1-30-16 That Extra Mile

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Matthew 5:41 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

If some policeman stops you on the street

And makes demands that you might think unfair,

Don’t argue or complain, comply complete;

Respect the badge, forgive the man in prayer.

A friend might need some help on moving day,

And though you’ve got a game on the TV,

Be glad to help him move without delay

And don’t mention the game you didn’t see.

Treat every man as if the Lord has sent;

The Savior died for them as well as you.

You’re representing Jesus with intent,

So go that extra mile; He’ll see you through.

Whoever shall compel you go a mile,

Go twice as far, and share the Word awhile.

~~~~~~~~~~~

REMEMBER: Jesus went that extra mile for you.

1-22-16 Consider All God’s Done For You

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

Consider all that God has done for you!

With His eternal grace you’re given breath;

The joy of love that comes to you anew.

He gave His Son so you through Him’s no death.

So serve the Lord in truth with all your heart!

Submit your will to Him new every day;

Be humble in your duties from the start.

Remember He is all you need today.

With great affection only fear the Lord!

Now love Him as a child will love her Dad;

Simplistic awe and worship in accord,

In reverential yearning pure and glad.

Consider all God’s done with gratitude.

Give everything you do this attitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~

REMEMBER: He is all you need today.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

10-13-15 A Meditation of Him

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Psalm 104:34 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

I clear my mind from troubled, thorny thoughts,

And feel the Holy Spirit full within;

While all the world around me plans and plots,

The peace of God descends and we begin.

I meditate upon my sovereign Lord,

My Master, my Redeemer and my Friend;

His love and words strike deep and I’m restored.

His glory lights my way; there is no end.

The blood my Master shed, His sacrifice,

I cannot comprehend its depth or scope.

He suffered so for me, God’s asking price.

My faith in Him is real; I’m filled with hope.

Consider all the ways of Christ the King,

And He will lift you up; your heart will sing!

10-7-15 Rejoice!

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalm 32:11 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

When you lay down and take your final breath,

You’ll wake up with a shout of victory.

The righteous found in Christ shall see no death,

For with His sacrifice they were set free.

The resurrected Christ will be the one

To greet you when you close your mortal eyes.

For those who did believe God’s chosen Son,

Eternal life shall be their golden prize.

Don’t be afraid, my friend, instead rejoice!

Your days of tears and pain will soon be through!

The upright are the ones who made the choice

To put their faith in Jesus and pursue.

Be glad for there is victory in Christ!

He lives in you! His precious love sufficed!

8-20-15 Made for Man

²³ And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

²⁴ And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

²⁵ And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

²⁶ How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

²⁷ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

²⁸ Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

Christ said the Sabbath day was made for man,

Twas made for good and not to bring him bad:

His soul may benefit in worship span;

His body rest from labor and be glad.

His necessary acts should not be banned:

A sheep can sure be rescued from a ditch, ¹

And David’s hunger could not be pre-planned.²

The Sabbath’s made for man to so enrich.

Here Jesus was the Son of Man divine,³

The instituter of the Sabbath day.

He could have said “The Sabbath day is Mine,”

But taught them out of patient love the way.

Man wasn’t made to keep the Sabbath pure;

It’s made for man so he may rest assure.

~~~~~~~~~~~

sonnet #442

1Matthew 12:11

21 Samuel 21:3

3Daniel 7:13

7-29-15 On Persecution

¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

These days when you say Jesus best beware,

The chance is good you’ll meet a wall of hate.

Consider yourself blessed when they just stare,

For there are places killing us is great.

Just tell them Christ arose alive from death

And you’ll be shouted down and shown the door.

In some parts of the world give Christ your breath

And they will roll your head along the floor.

Rejoice when you are persecuted here,

For so the prophets suffered this and worse.

Count it a blessing when your pain’s severe,

For your reward in heaven’s worth their curse.

When persecution comes be glad in Christ

He’ll be there with you when you’re sacrificed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #420

11-16-14 For Richer or Poorer

Before complaining of your lot in life,

Consider this and take it to your heart:

The Lord knows all about your pain and strife;

He authors your estate from stop to start.

You may think you know better where to live

Upon the ladder of success and health,

But chances are you’d take more than you give

And spend all of your time with fame and wealth.

Just ask old Lot who gave him all he had

Both on his worst day and upon his best,

And he will look to heaven sad or glad

Then tell you that the Lord gave and supressed.

Before you gloat, before you bitch and moan,

Regardless of your lot, it’s all on loan.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich:

he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

1 Samuel 2:7 KJV