1-16-16 Beware the Man

³ If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; ⁴ He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, ⁵ Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 KJV

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Beware the man who quarrels with the Word,

Who picks at tiny things and contradicts,

Who makes a show to have his feelings stirred,

Displaying traits the Spirit sure convicts.

He thinks that if you claim it, it is yours,

Especially the things that money buys;

He’ll tell a dirty joke beyond church doors

And never seems to look you in the eyes.

Stay far away as possible, my friend,

For all your wholesome words fall on deaf ears.

Associate with him to no good end;

He is a scourge among his friends and peers.

If Jesus isn’t in his repertoire,

The only thing to say is au revoir.

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REMEMBER: Pray for the contentious, but avoid them whenever possible.

7-26-15 Diligence

⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

2 Peter 1:5-10 KJV

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If you would come to know of Christ our King,

Then work with diligence these attributes:

Keep faith so strong it stands through anything,

And build your virtue as an absolute.

 

Increase in knowledge of the scriptured word,

Conduct with temperence your words and ways,

Be patient to endure all trials incurred,

And strive toward godliness without delays.

 

With kindness treat your brother as yourself,

And move with charity in all you do.

Without these things you’re blind upon a shelf,

Forgetting what Christ’s death has done for you.

 

            Give diligence to make your calling sure

            And you will never fall as immature.

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sonnet #417

5-26-15 Great Gain

Peaceful place

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6 KJV

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A Godly soul is really hard to find

Unless you go where Godly folk abide.

The place where these great ones are so inclined

Is where the Lord has told them to reside.

You cannot find them on a simple plat;

No GPS can lead you to their side.

You’ll find them so content just where they’re at

Because they are attune with Christ their guide.

A man can be content and not know God,

But deep in his contentment he must hide,

For only Jesus leaves you calm and awed;

Without the Savior peace can’t be applied.

Contentment in the Lord will bring great gain

No matter where you go His Grace will reign.

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sonnet #371

7-11-14 Dirge #19: Those Holding to the Form of Godliness but Denying its Power

“Do as I say, just don’t do as I do,” said the mom to her daughter Monday;

Sunday School class that she taught was one thing, but in real life was all so cliché.

Beware, you are fake, like a clam claims it’s steak!

You can’t have it both ways; you will lose if you play.

Living lies makes you less than a snake!

“I’m a good Cath’lic, I go to that church,” said the thief to his partner in crime;

He went to confession and told all his sins once a week when he could spare the time.

Beware, hypocrite, your old halo can’t fit!

You claim you’re Christ’s guy, but you steal and then lie.

Unrepentant and vile, now admit!

“All pornography’s sinful, it will send you to Hell!” cried the pastor from his lofty perch.

But soon after he died his computer’s hard drive revealed smut he had hidden at church.

Go away, you deceiver, you’re no Spirit receiver!

You were right about Hell, that is where you’ll soon dwell;

There’s a difference between words and believer!

Now’s the time to get honest, for God can’t abide sin; you can fool the whole world but not Him.

Ask for help earnestly with a true broken heart; He’ll forgive you and brighten what’s dim.

Don’t pretend to be lowly; all you are is unholy.

You can still be forgiven; just be honest and driven.

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¹ “But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.

² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud,

blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

³ unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self control,

brutal, without love for what is good,

⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures

rather than lovers of God,

⁵ holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.

Avoid these people!”

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (HCS)

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