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)

11-30-15 Love

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

John 15:17 KJV

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LOVE

No simpler command there is than love,

Yet look at all the hate we’ve had since then,

As if we don’t know what He’s speaking of

Or it’s impossible, beyond our ken.

Just for today I beg you take this test

That all you meet is Jesus in disguise.

No matter what they do, how they’re expressed

They really are the Savior synthesized.

You must love everyone, not just pretend;

This is the reason why you still are here.

The Lord put you together for this end:

So you can share His love, each one endear.

It doesn’t matter if they love you back.

Your job is just to love without feedback.

10-12-15 Follow Me

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew 9:9 KJV

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If you were at your your job and hard at work,

And suddenly a stranger came to you,

And said ‘Come follow me,’ would you then shirk

The things that someone’s paying you to do?

Would you demand an explanation now,

For no one really does this kind of thing?

If you knew it was Jesus you’d know how

To quit your job and follow Christ the King.

But Matthew did not have that knowledge yet.

He did just what the Master told him to.

Don’t be so dead you take it as a threat.

Let Spirit guide your heart; He’s always true.

Be ever watchful; you’ll see Christ today.

Where there is love, He’s never far away.

8-4-15 Gone

¹ To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.

Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth;

for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: 

with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

Psalm 12:1-2 KJV

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The days of righteous men are all but gone,

For evil spreads the earth just like a plague.

It’s not that saints are hiding and withdrawn,

There’s just so few they seem both hushed and vague.

The faithful few are buried by the mob:

The carnel, unregenerate and vile,

Who smile at you in passing at your job,

Then stab you in the back with that same smile.

These are the days the wicked strut about;

They’re killing unborn babies just to sell.

They stand upon a rainbow box and shout,

And roam the streets like racist mobs from hell.

O Help us, Lord! The faithful fall away!

There’s very little hope for us today!

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sonnet #426

7-25-15 Least in the Kingdom

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19 KJV

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A doctor telling patients they should smoke

Would soon not have a practice left to hold.

A man who works for Pepsi selling Coke

Won’t have a job for long to be enrolled.

If you’re a Christian teach the Christian way:

You meet the Father only through the Son. *

To tell that other ways to God’s okay

Will find that in the end you’ve come undone.

The least of God’s commandments should be kept;

Don’t break one and then teach that this is good,

For if you do, you’ve really overstepped;

The least belongs to you, as well it should.

It’s bad enough that you should go astray;

It’s worse if you lead others on that way.

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* John 14:6

 

sonnet #416

4-17-15 Who’s a Believer?

The preacher speaks about the Word of God,

On how the Savior died for all our sin.

I look around the church and see heads nod

And wonder who believes and thus are in.

I feel a gentle stir within me start,

That old familiar nudge the Spirit gives,

And Jesus whispers in my soul and heart,

Then I rejoice again to know He lives!

‘Don’t try to guess who has been saved or not,

For you don’t know who hears Me and believes.

Just spread the gospel – I discern who’s caught.

The Spirit sees what senses can’t perceive.’

It’s not our job to guess who has been saved,

Whose name is in the Book of Life engraved.

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Verily, verily I say unto you,

He that heareth my word,

and believeth on him that sent me,

hath everlasting life,

and shall not come into condemnation;

but is passed from death unto life.

John 5:24 KJV

2-13-15 Rooftop Peace

Be careful where you lay your weary head:

Contention makes the worst environment.

If it be church or work or even in your bed,

Diversion from the Lord leads to lament.

The corner of a roof is better than

A mansion wide where Satan has his way.

Discarded food within an old trash can

Is worthier than hate cooked steak all day.

Remember that you’ve got a job to do,

For God wants you to bring to Him the lost.

The Holy Spirit cannot breathe through you

If all that you inhale is foul exhaust.

A church would not endure a howling choir,

So do not tolerate another’s ire.

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It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop,

than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Proverbs 21:9 KJV

1-23-15 On Righteousness

You haven’t wanted righteousness enough

Until you thirst and hunger nigh to death,

Your limbs grown weak, your voice turned lean and rough

And righteousness as precious as your breath.

You argue that the times won’t stand for that;

You’d lose your job and end up on the street.

The cost of righteousness won’t leave you fat;

You won’t know hunger when you always eat.

This world’s a desert void of drink or food,

But there’s a well to slake the weary soul.

You cannot take a sip till you’re subdued

And righteousness becomes your only goal.

For few are chosen although many called;

To gain true righteousness one must have crawled.

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Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst

after righteousness:

for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6 KJV

1-22-15 To the Elders

The elders of the church have thus been tasked

To shepherd well the members of their church,

To volunteer their time and not be asked,

To be assessible without a search.

This is not any job from nine to five;

Responsibilities are round the clock,

To act not with constraint but always strive

To help all with their needs without a squawk.

The love of Christ is present in you all,

Regardless of your status in the fold.

Not one of you are too high not to fall;

Not one of you are too set to remold.

To oversee the flock you have to be

A servant to them all and happily.

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Feed the flock of God which is among you,

taking the oversight thereof,

not by constraint, but willingly;

not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind

1 Peter 5:2 KJV