1-18-16 Known by His Fruit

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:33 KJV

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To know a man just watch his words and deeds,

For he can’t hide the nature of his heart.

An evil sort’s revealed by his misdeeds;

A poisoned well its harm will sure impart.

A fruit will show what kind of tree it’s from;

You cannot harvest olives from the ground.

Guitarists bare their talent when they thrum,

And you can tell a good one from his sound.

True Christians will exhibit Christ within;

The body of their works His presence shows.

They cannot be successful in their sin;

The essence of His truth and love still flows.

The blind can tell a fruit by taste and feel.

See Jesus with His works in you reveal.

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REMEMBER: Jesus lives within you. Get out of the way so He can live through you.

9-6-15 You’re Being Watched

And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Genesis 39:3 KJV

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When you go through this day do not forget

The light of Christ is shining through your deeds,

And others see there’s something special yet,

In all you say and do a peace proceeds.

Remember that to most you represent

The closest thing to Jesus they will know.

Those hungry for the Word will soon relent

To find out what it is that makes you go.

When Jesus lives through you it surely shows,

Especially the moments love’s revealed.

The Holy Spirit is affirmed in those

Who feel the fire and begin to yield.

You have a deep responsibility

To serve the Lord and act as His trustee.

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8-26-15 Give and Give

Give to him that asketh thee,

and from him that would borrow of thee

turn not thou away.

Matthew 5:42 KJV

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There is this spark of giving in the saved,

A constant pouring out of love to life,

Not born of duty or of laws enslaved,

Not subject to a custom, stale and rife.

The heart of Christ provides to all that needs

Without a thought of getting something back.

The hand of Christ is busy doing deeds,

For what He has He gives to those who lack.

To those who ask deliver what you can;

To those who wish to borrow, them you lend.

The grace that you exhibit once began

With God whose love we cannot comprehend.

Don’t turn away the beggar, but recall

Christ died for that man, too; He gave His all.

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sonnet #448

5-10-15 The Glory of God

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,

do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV

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God’s glory is the end of all His deeds;

The fact that you are here is proof of that.

You count on Him for all your wants and needs,

He always knows exactly where you’re at.

Acknowledge God in everything you do,

For by His Grace and Mercy you are here.

When Jesus walked the earth He always knew

God’s glory was the goal to persevere.

You glorify our God in Jesus’ name,

When you do anything with Him in mind.

Your love in deed and word gives God acclaim,

And when you share the gospel love’s refined.

Give glory to the Lord with every prayer;

Give glory when you breathe His precious air.

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sonnet #356

4-28-15 Working Faith

A man may work in sweat both night and day,

A beneficial fellow great in deeds.

If he does not believe Christ all the way,

He’s like the Pharisee with knotty beads.

You can’t have faith in Jesus and stand still,

For when He lives in you, you have to serve.

Faith is an inner truth transcending will

That’s known by outer acts you can observe.

Performance may not show a faithful man,

But Godly men, in faith, don’t brag or boast.

The man who says “No faith can beat my plan,”

Will die, while men of faith live past the post.

Now show me works that faith did not begin,

I’ll show you faith by works that’s born within.

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Yea, a man may say,

Thou hast faith, and I have works:

shew me thy faith without thy works,

and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:18 KJV

 

sonnet #344

4-11-15 On Defilement

If you put something vile into your mouth

It travels to the stomach then the gut,

And you will then feel sick as it heads south

To soon be shot out through the you-know-what.

The things the mouth spews out is worse than that:

The lie, the filthy jest, the words that hate,

The gossip and the smears, the idle chat,

For from the heart most evil would create.

The dung that leaves the heart defiles a man,

As it’s the fountain which defilement flows.

Then hateful words and deeds the streams that span

Throughout the speaker’s world to decompose.

From out the mouth will spout two noxious things:

Some stomach rot or evil the heart brings.

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But those things which proceed out of the mouth

come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Matthew 15:18 KJV

3-13-15 Matters of the Heart

If you feel love express it openly,

For it’s a precious gem that must be shared,

But love that’s locked away lives brokenly

Just like a bird that’s caged too long turns scared.

Be honest with your feelings all the time

And you won’t have to worry what to say;

The matters of the heart are so sublime,

One little lie in love leads truth astray.

The love you have for God and Christ and man

Should be more than the words you can express.

Beyond the tongue are deeds and truth that can

Reveal more than a million words profess.

Hypocrisy in love destroys the soul;

If this is you, pray Jesus make you whole.

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Let love be without dissimulation.

Romans 12:9 KJV

10-13-14 Thoughts and Ways

The thoughts of God are not the thoughts of men,

For men’s are limited and God’s are limitless.

We think of God the Father now and then,

But God thinks of us constantly to bless.

We think that we can save ourselves with deeds;

God’s thoughts are full of grace and love so pure,

And while we work to earn our common needs,

Our God provides the ways we can endure.

Our ways are crooked, complicated, too;

The ways of God are plain, transparent, manifest.

We move among the shadows to subdue

While God is full of light unchained and blessed.

The thoughts and ways of men lead but to death;

God grants eternal life with Spirit’s breath.

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For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8 KJV