2-19-16 Like Night and Day

³ O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. ⁴ Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. ⁵ For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:3-5 KJV

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Depression drags your soul into the grave

And whispers that this pit is all there is;

Here hope is gone, here darkness does enslave,

Here death does pierce your heart and claims as his.

It seems as if the Lord has turned away,

As if His anger’s robbed your faith and dream.

But turn around, my friend, please don’t dismay.

He’s never left your side; you’re still a team.

Reach out to Jesus! Life is in His hand;

His love is like the morning over night.

He holds you in His arms, the dark is banned.

God’s grace shines all the time; the future’s bright.

When darkest night of soul weighs down on you,

The dawn is certain: Christ will see you through.

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REMEMBER: It is always the darkest before the dawn.

11-7-15 Turn the Other Cheek

³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:38-39 KJV

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When Jesus said to turn the other cheek,

The world has since ignored it out of hand.

Most people think it makes you look so weak

You’ll fall in line to anyone’s demand.

To turn the other cheek resentfully,

Your indignation makes you anger’s slave.

If you think you are grander morally,

Your haughty pride makes you a moral knave.

When someone strikes you, instantly forgive,

And turn the other cheek with mercy mild.

The Lord’s the only one to judgment give;

Through love you’re free: no sins have you compiled.

So turn the other cheek if you are struck,

And choose the way of grace; you won’t get stuck.

10-26-15 Wait – Don’t Hate

⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:8-9 KJV

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When someone does you wrong it’s natural

To let your anger get the best of you,

But wrath will be your wisdom’s funeral

And then the worst of you will soon break through.

Yet you’re no slave to sin: the old man died; ¹

He’s crucified with Christ when you are saved.

If you’ve been wronged let Spirit be your guide;

Just wait upon the Lord; let hate be waived.

When evil’s done to you first turn to prayer;

The patient love of Jesus will descend.

When you are meek the new earth’s yours to bear. ²

God cuts off evildoers in the end.

Serenity belongs to those who wait;

In Christ there is no room for those who hate.

1Romans 6:6

2Matthew 5:5

6-28-15 God’s Loving Mercy

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalm 78:38 KJV

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The Lord is always ready to forgive;

His Mercy can subdue His mighty wrath,

For God in His great Love wants us to live

To walk along the true and righteous path.

God’s full of such compassion for us all;

It breaks His heart when we go so astray.

The sins that we persist to oft recall,

Without God’s clemency we’ve Hell to pay.

The richness of God’s Grace will long acquit,

Yet only through the blood of Christ atones,

For God set forth His Son we must submit

To lead us past our mortal skin and bones.

God made the universe – He made you, too.

Show gratitude – let Jesus live through you.

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sonnet #402

6-16-17 Rend Your Heart

¹² Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹³ And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Joel 2:12-13 KJV

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It matters not at all how bad you are,

How much a mess your life has turned into;

Your sinful life may seem the worse by far,

But God can still forgive, repent anew.

Turn even to the Lord with all your heart,

And turn away for good your evil ways.

If you’re not penitent don’t even start;

Remorse should be authentic, not a phrase.

Then fast and weep and mourn if you’re sincere;

You should not show it to the world at all.

Repentance rends the heart with woe and fear;

You don’t deserve forgiveness from your fall.

But God is merciful and gracious, too;

If you’re contrite the Lord will pardon you.

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sonnet #391

5-28-15 On Wrath

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak, slow to wrath:

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20 KJV

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An angry man is blind to love and light.

And deaf to every whisper Spirit makes.

How can he serve his brothers day and night

When all that he provides are bellyaches?

If you have anger that you can’t control,

Ask Jesus to remove it by its roots.

The weeds of wrath will choke the tender soul,

But Christ can pluck them out to bear good fruits.

Be swift to hear the Spirit when He calls,

And do not speak until He gives you words.

The man who’s led by Jesus never falls.

Obey the wind to fly among the birds.

The love of God will burn away your wrath.

His righteousness will keep you on the path.

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sonnet #372

Cease From Anger

An angry man is one who’s lost his way,

Adrift within a storm of wrath and hate.

The steady wind of spirit does not sway

To gently guide him through the narrow gate.

We all know someone quick to stew and scowl,

A powder keg just waiting for a spark.

Please love them though their grace has gone afoul,

But don’t let them pull you into their dark.

If you’re an angry person there is hope;

Submit yourself to Jesus all the time.

He’ll lead you to the ways that help you cope;

He is the rope thrown down to help you climb.

The evil men commit is anger made

And leads to certain death where Hell is laid.

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Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:

fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Psalm 37:8 KJV

4-9-15 The Bond of Peace

The Holy Spirit binds us all as one

Who came unto the shadow of the cross

And gave our life to Christ, God’s first-born Son,

Now counted closer than a family’s gloss.

So here we are as one and Spirit led.

The things that caused contention surely cease,

For now the love of Christ’s the common thread

That brings so naturally a bond of peace.

Where there was once dissension we find grace,

No longer slave to sin and anger’s hook;

Forgiveness helps us run the longer race,

A stamina not gained by hook or crook.

When differences arise within the flock,

The key of Christ will open any lock.

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Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit

in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3 KJV

2-19-15 On Anger

An angry disposition is unwise;

It’s easy to achieve and hard to lose,

And always seems to linger in disguise

To take away the feelings you might choose.

If you are quick to anger learn to pray,

For something boils within and won’t let go,

And if you bare your soul to God today

You’ll get the aid you need to make wrath slow.

The Lord may lead you to a wiser friend

Who listens with a heart that’s God inclined;

Perhaps a counselor to help you mend,

To find the root of rage that’s had you blind.

If you stay angry, take it to the Lord;

His love will heal you and get peace restored.

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Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:

for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 KJV

Temper, Temper

If you can’t curb your temper or your tongue

How can you be entrusted with the Word?

The devil will provoke you with his dung

Until you lose control with anger stirred.

You can’t control what others say and do,

And none can make you feel a certain way.

With prayer and discipline you can get to

Restraint in what you do and what you say.

Increase your love for God until it glows,

Til humbleness replaces selfish ways.

The spirit of the Lord both thrives and grows

Within an attitude of faith and praise.

Compassion cools the fire before it burns,

And patience settles in when temper turns.

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He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;

and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 16:32 KJV