2-23-16 On Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 KJV

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You go to bed assured that you will wake;

A pregnant woman knows her child will come;

You drool just thinking of that chocolate cake;

Guitarists play the song before they strum.

Now, faith is not believing it will be,

It’s knowing that it is before it is.

I do not have to touch, don’t have to see

To know that Jesus lives; my heart is His.

It was by faith Christ calmed the tempest sea,

By faith He made the blind man see anew.

Within the grace of God you’ll find the key:

You live by faith in everything you do.

In faith you have the truth to set you free.

The tiny seed contains the mighty tree.

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REMEMBER: Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. (D. Elton Trueblood)

2-5-16 Built on Sand

²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7: 26-27 KJV

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How many of us like a foolish man

Who listens to the Word and nods his head,

But keeps instead his own distorted plan

And builds his house without foundation bed.

Just knowing Christ’s commands is not enough;

He needs to be within our hands and feet.

A fancy car without four tires rides rough;

A house built on the sand the floods defeat.

If Jesus is your Lord, then serve Him well;

A servant is no good laid up in bed.

When trouble comes all you can do is yell.

The storms of life will tear your house to shreds.

A tree with meager roots is doomed to fall;

The first time winds descend the tree will sprawl.

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REMEMBER: A strong foundation is built by exercising the will of Christ.

11-27-15 Return Unto Your Rest

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

Psalm 116:7 KJV

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When all the work and play of day is done,

The dishes washed, the children laid in bed,

Reflect upon the struggles and the fun,

The things you didn’t do or done instead,

Return unto your rest, my weary soul:

The Lord has dealt so bountifully with you.

His grace has carried you from role to role,

His love a shining light the whole day through.

Despite your tribulation He’s been here

Within the very center of your heart.

You’ll never be alone, no need to fear;

Relax, my soul: the Savior won’t depart.

Tomorrow comes too soon; for now just rest.

The stars are bright tonight and you are blessed.

10-29-15 Awake!

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Ephesians 5:14 KJV

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The unregenerate cannot arise

Without the blood of Jesus on their soul,

So more than dead they head to their demise

Unless they’re sought and Christ they choose in whole.

Yet saints may be asleep among the dead

Who’ve wandered from the light with constant sin,

So blow the trumpet loud beside their bed, ¹

Remind them who they are and where they’ve been.

Awake, you sons and daughters of our God!

Stand up and Christ will surely give you light!

He’s coming soon, my friend, so don’t you nod,

Get oil for your lamp ² and keep it bright! ³

Awake from all the dead, you sleepyhead!

There’s no more time to doze, He’s just ahead!

1Joel 2:1

2Matthew 25:1-13

3Matthew 5:16

8-25-15 Out of the Mouth

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man;

but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:11 KJV

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Bad food and drink can make a person ill,

But he’s the only one confined to bed.

It’s what comes from the mouth more loathsome still

That will defile a man the most instead.

‘Tis sin that lays in wait within the heart

And moves on through the mind and then the lips

That truly stains the soul and tears apart;

Each word that’s laced with evil sin equips.

It takes a heart made fresh to stop the flood

Of all the wickedness men say and do.

The only way is through Christ’s cleansing blood

To purify the soul with life anew.

A man defiled will speak such wicked things.

The cure for this disease is Christ the King.

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sonnet #447

3-18-15 Temptation

Temptation is a tawdry, painted whore

Seducing you into her bed of death;

How well she knows afflictions always pour

And promises respite within her breath.

We all must suffer hardships in our life;

They are a gift from God to help us grow,

But if we are enticed to dodge our strife

We soon can not endure its ebb and flow.

Our trials are meant to draw us to the Lord,

Temptation, though, does claim a better way.

In Jesus do we find our true reward:

He suffered unto death and did not stray.

Say “Get behind me, Satan! Out the door!

With Christ I can endure it all and more.”

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Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:

for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:12 KJV

2-13-15 Rooftop Peace

Be careful where you lay your weary head:

Contention makes the worst environment.

If it be church or work or even in your bed,

Diversion from the Lord leads to lament.

The corner of a roof is better than

A mansion wide where Satan has his way.

Discarded food within an old trash can

Is worthier than hate cooked steak all day.

Remember that you’ve got a job to do,

For God wants you to bring to Him the lost.

The Holy Spirit cannot breathe through you

If all that you inhale is foul exhaust.

A church would not endure a howling choir,

So do not tolerate another’s ire.

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It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop,

than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Proverbs 21:9 KJV