2-1-16 Of Light and Love

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1 John 2:10 KJV

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If you abide in light you know the source;

That light did not originate in you.

That under God’s good grace there is, of course,

The love of Christ that wants to pass it through.

Since Jesus is the light of all the world, (John 8:12)

If you believe in Him, you are that light as well. (Matthew 5:14)

The lifting wings of love cannot stay furled

If you within the arms of Jesus dwell.

So, naturally, your light’s revealed as love,

And love will radiate to all you know,

And even strangers feel the light you’re of

And be attracted to its giving glow.

With light like this there is no stumbling.

There’s so much love around it’s humbling.

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REMEMBER: Christ helps you see every step of your journey.

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.

10-22-15 On Giving

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Deuteronomy 16:17 KJV

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Which one of us can’t say that we’ve been blessed,

For life itself is worth all worldly wealth,

And if you contemplate I’m sure you’ve guessed

Two dozen blessings more including health.

If you’ve been given much then give a lot;

If you’ve not much to give, give what you can.

There’s more than money that a blessing brought;

God’s given certain skills to every man.

A church is not the only place to give:

Look ’round your neighborhood for one in need,

Then be anonymous and help them live;

The secret giver lets more hearts be freed.

So tithing is just one way giving’s done.

First give your all to Christ, God’s first born Son.

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

7-30-15 Raise the Dead

¹⁰ And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

¹¹ He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luke 3:10-11 KJV

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You are alive within a lifeless land,

The essence of the Lord within your heart.

His love pumps through your veins, it guides your hand,

Compassion overflowing to impart.

With Christ a part of you the way is clear,

To do the will of God and raise the dead,

And this is done with selfless service dear;

To bring them back to life then share your bread.

So give what you can give to those in need;

A pantry sits unused until it’s shared,

Then clothe the poor and to the hungry feed;

It jars some dead to life because you cared.

If you’d be light and salt, then selfless give;

It’s love you’re handing out to help them live.

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sonnet #421

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

12-30-14 On Healing

The world is groaning from the weight of sin,

And demons have grown bold and run berserk.

Disease, addiction, hate are thriving in

A perfect soup where unclean spirits lurk.

We are disciples of the living Lord,

So tasked to spread the gospel everywhere,

And when someone is saved in Christ restored,

Their demons are expelled with great despair.

With Jesus working through us He can purge

Whatever demons live within a soul.

Disease of every kind with faith are scourged;

One humble prayer brings health, the man made whole.

The power of Your blood, O Lord, is real!

Now in Your Holy name lead us to heal.

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And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples,

he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out,

and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matthew 10:1 KJV

8-28-14 On Giving

The Grace of God is like the falling rain

Providing nourishment and life so dear.

But do you think the giving clouds complain?

They grow so full the giving is sincere.

The gift you give comes from an open heart

Or else becomes a chore begrudgingly.

In loathing you just set yourself apart

And giving turns to loss especially.

God loves a cheerful giver, this is true,

For this reflects the love that Jesus had.

He gave His very life, and gladly, too;

He gave His blood, t’was nothing more to add.

            So search your heart and give what you decide;

            Let loving motivate and Spirit guide.

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Each one must give as he has decided in his heart,

not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

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