
Down the spine,
And we crackle with perception;
And of course
We know everything
We’ve seen it,
And what we haven’t seen
We can predict;
For after all,
We are the stars of the universe,
Fixed in our beliefs
We are constant;
Going out
In a blaze of glory
Or dimly diminishing
It’s all the same;
We’ve left our mark;
And in that
A whole is perceived
Even in darkness,
So what’s the matter?

Albert P. Pugliese
1979

TIME

Big Ben ran out of time,
So they went to Timex;
And the clock’s hands
Sweep,
Less swiftly,
And the clock’s chimes
Strike,
In silence,
But, time moves
Still,
Quickly;
And each hour
Is only seconds away.

Albert P. Pugliese
1978

TOMORROW

I’ll cry for you tomorrow;
Today there are no flowers
Left to give,
Although the fields are full,
For longings change
As sleeping senses
Wake to breathe
Deep breaths
Of new beginnings,
Half remembering
Yesterday’s dreams;
I’ll cry for you tomorrow;
Tomorrow.

Albert P. Pugliese
1978

STRATHERN STREET WINDOW

Early American curtains
In hues of brown,
And orange,
And green,
With Early American
Printed picture story scenes;
Hanging,
Half drawn,
From a rusted rod,
Across a Late American
Rectangular window,
Jam locked
With a length of orange broomstick,
Stained
With spit and fingerprints,
Smashed insects,
And reflecting back
Late night images
Of lamps,
And plants,
And me.

Albert P. Pugliese
1975