2-23-16 On Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 KJV

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You go to bed assured that you will wake;

A pregnant woman knows her child will come;

You drool just thinking of that chocolate cake;

Guitarists play the song before they strum.

Now, faith is not believing it will be,

It’s knowing that it is before it is.

I do not have to touch, don’t have to see

To know that Jesus lives; my heart is His.

It was by faith Christ calmed the tempest sea,

By faith He made the blind man see anew.

Within the grace of God you’ll find the key:

You live by faith in everything you do.

In faith you have the truth to set you free.

The tiny seed contains the mighty tree.

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REMEMBER: Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. (D. Elton Trueblood)

2-4-16 Laying Our Foundation

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matthew 7:24-25 KJV

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We all are building our eternal home,

And as you know location’s everything.

The world and all that’s in it is as loam,

And heaven is the rock of Christ our king.

The carpenter from Nazareth knows best

Where we should lay our home’s foundation base.

With His instructions we’ll be double blessed:

We’ll be entrenched between His love and grace.

When troubles come upon us like a storm,

And rain and flood and winds do beat and knock,

We’ll be inside with Jesus safe and warm,

For nothing can prevail against this Rock.

The rock of our salvation is in Christ.

Let’s build our home on Him and be sufficed.

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REMEMBER: The foundation of your heavenly home is built by doing His commandments.

12-4-15 Fount of Your Ways

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

Job 34:11 KJV

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FOUNT OF YOUR WAYS

If you are turning daily toward the One,

Your mind and words and hands reflect His love.

There is no question what His grace has done;

There is no doubt at all what you’re part of.

Good deeds themselves does not a good man make;

God knows the kind of water that you drink.

You may in all your works sure take the cake

But if you guzzle sin you still will sink.

Through grace you’re born in Christ, by faith you live;

Your acts, though meager, show a water pure,

And from this living fountainhead you give, ^{(John 7:38)}

And it will multiply and long endure.

God will not judge a man by works alone. ^{(Ephesians 2:9)}

The source of nourishment will soon be known.

10-5-15 The Best of Friends

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

John 15:15 KJV

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A servant knows not what his Lord has planned;

Until he’s notified, he’ll stay the course.

A friend will share with friend intent firsthand

So there are no surprises, no remorse.

Companions seek to help each other out;

Good news to one will be good news to all.

When Christ becomes your friend there is no doubt

He’ll lead you Home Himself so you don’t fall.

Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus Christ!

He loves us more than we could ever know.

He is your confidant so rare sufficed;

Reveal your heart to Him and watch it grow.

With Jesus you have got the best of friends

Just take the hand that He for you extends.

10-02-15 These Stumbling Times

¹⁰ He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

¹¹ But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:10-11 KJV

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There is no question these are darker times

Than all the days this world has ever known.

The moral structure failed, there are more crimes,

The stench of sin makes all the earth to groan.

There’s so much hate we see it in the air;

The people that you pass won’t look at you.

Sweet life has lost it’s value; most don’t care,

As if we’ve all gone blind and can’t see through.

The only hope we have is Jesus Christ;

He lights the way with nothing less than love,

And here the grace of God is so sufficed;

Believe in Him and see the way above.

It’s not so hard to love our brother when

We have the perfect light of Christ within.

5-10-15 The Glory of God

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,

do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV

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God’s glory is the end of all His deeds;

The fact that you are here is proof of that.

You count on Him for all your wants and needs,

He always knows exactly where you’re at.

Acknowledge God in everything you do,

For by His Grace and Mercy you are here.

When Jesus walked the earth He always knew

God’s glory was the goal to persevere.

You glorify our God in Jesus’ name,

When you do anything with Him in mind.

Your love in deed and word gives God acclaim,

And when you share the gospel love’s refined.

Give glory to the Lord with every prayer;

Give glory when you breathe His precious air.

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sonnet #356

4-30-15 Our Advocate

Have faith in Jesus and His precious blood,

For He that died for you is still at work;

He knows that you while here walk through the mud

And can’t avoid all sin when in this murk.

So justified by Christ’s own righteousness,

The Spirit will convict you of your sin;

Then go to God in prayer your sin confess,

And Christ, the Perfect One, will step right in.

He bore the sins of you and everyone,

And took them to the cross for all our sake.

We have an advocate with God: the Son;

The feast in Heaven we can then partake.

When you give Christ your heart He’ll vouch for you;

His word’s as good as gold, He’s tried and true.

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¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2 KJV

 

sonnet #346

4-27-15 Greater Than Our Heart

Our conscience will remind us of our past,

To call us guilty o’er and o’er again.

It’s first to blame, but to forgive it’s last,

And quick to say repentance is in vain.

But if our heart condemns us, don’t despair:

God’s greater than our hearts and knows all things.

The final judgment happens over there,

And trumps the heart of paupers and of kings.

The conscience points to worthlessness and death,

The Holy Ghost will show us God forgives.

The sorrow of the world will steal our breath;

Conviction leads to Christ – with Him we live!

Thus Satan will accuse and say we’re wrong,

Yet Jesus says we’re His, where we belong.

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For if our heart condemn us,

God is greater than our heart,

and knoweth all things.

1 John 3:20 KJV

Sonnet #343

3-20-15 A Matter of the Mind

Without the grace of God hate does increase;

The world around you clangs cacophany,

But you who share the mind of Christ have peace,

Conducting your affairs in harmony.

Don’t fool yourself in thinking you’re the best;

The least among the least walk with the Lord.

Associate with those who are oppressed

For this is where God’s treasure will be stored.

If you think you are wise then think again;

Most children have more wisdom in their toes.

Put all your faith in Christ and keep thoughts plain;

The answers that you seek the Savior knows.

Submit your mind to God and keep it there

The key to your success is kept in prayer.

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Be of the same mind one toward another.

Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.

Be not wise in your own conceits.

Romans 12:16 KJV

12-8-14 A Strong Hold

The Lord is good to us despite our ways,

And when we need Him he is always here,

Especially amid these troubled days,

When Satan runs amok and people cheer.

Place all your trust in God to see you through;

He loves you as a Father loves His child.

He is a safe refuge you can run to

When evil rules the Earth and you’re reviled.

So when temptation’s knocking at your door

To join the crowd or face the Hounds of Hell,

God will protect you from the frantic roar;

His good and faithful hold will guard you well.

The Lord knows where you are, just call His name;

He’s just a prayer away, a constant flame.

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The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;

and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Nahum 1:7 KJV