10-21-15 Partiality

¹ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

² For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

³ And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

⁴ Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

James 2:1-4 KJV

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In church we always want to look our best;

We’ve got our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes,

But there’s a fellow that’s so poorly dressed

His only suit’s so worn his elbows shows.

I promise you someone in church will gasp,

Will roll their eyes, then whisper to a friend.

Don’t be the one to shun the poor man’s grasp;

Please don’t compare him to the latest trend.

The Savior doesn’t see a rag from gloss;

A tattered shirt’s the same as Vera Wang.

It all is level at the bloody cross;

He only wore our sins when He did hang.

A judging heart is evil at its best;

See all alike and you’ll be surely blessed.

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.

9-29-15 Lighten Up!

³⁴ The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

³⁵ Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

³⁶ If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Luke 11:34-36 KJV

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Your body would be lost without your eyes;

They take in light to get you to and fro.

Take in the light of Christ and darkness dies;

You’ll see the Savior everywhere you go.

Make Jesus your Redeemer and His blood

Like light eradicates your shadowed sins.

His love is an illuminated flood

To guide you on this new life that begins.

Be sure your eyes are single on the Lord

For if you look away you’ll surely stray.

If lost don’t fear, you’re both of one accord;

Just call on Jesus, He’ll turn night to day.

God gave you eyes so you can see His Son;

You’ll see His love is brighter than the sun.

8-24-15 Bringing Sight

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Luke 18:42 KJV

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The blind are all around you, look and see.

They stumble through their life within the dark,

But tell them this, they bellow “Let me be!”

They take offense at every kind remark.

The light of Jesus lives within you now,

So take the bushel off and let it shine!

It radiates to those who will allow

The gospel to be shared, the truth divine.

Someone will stumble forward reaching out

With faith that Christ alone can give them sight.

The quick’ning of the Spirit makes them shout

As they are saved and finally see the light.

The blind are all around you, but be brave

And let your light so shine; its love will save.

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sonnet #446

6-14-15 On Priorities

²¹ And another of his disciples said unto him,

Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

²² But Jesus said unto him, Follow me;

and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 8:21-22 KJV

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When Jesus calls you come and follow Him

And He has set about you plans and goals,

Don’t step aside – don’t drop your voice mid hymn,

To do the work that’s meant for other souls.

You may think it important that you go,

And there are times appropriate for this,

But when Christ marks a path to undergo,

To look behind while plowing is to miss.

When Jesus lived He had no time to wait;

Disciples fell away and ne’er came back.

I pray when you’re with Him you keep His gait,

And let somebody else take up the slack.

The presence of the Master trumps the dead;

Let others do the burying instead.

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sonnet #389

5-18-15 On Seeking Signs

³⁸ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

³⁹ But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas

Matthew 12:38-39 KJV

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There still are those today who look for signs,

For they don’t have the Spirit faith reveals;

They seek some thund’rous roar and light that shines

And still would turn to court with their appeals.

But just as Jesus said so long so ago,

The only sign He’d show the cheating crowd,

Like Jonah three days in the fish below,

He’d lay inside a tomb under the shroud.

Then, O, the miracle our Saviour wrought!

Within the gut of death three days gone by,

He then came back to life as He once taught

To show us all we never have to die.

To those who seek a sign ere they believe,

The resurrected Christ their faith should cleave.

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sonnet #363

5-3-15 Consider Your Ways

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts;

Consider your ways.

Haggai 1:5 KJV

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Observe your life and look at what you’ve wrought.

Now take another look just to be sure.

Consider all your ills as well you ought,

And then consider looking for a cure.

You plant but don’t have plans to yield a crop;

You eat, but you are still not satisfied;

You drink but don’t enjoy the final drop;

You’re cold but then you dress in just your pride.

You earn but put your cash in bags with holes;

The more you look, the less that you do find.

Now ask yourself who sits at the controls;

The temple burns but you don’t seem to mind.

If what you’re doing doesn’t seem to fly,

Put Jesus in control – don’t pass Him by.

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4-8-15 How Great You Are!

As far as we can see are galaxies,

Yet when our eyes look to things very small

The atoms mirrors galaxies with ease,

And wonder fills our spirits and enthral.

O Lord, how great Your works in everything!

The flea, the sun, the rose, the forest deep.

Amazing more the insights that You bring;

How great Your thoughts, the wisdom that You keep!

You’ve known us since before we came to be;

Can look into the hearts of all at once.

The secrets of the universe You see!

The smartest of us all is just a dunce.

I dare consider all Thy hands have made,

That You can just say “BE” and it’s displayed!

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O LORD, how great are thy works! 

and thy thoughts are very deep.

Psalm 92:5 KJV

1-7-15 I Look Unto You

My God! I know that You will hear my prayer!

You know how cold and grey the world can be,

With bitter blood and hatred everywhere.

I look unto You, Lord; please help me see.

My enemies encircle night and day;

They hate the light and love from You through me.

Forgive them now, they know not what they say.

I look unto You, Lord; please hear my plea.

No matter what the cost, I’ll wait for You;

One day You will return and set me free!

The promises You made are coming true.

I look unto You, Lord, on bended knee.

O God of my salvation unafraid,

The love I have for You will never fade.

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Therefore I will look unto the LORD;

I will wait for the God of my salvation:

my God will hear me.

Micah 7:7 KJV