Strongarm - "The Advent Of A Miracle" (TND1076-SS1)
1. These Times That Try Men's Souls
This is all that I believe,
to bear witness to my calling,
my life escapes me, my days they shorten,
these final breaths to testify.
To face these years is adversity in itself,
calm passed long ago to revel times foretold,
before is the open book another page,
pieces fall into place.
Take heed to discern the times, of the signs.
These times that try men's souls.
Whereby we know, this life is like a shadow,
and assuredly death shall stand to greet the soul.
The years, they've coursed the storm that's been uprising,
since the days of old building, and now approaching.
He sees not his shadow, who faces the sun.
For his eyes burn and melt as wax,
the price paid for living in light,
is that of gold in the crucible,
ever melting, straining, striving, to be made pure.
Purity escapes me, remembrance breaks me down.
Though my knees become weak,
I will cause my foot another step.
To carry the task, bleeds my hands but, they are kept.
Remembrance breaks me down,
But I will survive until it is the last time.
2. Supplication
There can be no justice,
where there is no truth.
A life of self sacrifice, a new creation,
devotion to purity, in the midst of light conviction,
set fire, to the hearts desire, taken by storm,
no longer in the dark, dwelling in shadows nevermore.
I surrender all, all I am I've spent,
spent my essence and much more, more than this death.
Far be it from me to flee from the den of lions,
the truth can be blinding,
cast me forth for stoning,
misunderstanding causes fear,
I feel your pain, I feel your emptiness,
and on this day your blood will touch blood,
because I am an example, I will not flee.
Waiting for an end as breath fades away,
fades away, fades away
Waiting for an end as breath fades away.
I surrender all, all I am I give,
give there of til' end much more, more than this is death.
I surrender all, all I am I've spent,
spent my essence and much more, more than this is death.
3. Council Of Perfection
Truth and justice belong...
to you. Behold the power of his undying sacrifice.
as a sacrifice for the wounded.
In the council of perfection,
All creation stands as a witness.
All creation stands as a mark of your will.
Wisdom (like an ocean) hides behind your eyes.
Darkness, divided, by your fallen tear.
There the wicked cease from turmoil
and the weary are at rest.
All sacrifice and all suffering is redemptive.
Formed, in the palm of GOD's mighty hand.
Shaped, by the work of his will.
And alive from the breath of his loving heart.
Man's inspiration, is GOD's touch
on the quickened nerves of the spirit.
Enflamed by your unquenchable fire,
I stand in the Spirit of conquest.
Through you, I am created to conquer.
Fleeting, living life of calamity,
forces unseen are controlling my destiny,
we're not at the mercy of fate,
fears born of this world are groundless.
Lord, teach me and I will be silent.
Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
You are my advocate, my mediator,
with complete power and perfect love,
you alone hold the scales of judgment.
4. More Bitter Than Death
I refuse to shudder in the face of sacrifice.
Undying, the legacy of truth shines through adversity.
The furnace of affliction could not absolve it.
And you in your high chair comfort,
stagnant thoughts, the accolades of arrogance,
wear them like a crown.
Heart painted scarlet and your followers follow you down.
Now drown in your contradictions turned religion.
It's beauty will be consumed by the grave,
for death is to feed on these things.
And more, the power which they have given you will cease.
Still more bitter than death,
is to walk in silence,
is to die discontent,
is to gaze in the eyes of your maker,
and not to love, only resentment,
this is more bitter than death itself.
I've seen the face of redemption, I've closed my eyes.
I've felt the hand of grace, mend my broken heart.
I've pierced my savior's sidefeel, with deceit and lies.
In the mist of betrayal, still repentance waits.
And this I resolved within myself,
my adversary will no longer be my master,
for this I weep bitterly in the night.
I sought shelter in sleep but,
sleep is restless without hope.
I looked for a thread of hope,
but he was frail, laid, fabric.
Slowly, wearing,
I have no use for remorse save for learning.
Slowly, wearing,
I have no use for remorse yet, it consumes me.
5. Advent Of A Miracle
You're my beloved and all together lovely,
as a gift that can't be bought,
as if gold could favor outweigh.
Your meaning to me, the secrets of the heart made manifest.
Even beauty's priced beside thee,
proportioned by lot of the less.
Wishes fade, dreams break, promises made.
Takes away your will, takes your whole heart captive,
just for one promise,
sell it all for one true word to hold on to,
face the shame of it all,
safer to neglect, than open your callused heart.
Piece by piece, you have lost a part of your self.
You share to gain but lose at love and learn to hate yourself.
More and more each day and all the days thereafter.
They labor to put together and regain what is gone forever,
wishes fade, as dreams break, promise made, tomorrow takes
The most costly mistake is to try to change the past today.
The filth and the shame, they all wash away,
for you Christ will clean the slate.
Only love can fill the void,
when the world has taken it's toll,
hand in hand, by your side,
we'll walk down this path together,
I'll take you to the place where promises will never break.
To the advent,
to the advent
to the advent of a miracle.
True love is to die for and is why I cry, for you.
And the pain you feel and feed can heal,
if you'd just walk with me toward the light.
6. Measure Of Consequence
Raging, your eyes seeking cleansing for their disease.
Hatred, suffocating reason, the ground cries out.
For the spirit broken, erased by aberration.
Turn the pages of sacrifice, blood cursed with retribution.
To the blind a cancer, but for chosen generations,
memories to sorrow, for their souls a lamentation.
Therefore, he has come.
For Jesus Christ is comfort, Forevermore.
Countless numbers of bodies, raped of their lifetime,
An end to families, through heritage survives a lifeline.
Voices that call through seasons carry timelessness,
a measure of consequence.
Never again to create the cycle,
never again denying their lives,
please help us, Oh Most High,
to never again see through those eyes.
7. Sorrow Is A Sage
This time, praise is truly a sacrifice.
Sorrow is a sage.
So now I wait, I never dreamed I'd be here
as a sacrament to be raised and then broken,
it never having spoken
still swallows my only breath of hope- incinerating.
Words have never fallen so short,
hands raised in submission.
Still your sanctuary burns, still burning.
No one told me that this grief would feel so much like fear.
Tears without protest, a soul seeking solace.
She's dying to wake, but late is the day break.
Gasping and groaning, the silence breaks for seething.
I hear a small voice inside me say:
"Grace grows in winter",
how long to believe that it speaks the truth.
Is this not my lot- life.
All is not comprehensible and all is not beautiful,
however, all has meaning and all can create beauty.
Let me see the meaning in this,
let me find the beauty in this.
Life is learning.
What cannot break you can only be a catalyst for growth.
Creation groans for completion.
Truth wakes in understanding,
and the morning comes yielding peace,
oh how I long for this to be,
truth.
8. Increase
I fall to my knees for this my LORD I plea,
in this hour alone, and surely stand stoned,
for fear will face me to meet me where I flee,
still I run away,
this cup I pass to pray as a rivers end meets sea,
so my eyes they flood into thee,
in many ways, I feel I've dug my own grave.
A friend, what does it mean?
Obedience, what does it bring?
Knowledge comes easy, easily obtained.
Wisdom the greater but, only through pain,
this I ask for, to surround,
to near the backbone to growth,
and therefore to clear convictions
that draw me, closer to lead me
decisions to flow with thoughts to bring healing,
truth to perfection my spirit discerning,
but, in all that I've learned I am still learning,
that the plague of my life I must fight,
to survive these self same truths revealed to me,
to be the absolute,
change starts a thought and can only be taught,
with deep concern,
the heart through the mind through time, learn
wearily, I divide, called to disunite
afraid that they may scatter but rather they gather.
9. The Fall Of Babylon
When nations rise
with eyes of arrogance,
raise your war cry, and be shattered.
The string of dissension, ensnared by evil tongue.
Cast your ring of disappointment,
the plague of dissolution,
The plans of your devise, they will be thwarted,
spirit stained by corrupted flesh,
your hollow truths will be shattered
your riches are acquired
by the misfortune and bloodshed of others.
Within our midst is the prophesied age, of new Babylon.
All the images of it's gods, lie smashed on the ground,
it's driven by darkness, the dwelling place for demons,
for the nations race to drain the cup,
of the maddening wine of power.
To deny, a man his rights.
To deprive, a man of justice.
He looked for justice but,
saw blood shed for righteousness;
but, heard cries of distress.
He will cleanse the blood stains of the oppressed,
by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
The thing that drive us to hate, to love, to lust, to greed,
and to good is longing.
Every soul is born with that vague undefined hole.
We search each other's eyes for answers and find none.
God will break the yolk that burdens you.
But, those who refuse to see,
leading others astray in your iniquities.
Terror will seize you,
the hour of judgment will come.
The CD booklet also includes these texts:
"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like
the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."
1 Peter 1:24-25
The philosophies of man have risen and fallen; tides of popular thought have come, will come, and will go. Is it any wonder that we choose to stand on that which is eternal, that which has served us a beacon through 6,000 years of human history? Come let us reason togheter...am I still not your brother? The "scene" and all of it's cliques, it's politics, only divide. Disagree, if you must, but at least respect my right to dissent. And I shall defend, till death, your right to do the same.