11-12-15 Lukewarm

¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16 KJV

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LUKEWARM

If you’re to be a Christian, do your best!

Don’t claim to follow Christ but wander ’round.

Your Bible gathers dust while you attest

To study scriptures daily so profound.

You wear a sliver cross around your neck,

But gossip, cuss and lie for all to see.

You smile at church and tithe with some bad check;

You blew it all on Friday’s gambling spree.

It would be better were you ignorant;

At least a heathen knows just where he stands.

If you’re to be a Christian let’s be blunt:

You’d better ask for help; your time’s at hand.

It’s never good to be a lukewarm saint;

He’ll spew you from His mouth without constraint.

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

10-23-15 Your Days Are Numbered

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 KJV

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The only day you know you have is here,

So set about as if it is your last.

Tomorrow is not promised to appear;

The best day of your life is fading fast.

You know this to be true but still you yawn;

How many days have you survived thus far?

A wise man counts each day as his last dawn

And counts the Lord his only constant star.

The place and time to live is here and now.

Do everything with love while you still can.

The sun tomorrow God may not allow,

So treat today the end of your lifespan.

Get up this instant! Get upon your feet!

Give all that you can give to all you meet!

10-21-15 Partiality

¹ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

² For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

³ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

⁴ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

James 2:1-4 KJV

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In church we always want to look our best;

We’ve got our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes,

But there’s a fellow that’s so poorly dressed

His only suit’s so worn his elbows shows.

I promise you someone in church will gasp,

Will roll their eyes, then whisper to a friend.

Don’t be the one to shun the poor man’s grasp;

Please don’t compare him to the latest trend.

The Savior doesn’t see a rag from gloss;

A tattered shirt’s the same as Vera Wang.

It all is level at the bloody cross;

He only wore our sins when He did hang.

A judging heart is evil at its best;

See all alike and you’ll be surely blessed.

8-28-15 Family Ties

³² And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

³³ And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

³⁴ And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

³⁵ For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Mark 3:32-35 KJV

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No matter where you go you’re not alone:

The greatest network in the world exists,

The best connections that the world has known;

The family of Christ are in your midst.

O what a joy to meet a stranger here

Then find out she’s your sister in the Lord!

The loving Spirit linking us so dear

Is much too strong to ever be ignored.

This family of God transcending flesh

All find a common kinship to the cross.

The instant you submit to Christ you mesh,

One body in His Spirit knits across.

My brothers and my sisters, you are loved

More dearly than myself as my beloved.

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sonnet #450

8-12-15 Grace Through Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

Ephesians 2:8 KJV

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You don’t deserve a single dot of grace,

For Hell is what you’ve earned for all your sin.

The best five minutes of your life’s disgrace;

The best of all the world would not begin.

Fall on your face and know you’re hopeless mud;

Repent and beg forgiveness for it all,

Believe that Jesus shed His precious blood

To pay for all your sins both great and small.

With all your heart accept Him as your Lord,

Then feel the Holy Spirit enter you!

God’s grace, and faith, His gifts you can’t afford,

And with Christ’s blood you’re covered through and through.

You’re saved by grace through faith and nothing more,

With Jesus as your Savior guarantor.

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sonnet #434

6-30-15 In Truth and Deed

My little children,

let us not love in word,

neither in tongue;

but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18 KJV

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To love with words alone is like a bowl

So finely made without a bite within.

A love with empty words soon takes its toll;

A promised rain will starve the flower thin.

An act of love speaks volumes by itself;

In service is the truth that can’t be told.

A dictionary sits upon the shelf;

The Living Word does miracles so bold.

To minister to others is sublime,

So do all that you can in truth and deed.

These words upon your screen is just a rhyme;

True poetry is helping those in need.

Enough with words! Your vocal chords can break.

The best love in the world’s the love you make.

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poem #403

5-20-15 Glory

² Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Isaiah 6:2-3 KJV

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Imagine standing fore the throne of God,

With seraphims above it shouting praise.

Our best envisionings would still be flawed;

The mind cannot conceive the slightest gaze.

But here we are surrounded by our things,

While just outside the door the world is wide.

So full of God’s great glory nature sings,

And every grain of earth He did provide.

In Eden and again when all’s complete,

The Earth in all her splendor will be known,

Yet even now her beauty’s so replete

God’s glory can be found in leaf and stone.

Right now we can’t see God upon His throne,

But take a walk outdoors, His glory’s shown.

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sonnet #365

3-20-15 A Matter of the Mind

Without the grace of God hate does increase;

The world around you clangs cacophany,

But you who share the mind of Christ have peace,

Conducting your affairs in harmony.

Don’t fool yourself in thinking you’re the best;

The least among the least walk with the Lord.

Associate with those who are oppressed

For this is where God’s treasure will be stored.

If you think you are wise then think again;

Most children have more wisdom in their toes.

Put all your faith in Christ and keep thoughts plain;

The answers that you seek the Savior knows.

Submit your mind to God and keep it there

The key to your success is kept in prayer.

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Be of the same mind one toward another.

Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.

Be not wise in your own conceits.

Romans 12:16 KJV

12-28-14 Give

If all we had to do was give in alms,

How easy it would be to give at all,

We could go down the line of upturned palms

Then spend the day just hanging at the mall.

But each of us are different in our heart;

We don’t all have the means in wealth to give,

So let us do our best and do our part

To help each other up so we can live.

If you give ten percent of what you earn

Unto the Lord, you’ve made your tithe today,

But kindling starts the fire – to make it burn

Use everything you’ve got without delay.

Considering what Jesus sacrificed,

We should give all we have: our all, like Christ.

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Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, 

so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity:

for God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV