1-7-16 On Discipline

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 KJV

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With faith disciples of the Lord do live,

Yet recognize responsibilities,

To love their neighbor and to quick forgive,

To represent the Lord by all degrees.

In common conversation speak your mind,

But make sure that your mind’s the mind of Christ.

No foolish, idle, vulgar words in kind;

Just speak the gospel truth and be sufficed.

The mind is like a monkey in a cage;

If it’s not on a leash it’s Satan’s pet.

With scripture and in silent prayer your gauge,

The mind of Christ will be your best asset.

The Lord is your redeemer and your strength;

Your thoughts and words should be in His wavelength.

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REMEMBER: Keep your thoughts and words on Jesus; lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance, comfort and understanding.

12-10-15 On Ignorance

¹³ Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:13-14 KJV

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ON IGNORANCE

Your ignorance is no excuse to sin

But is instead the well from which sin springs.

Before you made the choice and let Christ in

You drank the darkness, thought it everything.

You fled from all conviction like a thief;

The gospel words you heard picked up the chase,

And though your ignorance fed unbelief

The love of God was patient with His grace.

No matter who you were or what you did,

When you came to the cross, surrendered all,

The mercy of the Lord your sins did rid;

Abundant faith and love in Him sprang tall.

Your neighbor might be ignorant in sin.

Go share the gospel now; let it begin.

12-7-15 Mocked

I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

Job 12:4 KJV

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Beware, the days are here when you are mocked

For standing on your Christian principles,

And even other Christians will concoct

The wildest things about you from their skulls.

Don’t dare defend yourself from such a crowd,

For they are fools, and fools are hard to change.

Just listen to the Lord and don’t be cowed;

The godliest of souls have all been strange.

The sort who love to gossip matter not,

It’s those who love the Lord live in your heart.

It will not matter what the scorners thought

When all is said and done the truth impart.

Be bold, be upright and believe in Christ.

Your faith in Him is worth the sacrifice.

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

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

5-22-15 Hand in Hand

⁴ I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

⁵ Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints

Philemon 1:4-5 KJV

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When Christ said love your neighbor as yourself

And then to love each other as He them,

This truth He spoke should not be on a shelf,

But shown to all the world a precious gem.

Faith knows that all is well, as Christ is true,

And faith with love go surely hand in hand;

Confess your faith and give your love anew;

You can’t have one without the other fanned.

If you believe in love, you’re halfway there;

Now love what you believe to mark the way.

Put all your faith in Jesus; don’t despair,

For His great love for you is here to stay.

Both faith and love are gifts of God’s good grace;

When used together then you’ll win the race.

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sonnet #367

Life Eternal (for a friend)

I walk up to the casket of a friend

Whose life and loves I barely even knew

And as I view his body at its end

I wonder if he knew the Savior, too.

A stranger comes and stands beside me there;

His smile is warm, his eyes are full of light.

He says “Here lies a man that really cared,

Who always strove to treat his neighbor right.

He came across as strict but ever fair.

No, as a man he was not sinless pure,

But he was intimate with God in prayer;

He loved the Savior deeply to be sure.

He has a life eternal with the Lord:

His faith in Christ was where his wealth was stored.”

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And this is life eternal,

that they might know Thee the only true God,

and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3 KJV

12-31-14 You’ll Surely Know

To know beyond a doubt if you love God,

Observe your life and see the fruit you bear.

If you shun His commandments you’re a fraud;

How can you claim to love if you don’t care?

God’s moral laws are still in place today,

And done sincere in faith, His light shines through.

Look to the edicts Jesus did convey,

Your neighbor should you love, your brother, too.

You must love God with everything you’ve got,

And if you do believe Christ died for you,

Submit your life to Him as Spirit wrought;

A new man will emerge: you’ll know it’s true.

You’ll know that you know Him without a doubt

If you keep His commandments all throughout.

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And hereby we do know that we know him,

if we keep his commandments

1 John 2:3 KJV

7-9-14 Liar, Liar

How can you claim to really love the Lord

When hatred for your neighbor flows within?

Like claiming peace upon a bloody sword,

Such paradox reveals your filthy sin.

If you desire to show your love for God

You must forgive your brother all his faults.

If not, the flame that burns is but a fraud

Revealing that it’s you whom you exalt.

Look deep within your heart for enmity

And pluck it out at once this very day.

A Lover cannot harbour enemies;

As vinegar in wine, it does betray.

Tis better to confess a troubled soul

Than claiming to be well when you’re not whole.

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If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

For the person who does not love his brother he has seen

cannot love the God he has not seen.

1 John 4:20

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