2-16-16 Give and Take

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

Luke 8:18 KJV

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This is a warning to you lukewarm soul

Who merely ponders Jesus on a whim:

You say you are a Christian, play the role.

You think you’ll skate on in; your chance is grim.

If you will truly give your life to Christ

And use with grace the gifts He gives to you,

The salt you are will then be double spiced;

The love you have, much more will you accrue.

If you believe that you have got it made,

Your show of knowledge now will disappear.

What little faith you claim will soon be swayed;

Your mediocre worship won’t cohere.

Be careful how you hear: from heart or head.

The one will find the Lord, the other’s dead.

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REMEMBER: You cannot fake your way into the kingdom of heaven. If you don’t think you’re saved, you’re likely not. Go to the cross right now. You’ll gain a lot.

2-5-16 Built on Sand

²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7: 26-27 KJV

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How many of us like a foolish man

Who listens to the Word and nods his head,

But keeps instead his own distorted plan

And builds his house without foundation bed.

Just knowing Christ’s commands is not enough;

He needs to be within our hands and feet.

A fancy car without four tires rides rough;

A house built on the sand the floods defeat.

If Jesus is your Lord, then serve Him well;

A servant is no good laid up in bed.

When trouble comes all you can do is yell.

The storms of life will tear your house to shreds.

A tree with meager roots is doomed to fall;

The first time winds descend the tree will sprawl.

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REMEMBER: A strong foundation is built by exercising the will of Christ.

1-20-16 Be Not Afraid

⁴⁸ And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: ⁵⁰ For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. ⁵¹ And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

Mark 6:48-51 KJV

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When troubles come to push you off your path,

And if it seems you’re rowing ‘gainst the wind,

The struggle that you face in all its wrath

Might leave your efforts moot and you chagrined.

Look through the dark of night and see Me there!

I am not just a thought inside your head,

Not just some passing need when you despair,

Nor ghostly spirit filling you with dread.

Be of good cheer! Have courage! It is I!

Be not afraid, I’ve come to bring you peace.

I’ve been here all along, I won’t pass by.

I’m right beside you now; the wind will cease.

In life when conflict blows with its attack,

Be not afraid, my child, I’ve got your back.

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REMEMBER: Even in the darkest of nights you will see Him near.

10-29-15 Awake!

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Ephesians 5:14 KJV

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The unregenerate cannot arise

Without the blood of Jesus on their soul,

So more than dead they head to their demise

Unless they’re sought and Christ they choose in whole.

Yet saints may be asleep among the dead

Who’ve wandered from the light with constant sin,

So blow the trumpet loud beside their bed, ¹

Remind them who they are and where they’ve been.

Awake, you sons and daughters of our God!

Stand up and Christ will surely give you light!

He’s coming soon, my friend, so don’t you nod,

Get oil for your lamp ² and keep it bright! ³

Awake from all the dead, you sleepyhead!

There’s no more time to doze, He’s just ahead!

1Joel 2:1

2Matthew 25:1-13

3Matthew 5:16

10-10-15 Bittersweet

⁸ But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

¹¹ Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

James 3:8-11 KJV

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It’s easier for man to tame a rock

Than teach his tongue to stop its reckless ways.

A stone can learn to sit and stay and balk,

But not the tongue; it runs for days and days.

How many times have words jumped from your mouth

That you regret the instant it is done?

A friendly conversation’s headed south

With just an unplanned phrase or bawdy pun.

If you can hesitate to choose your words,

The tongue might find some worse to say instead.

Best cut it out and feed it to the birds

Or keep a clean, blank slate within your head.

The mind of Christ is possible to gain:

It takes complete surrender to attain.

9-26-15 The Final Authority

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

Isaiah 33:22 KJV

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While here you should obey the worldly laws,

For here you lay upon your earthly bed,

But if they clash with Spirit give them pause,

For Christ is your authority and head.

The laws that Jesus gives are Spirit born,

Yet they impact each aspect of your life.

He is your Lord and King when you’re reborn;

He is your final judge through stress and strife.

When you obey God’s laws instead of man’s,

You might incur the wrath of earthly judge,

But prison may be part of God’s own plans,

So always listen to the Spirit’s nudge.

The Lord will save your soul – man’s laws cannot.

You’ll still be His when all that’s mortal rots.

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

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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.

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sonnet #420

5-25-15 White as Snow

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18 KJV

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Don’t be afraid, don’t hide your head in shame;

No matter what you’ve done I still love you.

I’m not just made of vengeance as they claim;

You do not need to fear a harsh review.

Just lift your eyes and come to Christ in prayer;

It matters not if sins be crimson red.

My Son died for your sins, now don’t despair;

His blood will wash them white as snow instead.

I sent Him as the Lamb to sacrifice,

To die for all your sins both great and small.

Accept Him as your Lord, He paid the price;

Let Jesus in your heart, on Him do call.

On Judgment Day when you approach the throne,

You’ll have no sin, for Jesus did atone

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sonnet #370

5-16-15 Unspeakable

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV

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Of all the gifts that God so freely gives,

There’s none to match the one on Calvary.

The sacrifice of Christ our heart relives,

And breaks it every time, too much to see.

He willingly went forth with you in mind;

His body torn and beaten horribly.

A crown of thorns upon His head was twined;

He bore it all for you so humbly.

Then, O, upon the cross they hung our Lord

Upon the cross that’s meant for you and me!

He took our sins upon His own accord

And suffered there – my Lord! – unspeakably.

God sacrificed His Son upon the cross,

A gift so great my tongue is at a loss.

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sonnet #362

5-6-15 Within

²⁰ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luke 17:20-21 KJV

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The King of Kings was standing in the midst

Of all the Pharisees both dumb and blind;

They looked for things to prove it did exist,

When proof was there amongst them so refined.

We search for His return among the signs,

No better off than Pharisees or Scribes;

He lives within us now, His richness shines,

Yet we’re still counting coins and taking bribes.

Try casting off the pictures in your head,

For they will get you lost most every time,

And keep your thoughts on Jesus now instead;

He lives within the servant’s heart sublime.

When Christ returns no man can ever know,

But here’s the Holy Spirit: let it grow.

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