1-29-16 Sufficient

⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 KJV

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Infirmities and troubles will abound,

Of this the mortal man can be assured,

And though we beg the Lord we not be bound,

Sometimes these weaknesses must be endured.

The grace of God is all you ever need,

For here sufficient lies love’s very root:

Christ sacrificed His perfect life and freed

You from both death and hell without dispute.

His strength’s made perfect in your weakness now,

For how could you survive without His grace?

Through these infirmities the Lord shows how

He manifests the wealth of His embrace.

So glory in your frailty and your faults.

The pow’r of Christ’s made known through life’s assaults.

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Remember: God’s awesome grace is enough so that you may depend on Him completely.

1-15-16 The Tick Behind the Talk

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Proverbs 23:7 KJV

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A man will make a statement through his tongue,

But what he thinks may be another thing.

Beware the motives that his lie has sprung,

Lest somewhere down the road you’ll feel its sting.

When Jesus walked the earth he always knew

The real intent within each person’s heart.

Discretion comes from knowing what is true,

And truth’s the Word of God that won’t depart.

The more you pray the more God’s wisdom will be known,

For half of prayer is listening patiently,

And through the mind of Christ you will be shown

The mainspring of a man; yea, more than he.

When you’re connected to the Word of God,

You will not be distracted by a fraud.

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REMEMBER: We do not merely contend with the lies of men – we fight against the Father of lies, Satan.

1-14-16 Faith in Action

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

James 2:14-16 KJV

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A couple poor as dirt with hungry child:

The husband says, “I’ve faith we’ll get some food.”

The wife replied, “O fool! You’ve got me riled!

Go get a job! We can’t eat attitude!”

Professing faith is easy; say the word,

But if your faith is real then it will show.

A kindness given first was faith that stirred.

When grace meets gratitude you can’t lie low.

When Jesus said “Your faith has made you whole,”

He knew that she believed that by her touch.

If she had not had faith both heart and soul,

She wouldn’t have reached out His cloak to clutch. (Matthew 9:20-22)

Declaring faith won’t keep you warm and filled.

Put action to those words and be fulfilled.

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REMEMBER: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)

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.

7-21-15 Angels in the Wings

Are they not all ministering spirits,

sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Hebrews 1:14 KJV

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Oh child of God, you’ll never be alone,

Though all your friends and family depart.

When dark despair has gripped you to the bone,

There is an angel working on your heart.

He ministers to you when you are down,

Sent forth by God to comfort and restore.

When all the world conspires to make you drown,

An angel’s called to pull you back ashore.

The presence of the Lord is with you now,

And there are angels waiting in the wings.

When grief and pain descends upon your brow,

You’ve got the help you need from where love springs.

Oh child of God, know Jesus lives within,

And angels serve to minister therein.

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sonnet #412

6-19-15 Hope

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning them which are asleep,

that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 KJV

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The marrow of your soul is thick with grief,

And sorrow’s made a home within your heart.

It feels as if the Lord’s become a thief

For making someone precious to depart.

This is the time to mourn, you’ve lost a friend;

The world seems so much colder than before.

Remember, though,that this is not the end;

Death’s just like walking through an open door.

Your faith confounds the others with no hope;

You know that life exists beyond the grave.

The Holy Ghost is here to help you cope;

Because of Jesus, you are not grief’s slave.

Your heart is heavy now, as it should be,

The day is coming, though, your friend you’ll see.

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sonnet #393

5-15-15 On His Side

³⁸ And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

³⁹ But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

⁴⁰ For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mark 9:38-40 KJV

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When you arrive in Heaven one fine day

You just might be surprised at who you find.

There will be those you thought had gone astray,

Believing doctrine you once knew was blind.

There’s one prerequisite to step inside,

And it’s not what you know, but rather who.

If you let Jesus in your heart abide

You will be counted then among the few.

Accept Him as your Lord and Savior now

And He will guide you where you need to be.

If you work in His name He will endow

The things that you will need to set men free.

Don’t tell a child of God to soon depart,

For he that’s not against is on our part.

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sonnet #361

3-8-15 Waxing Cold

The latter days of woe are on us now,

While sins of every kind so more abound.

The saints themselves are furrowing their brow,

For righteousness is nowhere to be found.

Because despair can burrow in your heart

To whisper in your ear that all is lost,

You will be tempted to let love depart,

But soon thereafter shroud yourself in frost.

Do not forget the stone was rolled away,

To show the tomb was bare where Jesus lay.

He conquered death and hell upon that day

And lives forever more, so don’t dismay.

When all seems lost and ice begins to form,

Remember Christ is with you through the storm.

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And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:12 KJV

1-6-15 On Parenting

Good manners start at home when we are young,

And there is taught responsibility.

We are instructed how to mind our tongue,

And also shown reliability.

Our parents should have trained you how to be

A balanced, helpful member of the earth,

And if they did we all might surely see

That you were raised up well by them from birth.

Prepare a child the way that he should go

And as he ages he won’t part from it;

The way a man acts now will likely show

The things his folks did not or did permit.

If you did not grow up with care and love,

Look to the Word these things from God above.

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Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV