2-12-16 Only One

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Psalm 118:8 KJV

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Whenever you put confidence in man,

Don’t get your hopes much higher than the ground,

For he will disappoint more often than

A lighter without fluid that’s been found.

A broken cane can’t give you much support,

A shadow offers little in relief.

There’s only One will never sell you short,

There’s only One will never cause you grief.

When you lay all your trust up in the Lord,

There’s nothing left for faith in mortal man.

Serenity and peace is your reward

When you place hope in God’s own perfect plan.

Begin right now: surrender to the Lord.

Entrust Him with your life: you’ll be restored.

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REMEMBER: The Lord is faithful; He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

1-26-16 Because

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

Ruth 2:10 KJV

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Who am I, Lord, that You bestow such grace?

I’m just a lowly sinner bound for hell.

There’s no redeeming value, not a trace.

I’m here within the dust where Adam fell.

How can You love me, God, in all my shame?

I am not worthy of Your love at all.

You gave Your only Son, who then became

The ransom for my sins both great and small.

Your Holy Word tells me You love me so;

You showed Your love for me on Calvary.

You made me for a reason, this I know,

To be Your child to love as You love me.

O Abba! You are all I ever need,

And by Your grace, O Father, I’ve been freed!

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Remember: God IS love.

1-18-16 Known by His Fruit

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:33 KJV

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To know a man just watch his words and deeds,

For he can’t hide the nature of his heart.

An evil sort’s revealed by his misdeeds;

A poisoned well its harm will sure impart.

A fruit will show what kind of tree it’s from;

You cannot harvest olives from the ground.

Guitarists bare their talent when they thrum,

And you can tell a good one from his sound.

True Christians will exhibit Christ within;

The body of their works His presence shows.

They cannot be successful in their sin;

The essence of His truth and love still flows.

The blind can tell a fruit by taste and feel.

See Jesus with His works in you reveal.

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REMEMBER: Jesus lives within you. Get out of the way so He can live through you.

111415 Show Us Something Good

Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen (helped) me, and comforted me.

Psalm 86:17 KJV

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SHOW US SOMETHING GOOD

O Lord, it seems the wicked rules the day;

I see my brother’s blood upon the ground.

Please show me something good from this, I pray,

To fill my enemy with shame profound.

You’ve helped me, Lord, when I have called on You,

You’ve soothed me with the comfort of Your love.

Console the suffering, help see them through

Please show us something good from up above.

Reveal to those who hate us You are God,

Cause them to be disgraced among their friends.

Lay bare their evil hearts here and abroad;

Humiliate them to the furthest ends.

Please show us something good so all may see

The righteous will prevail; in You we’re free.

10-8-15 Name Above All

² For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

³ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:2-5 KJV

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No good can come from Nazareth, they said,

The lowly son of Joseph, carpenter.

He had no place to lay his weary head,

A man of sorrows, none we would prefer.

Despised and unesteemed, our grief he bore;

We hid our face from him and still we do.

He took the wrath of God as none before,

Was wounded for our sins, his blood soaked through.

Afflicted, bruised and beaten, he was hung

Upon a rugged cross between two thieves.

He died there with our names upon his tongue

And lives within all those who still believes.

His name will resonate forever more;

If you but think of Him, your heart will soar.

9-22-15 On Addiction

¹⁴ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

¹⁵ Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:14-15 KJV

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We’ve all been tempted; still we’re tempted now

For Satan pays attention to our lusts.

Then when we fall and break most every vow,

His demons ride our shame, feed our disgust.

Then like a horror movie sin’s revived

As if it will not die by force or will,

Until your prayers seem wooden and contrived,

And then when you give up death has its fill.

Cry out unto the Lord though you feel dead,

And pray until your tears have soaked the ground.

He leads you to the help you need ahead;

Just trust in Jesus – grace much more abounds.

It seems like all is lost; don’t be deceived.

Salvation comes to those who first believed.

9-3-15 Here We Go

⁹ That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

¹⁰ Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

¹¹ Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Isaiah 30:9-11

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The day has come when evil’s in full bloom,

Completely unafraid of consequence,

Destroying children in their mother’s womb

And lacking any hint of moral sense.

The leaders of the earth are fraudulent;

The laws they pass promote such wickedness.

The young walk through the streets so discontent,

With heads replete with rage and wild distress.

The truth is now despised, it’s lies they want,

And any talk of God is shouted down.

The reprobate advance the cause they flaunt

While running God’s own children in the ground.

The day has come upon us, rife with sin,

But Christ is our Commander – we will win.

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8-22-15 Come See

⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye:

for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28:5-6 KJV

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Imagine Mary’s fright that Sunday morn

When she arrived to see the Master’s tomb.

She thought that she would visit there and mourn;

Instead she was to see an empty room.

The guards lay as if dead upon the ground,

And there an angel sat upon the stone,

As bright as lightning, patient and profound

To say that Christ is risen, come be shown.

To know that He has risen from the dead!

He took with Him the bulk of all our sins,

And rose just three days later like He said,

And if we just believe new life begins!

Come see the empty tomb where Jesus lay.

He conquered death and hell upon that day!

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sonnet #444

8-16-15 Let the Dead Bury the Dead

²¹ And another of his disciples said unto him,

Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

²² But Jesus said unto him, Follow me;

and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 8:21-22 KJV

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When Jesus once to His disciple said

While thick within the Savior’s ministry,

“This way, and let the dead bury their dead,”

He wasn’t speaking disrespectfully.

When Jesus says “Come, follow Me,” you should,

For after all that’s what it’s all about.

A lion-caught gazelle can do no good

Requesting time to seek his family out.

The unregenerate are dead within;

There’s plenty of that kind to go around.

As God, the Savior knew His friend had kin,

Enough to put his father in the ground.

When Spirit tells you “Here,” don’t whine and curse;

Choose then the Living Christ and not a hearse.

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Sonnet #438

5-21-15 Every Eye Shall See

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Revelation 1:7 KJV

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Then like a thief at night will Jesus come,

Surprising all but those who are prepared,

And all with eyes to see will then become

To know that He is here, His presence bared.

The dead in Christ shall rise from in the ground;

The righteous all will know and so rejoice.

The terror of His enemies abound,

And they will wail and weep as if one voice.

He’ll come to judge the quick and judge the dead,

Including those who harmed the ones He chose.

His presence in the clouds will make some dread:

The final days are coming to a close.

Oh, how magnificent that day will be!

The Savior will return for all to see!

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sonnet #366