The Poetry of Calvin Hart Collection Five Be sure to also check out Calvin's NEW book, "Poems of Praise," containing 121 poems! (320 pages) A Bum in Heaven "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." ~ Psalm 84:10 ~ Decisions "Choose you this day whom ye will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." ~ Joshua 24:15 ~ Patience "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." ~ James 1:3 ~ Reality "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." ~ Matthew 24:35 ~ Skeletons in the Closet "First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." ~ Matthew 7:5 ~ Back To The Top A Bum in Heaven don't have to have a mansion, in Heaven, I'd be happy with a shack in a dale, I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man, in the fires of Hell. I don't have to have a robe of white, I'll wear rags, and go barefoot as well. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man, in the fires of Hell. I don't have to have a golden crown, An old hat would be just swell, I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man, in the fires of Hell. I don't have to drink from a silver cup, I'd do fine with an old dented grail. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man in the fires of Hell. I don't have to sing with the angels, I can stand in the background and yell. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man in the fires of Hell. I don't have to be important, I can be plain as a rusty old pail. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man in the fires of Hell. I don't have to live grand in Heaven, As long as I am there to dwell. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man in the fires of Hell. I don't have to have great treasures, I can be broke as the Liberty Bell. I'd rather be a bum in Heaven, Than a rich man in the fires of Hell. All I need is Jesus Christ, When I'm covered by death's darkened veil. For the poorest bum in Heaven, Is far richer, than the richest man in Hell. ~ Calvin Hart ~ Back To The Top Decisions here comes a time in every life, Where a decision must be reached, When we face the question of mortality, The subject of salvation must be breached. We must give the subject consideration, And very serious, careful thought, Your final decision will determine, What is gained, or what is lost. You must decide if God is real, And if what the Bible says is true, This decision is yours alone to make, No one else can make it for you. God gave us the gift of choice, To deny Him or believe, To spurn His word as fantasy, Or His loving grace receive. You're free to believe in an after life, That you have an immortal soul, Or you can believe that you cease to exist, Once you're dead and stuffed in a hole. Before you make your decision, Think about all that is at stake, I'm telling you true, what ever you do, It will be the most important decision you make. Eternity hangs in the balance, Forever in Heaven or hell, Paradise sweet, or torturous fire, Be careful, be sure to choose well. If you've made your decision, and you chose God, Congratulations, you chose the right one, Now let's talk about Jesus, God's only begotten Son. God sent down His Son Jesus, To be the ultimate sacrifice, To die on the cross, for the sins of the world, To pay the ultimate price. Jesus suffered bled and died, To establish Salvation's plan, Why He loves us so much, that He would die, Is something I can't understand. In order to reap Salvation, We must accept His wonderful love, Ask Him to be our personal Savior, And cleanse us with His blood. The decision is yours, the choice is clear, No need for extensive debate, Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Before it's everlasting too late. ~ Calvin Hart ~ Back To The Top Patience ometimes we lack patience, When things don't go our way, Then we do things that we should not do, And say things that we should not say. Sometimes when we lack patience, We throw a temper fit, We loose our cool and self control, And resort to scream and hit. Sometimes our patience is tested, By things that our children will do. But remember, they are just children, They do not understand like you. Sometimes when we are weary, Our patience won't last very long. Then we tend to snap at others, Though we know that we are wrong. Patience is certainly a virtue, It's a matter of self control. Patience is something you practice, And apply with the warmth of your soul. Where would we be if Jesus, Lost patience with us, His children. And left us alone to fend for ourselves, What a mess we would all be in. Patience is a big part of a Christian's life, We must be diligent in witness and prayer, If our hearts are filled with Christian love, Then patience will also be there. So be patient with those you are leading, To the loving arms of the Lord. Good things come to those who wait, Your patience will have it's reward. ~ Calvin Hart ~ Back To The Top Reality pen your eyes and look around, Take note of all that you see, The wide open sky, with its clouds floating by, The hills, the rocks, and the trees, The cars and trucks and airplanes, The railroad cars passing by, Houses, stores, and mobile homes, And buildings that reach to the sky, Cats and dogs, and other pets, The beasts that live in the wild, People you know, and people you don't, Every man, every woman and child. Look at your friends and loved ones, People for whom you care, Look at your face in the mirror, And imagine there was nothing there. Imagine that all the things you see, Were to suddenly cease to exist, The heavens and earth, and time itself. Can you imagine this? Sometime in the unknown future, There will came a faithful day, When the One who created all of this, Will cause it all to pass away. God our Father and Creator, Will destroy the heavens and earth, And call to account at the judgment throne, Every soul who received mortal birth. Everyone you know, every face you see, Everyone you will ever meet, Every name you've read, or heard about, Every stranger walking down the street. Will stand and be judged, by the Lord, When the world runs out of time. And in case it hasn't occurred to you, You to, will be in that line. Are you ready to stand before the Lord, When the books are opened wide? Have you taken the proper steps, To insure that your name is inside? Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? Are you saved by His blood on the cross? If you have not asked Jesus into your life, Then you are listed among the lost. Ask Jesus to come into your heart, And to save your immortal soul, Add your name to the Lamb's book of life, Be added to heaven's roll. For every soul whose name is not listed, Shall be cast into the fires of hell, But every soul whose name is found there, Forever in paradise will dwell. Not one single person will be exempt, Every soul must stand and face, Either the mighty fearsome wrath of God, Or His Love, and Amazing Grace. ~ Calvin Hart ~ Back To The Top Skeletons in the Closet keletons in the closet, Secrets never told Shameful facts about ourselves, We never will disclose. Sins perhaps forgiven, But will never come to light, Forever hidden within our hearts, Kept far from others sight. Each of us are guilty, Of some past sinful deed, That would make us hide our face in shame, If the truth were ever freed. We tend to sit in judgment, Of other's sad mistakes, We chastise them for weaknesses, But forget the ones we make. We're quick to point a finger, To scold and make a fuss, But while we're pointing, there's still three fingers, Pointing back at us. What sins you may be guilty of, Are between you and the Lord, Jesus Christ will be the one, To punish, or reward. Before you upset the skeletons, In someone else's closet at home, Before you tend to someone else's business, You need to tend your own. ~ Calvin Hart ~ You may republish this without permission, provided it remains free, accredited and unaltered. Copyright © 2008 Calvin Hart.