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.

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

3-14-15 A Better Man

You’ve joined this mighty chorus for one cause,

To worship God and praise His name on high,

With prayer and hymn and joyful loud applause

Until you cannot help but testify!

The Spirit of the Lord is present now,

A fire burning bright within your heart,

And now you stand with light upon your brow,

A new creation here to do your part!

Don’t hesitate to lift your voice and sing,

For you’ve been turned into a better man!

You’ll prophesy until the rafters ring,

A living testimony of God’s plan!

Now on your feet, the choir’s hands are raised!

We’ve come here to have Jesus’ name be praised!

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And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee,

and thou shalt prophesy with them,

and shalt be turned into another man.

1 Samuel 10:6 KJV

2-16-15 Better Than They

The bird is God’s creative form of flight,

Designed to sail the wind and walk the Earth.

It must still give the Lord such great delight;

The Cardinal’s red, the Kookaburra’s mirth.

No matter what their species, they find food

By piercing wood or digging in the ground,

And they don’t seem to worry for their brood,

For God supplies their sustenance year round.

Are we not so much better than the bird?

For we don’t think God will provide or try.

Trust Him for all the needs that you’ve incurred.

You are, my friend, the apple of His eye.

God notices the tiny sparrow fall.

Be still and know He’s giving you His all.

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Behold the fowls of the air:

for they sow not,

neither do they reap,

nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they?

Matthew 6:26 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

2-4-15 Do Well

Religion tends to make so many laws

Both out of fear or power gone amok,

Before you know it, it has got its claws

Into your home with its judicial muck.

It’s quite one thing to heed the word of God,

But not to legislate the word to death.

The ways of man are volatile and flawed;

God gave us sense enough to take a breath.

The Sabbath day’s for resting, this is true,

But if you have a flat, then change the tire.

Don’t show up just for church and take a pew;

If next door’s up in flames, put out the fire!

The Holy Ghost should be your first real guide;

Just practice listening – He won’t misguide.

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¹¹ What man shall there be among you,

that shall have one sheep,

and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day,

will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

¹² How much then is a man better than a sheep?

Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Matthew 12: 11-12 KJV

1-26-15 A Friend’s Reproof

You are my friend, and friend you’ll always be

If I say something wrong and you speak up,

For such rebuke from you is wine to me:

First tart then sweet to drink your chiding cup.

I may not like your criticism now

But you speak from a heart of love and care.

Much more from you than others I’d allow;

Their motives may not be sincere and fair.

An enemy may flatter with his tongue

But stab you in the back first chance he gets.

A kiss from Judas, then the armed crowd sprung;

He was no friend of Jesus when they met.

Your admonition, friend, is better than

The stench from some perfume some foe would fan.

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Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Proverbs 27:6 KJV

1-20-15 Angels Among Us

Treat everyone as if they are a friend,

For they are just a friend you have not met.

The stranger at your door the Lord may send

As angels in disguise or better yet.

Yet are we all not angels in God’s time

When someone we don’t know just needs a hand?

Your soothing voice may be a welcome chime;

A smile from you may be both warm and grand.

Indeed, an angel may be at your door

Disguised as one dressed like a vagabond,

Or not with two legs but instead with four;

They may seem rough at first til you respond.

Are angels not around you night and day?

So practice love with all you do and say.

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Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2 KJV

1-17-15 On Tongue Watching

Instead of pointing at the more profane,

Police that brazen mouth that’s strapped to you.

If you can’t watch your tongue, your faith is vain,

And those who hear you speak will think so, too.

There’s nothing wrong with humor if it’s clean;

Before you tell a joke, share first with Christ.

If you can make Him laugh it’s not obscene,

But if the Spirit tugs, it should be iced.

Beware of what you say, you’re being watched;

You represent religion to the crowd.

A vulgar tongue leaves testimonies botched;

The message that you send is clear and loud.

Your tawdry speech can so deceive your heart.

It’s better to be silent than be tart.

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If any man among you seem to be religious,

and bridleth not his tongue,

but deceiveth his own heart,

this man’s religion is vain.

James 1:26 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