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)

12-26-15 Do It For Him

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men

Ephesians 6:7 KJV

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Whatever service you are tasked to do,

Your attitude reflects its quality.

If you work as for man your point of view

Will be to please a transient degree.

But if you act as if it were the Lord

Who will receive the fruit of your employ,

You’ll strive for excellence to one adored,

With love, devotion, gratitude and joy.

To be just good enough’s not good enough.

You represent the Lord of Lords today.

Your work now demonstrates more noble stuff

Than what can be produced then cast away.

With good will do your work as to the Lord,

And not to men, who seek their own reward.

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REMEMBER: Whatever you do in the name of Christ, in the spirit of His love, He will sanctify. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Love in Deed and Truth

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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LOVE IN DEED AND TRUTH

There’s nothing wrong in giving love with words,

But that should not be all you ever do,

Like in your hunger getting some cheese curds

When what you really needed was hot stew.

If words were silver, actions would be gold,

And loving deeds like diamonds cut and new.

To truly love is often to be bold:

A selfless act will show your love is true.

When you love Jesus you become like Him,

And He came not to be served but to serve.

So go throughout your day a living hymn

And give to all you meet with loving verve.

An “I love you” is music to the ears;

To show it is a symphony for years.

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REMEMBER: What Jesus did on the cross for you proves that actions speak louder than words.

11-30-15 Love

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

John 15:17 KJV

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LOVE

No simpler command there is than love,

Yet look at all the hate we’ve had since then,

As if we don’t know what He’s speaking of

Or it’s impossible, beyond our ken.

Just for today I beg you take this test

That all you meet is Jesus in disguise.

No matter what they do, how they’re expressed

They really are the Savior synthesized.

You must love everyone, not just pretend;

This is the reason why you still are here.

The Lord put you together for this end:

So you can share His love, each one endear.

It doesn’t matter if they love you back.

Your job is just to love without feedback.

11-20-15 From the Womb

I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

Psalm 22:10 KJV

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God’s known you since before your mortal birth,

When you were being knitted in her womb. ^{(Psalm 139:13)}

In all the universe He sets your worth,

And watches over you from crib to tomb.

He’s been your God since you were just a dream;

He called you to be His before day one.

Predestined to be one whom Christ redeem,

And given full free will from do til done.

So now you are His child forever more,

Becoming more like Christ each passing day.

He has such wondrous things for you in store

And loves you more than words could ever say.

The God that formed the world formed you as well.

You always have been His; in God you dwell.

11-19-15 Believe in God

Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the (lions) den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

Daniel 6:23 KJV

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Whatever God says to you, you need do,

For He will always be the One to know,

And those who do believe will carry through

No matter what the trial or who the foe.

Your confidence in God makes perfect sense:

You still believe He’ll give you every breath.

The life of Christ was pure obedience

Unto the Father even unto death,

And look what happened three days afterward!

God wants you to believe in Jesus, too,

For if you do, eternal life’s conferred;

No lion in his den can get to you.

Believe in God regardless how it seems;

He’ll never let you down, for He redeems.

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!

9-8-15 Praise Your Name

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Isaiah 25:1 KJV

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O Lord, you are my God, my sovereign King,

Not only by creation but of grace.

The covenants You’ve made my soul shall sing.

My God, the Love You are I still embrace.

I will exalt you, Lord, I’ll praise Your name.

You’re Holy and perfection without end.

The heavens and the earth will long acclaim

The glory of creation You still tend.

Such wonders have You done I cannot count;

From atoms to the stars and in between.

Your counsels of the ages give account

Of faithfulness and truth we all have seen.

I celebrate You, God, both night and day!

I celebrate with all I do and say!

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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

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