Zechariah 3:1-5 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.
HIS BRAND
Sideways running from something
Down another mountainside of slippery rocks
Being chased by the shadows of evil
Broken heart pounding unable to stop
Startled by every movement of the wind
Pursued patiently by the approaching unseen
No time to think out loud
My mind overflowing awake with broken dreams
No map to follow my future
All bridges crossed have been tragically burned
Running into my addicted darkness
A stomach wretched in fear violently churns
What a lonesome sad feeling heightened
Charged by the quick escape into the unknown
Adrenaline has now made its appearance
The maniac hiding in me again has found itself a home
My body pricked in false excitement
Fueled by the surge of mounting fear
Running fast in a race with the enemy
Like fighting through smoke nothing is clear
Landscapes of mountains before me
Not enough strength right now for a new climb
Dark valleys travel more easily
Trying to keep hidden from the beast that seeks to find
Running into a mirror backwards
Chasing my fleeing self
Like a gecko in imminent danger
To all reality I have made myself stealth
Unable to approach understanding
Wisdom so far out of my reach
I have fallen again into the warzone
The enemy my fortress has breached
The high walls I had erected
Have come crumbling down around my falling tower of pride
Now I am sent fleeing into nothing
Nowhere to stop, nowhere to rest, nowhere to hide
Once I was sure in my own reason
So sure of the iron clad life I had built
Now I am left running from shadows
Like a roughed up pinball machine I have gone full tilt
Hopefully I can soon realize
This maniac running blindly through insanity is headed for a wall
Out of control speeding locomotive
Crazy train down the hill no brakes after a fall
Nothing can be accomplished by continuing to run
The enemy pursuing is the addiction that has been secretly seeded in me
The drugs no longer moving me fast enough
Slowing me down so prey I can be
Set myself up for fail once again
The cunning enemy with its deceptions and lies
Feeding on the desires of my flesh
Taken once again by its forgetful disguise
Addiction always comes knocking
On a door I have conveniently left unchained
Addiction with its own quiet whispers
Only I can be left to blame
Same old inflated story
Addiction saying I will show you a better way
Locked in your fortress soul divided
Come with me and we’ll run away
This place has you continually baffled
Look at all the good you have already done
No one appreciates the hard work you do
You really do owe yourself some fun
Remember all the excitement
Way back when we used to play
Let’s go back to that time
We can do it all again like that today
Once again I believe the fantasy
Like a great movie with a happy storybook ending
My mind has skyrocketed into the cosmos
My addictive thoughts the truth it is happily bending
Now I look back behind me
Stopping for just a second to catch my breath
Hiding myself amongst the thorny chaos
The sharpness of the briars warning me of death
Peeking back at my escaped reality
Only walls of this dark pit do I see
Yes again I have fallen greatly
The fires of my addicted hell laughing at me
Flames of angry torment
Sharp points of confusion they do strike
Never have I fallen this deeply
Demons biting feeding on the last of my light
Crying out for anything to save me
Hoping to be heard by my almost forgotten God
Drowning alone at the bottom in misery
Time nearing an end with an evil nod
For me as I am a witness
For me this lost child of Almighty God
For me lost in the captivity, darkness and hell of addiction
Long ago I was promised by His Word the protection of His staff and his rod
Suddenly I feel a presence
Out of nowhere comes a familiar trusted hand
My God reaches in to save me
Jesus plucks from the fire this brand
Like Joshua in the vision of Zechariah
Satan standing by admiring his fine work
God faithfully delivers me His child to freedom
From captivity, darkness and hell addiction had took
Standing on His rock in filthy garments
Jesus holding my still shaking hand
God comforts and clothes me in wisdom
Shows me in my own vision a new promised land
Thus sayeth the Lord unto me
If you will walk in obedience and hold true to my ways
If you will keep my commands and requirements
I will give you a place to stand tall the rest of your days
God spoke to me my new mission
Still flaming out of the fire in His hand my charge He gave
Now you will go back into addiction
From the foundation of this rock you will help others from the same dark fiery grave
Now I am in full preparation
God seeding His life-giving word in me
Becoming my refuge, my fortress, my high tower
Gaining strength this mighty Warrior of God to be
God uses a fiery furnace
For me it was addiction that lit fire to this brand
Like gold purified and steel made stronger
In Christ Jesus a righteous vessel I now stand
Standing tall upon His Holy Mountain
Faithful tree now bearing His good fruit
My feet shod firmly on His rock
The Gospel of Peace now I do preach
Holy War on Addiction
Sons and daughters lost in foreign lands
Call out from your own pits for your Savior
Be plucked out of your fiery addiction for you too are His Brand
You are His precious children
Into captivity blindly you have been led
Through many lies and deceptions
For much too long you have been fed
Turn off the running water
Keeping you comfortable in the enemy’s hand
Let the heat move you to wisdom
Be delivered from the horrible pit you now stand
Addiction will always keep you falling
Deeper and deeper into guilt and shame
Tormenting lies into confusion
Only you have you to blame
All the wrong decisions
Bad choices at every turn
Quick to take the easy road travelled
Now in the pit you continue to burn
Reach out for the hand that is extended
The mighty right hand of the Most High God
Be plucked from the fire His Brand
On His rock your feet will be shod
Healing will take time from the damage
No damage is ever much too severe
Jesus Christ is the hand that saves you
It is His voice of Truth you now faithfully hear
He has come to comfort you gently
To heal you back to a new way of life
God always plucks His lost children
Always saving us by His loving light
Since before you were born you have been His Brand
Into this world and many fires you have never been alone
Finally the time has come to collect you proven
In Christ Jesus you have finally come home
We are God’s chosen brand for His fire
To light up this wicked world in us He placed His spark
Red hot blazing fiery brand pulled from the furnace
Flaming torch leading us out of the dark
We are His precious children of light
Jesus Christ at the right hand our Mighty King
Setting on fire His creation boldly through us
The reason out of the fire His brand, YOU!…He does bring!
~ Evangelist Michael Bowen