1-21-16 No Expiration Date

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

John 6:27 KJV

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A man must quickly eat the meat he buys

Or else it rots and does nobody good,

And he must live his life until he dies

And then his body’s done the best it could.

Don’t spend your days obsessing on the flesh;

It won’t endure beyond its meted time.

Work toward that meat that always will stay fresh

With everlasting life that’s so sublime.

What must you do to earn eternal food?

Believe in He whom God the Father sealed.

Let Jesus be the one your faith’s pursued.

Be hungry for the Word of Life revealed.

Seek first the sustenance that fills the soul;

The more that you consume the more you’re whole.

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REMEMBER: Be as hungry for the Word as one who hasn’t eaten in three days.

1-14-16 Faith in Action

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

James 2:14-16 KJV

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A couple poor as dirt with hungry child:

The husband says, “I’ve faith we’ll get some food.”

The wife replied, “O fool! You’ve got me riled!

Go get a job! We can’t eat attitude!”

Professing faith is easy; say the word,

But if your faith is real then it will show.

A kindness given first was faith that stirred.

When grace meets gratitude you can’t lie low.

When Jesus said “Your faith has made you whole,”

He knew that she believed that by her touch.

If she had not had faith both heart and soul,

She wouldn’t have reached out His cloak to clutch. (Matthew 9:20-22)

Declaring faith won’t keep you warm and filled.

Put action to those words and be fulfilled.

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REMEMBER: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)

9-6-15 You’re Being Watched

And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Genesis 39:3 KJV

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When you go through this day do not forget

The light of Christ is shining through your deeds,

And others see there’s something special yet,

In all you say and do a peace proceeds.

Remember that to most you represent

The closest thing to Jesus they will know.

Those hungry for the Word will soon relent

To find out what it is that makes you go.

When Jesus lives through you it surely shows,

Especially the moments love’s revealed.

The Holy Spirit is affirmed in those

Who feel the fire and begin to yield.

You have a deep responsibility

To serve the Lord and act as His trustee.

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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

7-30-15 Raise the Dead

¹⁰ And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

¹¹ He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luke 3:10-11 KJV

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You are alive within a lifeless land,

The essence of the Lord within your heart.

His love pumps through your veins, it guides your hand,

Compassion overflowing to impart.

With Christ a part of you the way is clear,

To do the will of God and raise the dead,

And this is done with selfless service dear;

To bring them back to life then share your bread.

So give what you can give to those in need;

A pantry sits unused until it’s shared,

Then clothe the poor and to the hungry feed;

It jars some dead to life because you cared.

If you’d be light and salt, then selfless give;

It’s love you’re handing out to help them live.

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sonnet #421

7-7-15 Thirst

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah:

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:

my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee

in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is

Psalm 63:1 KJV

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If you would seek the presence of the Lord,

You must be thirsty like a desert man,

Bereft and wandering, an empty gourd,

A single minded need without a plan.

When you awake, have God be your first thought,

So hungry He consumes you heart and soul

Until your neck is thin, your stomach taut,

Your tongue so thick with thirst and black as coal.

You cannot find the Lord while on your duff;

You must engage the world, but be aware:

When He is all you need, then sure enough,

You’ll find Him all around; He’s everywhere.

The intellect itself cannot find God;

You search with your whole life without facade.

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sonnet #408

6-2-15 Give When You’ve Got

¹³ For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

¹⁴ But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

¹⁵ As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 KJV

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To love your neighbor as yourself is work,

But work that stems from love is worth the sweat,

And if you have abundance do not shirk

To give to those whose needs have not been met.

If your own children had no food to eat,

You’d ask your wealthy neighbor for some aid.

Then when you’ve gained your riches so complete,

Please help a hungry family who’s dismayed.

The scales of love are balanced when you give,

For we are all but equal in God’s eyes,

And even if your neighbor is a sieve,

Still love him as yourself – don’t compromise.

A man that gathers much has no surplus;

And he that gathers scant lacks nothing thus.

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sonnet #377

12-04-14 Be Vigilant

My friend in Christ, no time to sleep this night,

For Satan prowls the Earth hollow and mean.

He hungers for the lonely sheep of light

Who wander through the shadows in between.

The devil stomps about and roars out loud;

So many prey around, no need to creep.

Be vigilant, my sister, don’t be cowed;

He seeks your sons and daughters as they sleep.

The perfect Lamb protects us with his blood,

But not all of our brothers are secure.

They squat a drunken stupor in the mud;

We must still try to save them, so endure.

Your adversary’s longing to devour,

A starved voracious lion this dark hour.

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Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil,

as a roaring lion, walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour

1 Peter 5:8 KJV

11-13-14 Peaceful Sleep

Your enemies surround me all the day,

Attacking both my body and my mind,

But I’ve no fear amid the constant fray,

For Your protective love has me entwined.

Great evil stalks the land like hungry beast,

Devouring the truth with hate and lies,

But though it lays beside me with its feast,

I share the gospel without compromise.

The past and future rob most men of sleep;

Their troubles run unchecked all through the night,

But Your serenity makes slumber deep;

There is no need to worry in Your sight.

Rest safely in the shelter of the Lord;

Find comfort in His Word, the great reward.

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I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:

for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 KJV

7-22-14 Epic Fail

Today you walked toward me on the street,

Unshaven without shoes, some homeless guy.

We were so close we could not help but meet,

But I turned down my eyes and passed you by.

I went inside a restaurant for lunch

And there you were, a woman with her kids.

You shared a piece of toast and one fruit punch,

But I ignored you all with squinted lids.

You were a man I worked with ev’ry day,

Someone I barely noticed but to yak.

You went to prison wrongly, so they say,

And asked for help but I did not call back.

A thousand times we met upon life’s breeze,

But I refused to help the least of these.

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42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat:

I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in:

naked, and ye clothed me not:

sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying,

“Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger,

or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?”

45 Then shall he answer them, saying,

“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these,

ye did it not to me.”

Matthew 25:42-45 KJV

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