12-19-15 In Jesus’ Name

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Ephesians 5:20 KJV

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IN JESUS’ NAME

We give to God our every gratitude;

Without Him we would not be here today.

He gave His firstborn Son with rectitude

So we could be His children, too, and stay.

The sacrifice Christ made has set us free,

And now we live by faith for all He’s done.

It is through Christ we go; He is the key

To open Heaven’s door, then Home we run.

A prayer is ended thus: “In Jesus’ name,”

For He is now the source of our new life,

The living advocate of all acclaim,

The High Priest of our soul in glory rife.

Give thanks to God our Father for all things,

In Jesus’ name, in whom our hope now springs.

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REMEMBER: When you give thanks to God in the name of Jesus, your heart stretches to hold more of the Holy Spirit.

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

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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.

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sonnet #442

1Matthew 12:11

21 Samuel 21:3

3Daniel 7:13

7-6-15 On Obedience

⁵¹ And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.

⁵² Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

⁵³ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Matthew 26:51-53 KJV

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The sacrificial Lamb, obedient,

Stood ready to be given up for you,

Could call for legioned angels to be sent

To save Him from the death that would ensue.

But no, this was not time to wield a sword;

The days of ‘eye for eye’ had passed away.

Christ came to yield His life, our sovereign Lord;

The pure unspotted Lamb would have His day.

The sins of all the world would soon be borne

Upon the shoulders of the Lamb of God,

Then beaten, bloody, His whole body torn

Was bound for victory with love to laud.

The sword was put away as so much dross

And in its stead was glory on the cross.

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sonnet #407

6-12-15 Blessed Be He

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD:

we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Psalm 118:26 KJV

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Had Jesus lived and taught when David ruled,

The King would bless Him from the temple grounds.

But Christ came when the Priests their hearts were cooled,

And all He heard from them were angry sounds.

But we disciples of the risen Lord

Sing out “Hosanna!” with a single voice.

We worship Jesus whom we’ve long adored;

With blessings loud and strong we do rejoice!

In adoration from a faith full house,

Accept the Savior’s presence in your life.

The temple of your heart and mind espouse

The High Priest Christ whose perfect love is rife.

O blessed be the One who conquered death!

We live for Him and praise Him with each breath!

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sonnet #388

10-12-14 On Understanding

God’s advocate for us is not elite;

His hands have gotten callused with hard work.

He’s one of us, has known pain and defeat;

Has not been raised apart with favored perk.

Our Savior knows just what we’re going through;

He understands too well temptation’s lure.

But even though he’s lived our point of view,

This man we know as Jesus remains pure.

He shows us it is possible to live

Amid the draw of sin, this worldly pull,

And though we stoop and fall He will forgive,

Regardless of our state His love is full.

Christ intercedes for us to God; He knows

Just what it’s like to live the status quo.

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For we have not an high priest which cannot

be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;

 but was in all points tempted like as we are,

yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 KJV