5-5-15 The Love of God

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 KJV

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

Of all of the uncertainties of life,

And there is nothing certain, not but one:

The love of God, through peace and change and strife,

Is absolutely true and not undone.

Not life or death will kill His love at all,

Nor angels, kings or principalities,

No power in the universe at all

Can stop His love in time or in degrees.

Not heaven, earth or hell can end God’s love,

No creature in the sky or earth below.

It’s easier to count the stars above

Than find one thing His love can’t overthrow.

The love of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Is undeniable across the board.

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #351

3-27-15 Increase and Abound

May Jesus cause your spirit to abound

As He becomes more present in your life,

To make the gospel message to be found

Among the mass of men who live in strife.

As Christ abides in you may love increase,

To be a servant of humanity,

Not thinking of yourself, providing peace,

To show that Jesus lives for all to see.

May God give grace on all you say and do,

And may you live in gratitude each day;

May your love grow like our love grows toward you

And Spirit to expand each time you pray.

When you give of yourself unselfishly

The light of Christ will spark a jubilee.

~~~~~~~~~~~

And the Lord make you to increase and abound

in love one toward another,

and toward all men,

even as we do toward you

1 Thessalonians 3:12 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~

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

1-13-15 God or Bust

Unless the Lord is present count it dead

Whatever that is built with human hands;

It may exist a thousand years ahead

But might as well be built with desert sand.

A city that’s forgotten God is doomed

Like Sodom and Gormorrah full of sin;

Then soon by wickedness it is consumed,

As dead inside as though it’s never been.

Invite the Lord to sanction all you do,

And let His Spirit guide your heart and mind;

The earthly things that honor God are true,

And all without His love will fall behind.

Let God build both your church and family,

And everywhere you go, there He will be.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Except the LORD build the house,

they labour in vain that build it:

except the LORD keep the city,

the watchman waketh but in vain.

Psalm 127:1 KJV

11-6-14 Today is Enough

Tomorrow is not given any man,

As life itself cannot be guaranteed.

You waste your life if all you do is plan;

You starve today if morrow’s all you feed.

The troubles of this day are just enough

To keep you needing God within the now.

The devil will distract with other stuff,

But don’t let future woes weigh on your brow.

Reach out your arms, the present is right here;

This moment you are surely not alone.

With Jesus at your side there’s naught to fear;

Tomorrow you might be before His throne.

The things still yet to come you shouldn’t fret;

Today is all you need and all you get.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:34 KJV

101514 Not Worthy

Imagine that the first day of the year

Is filled with nothing but calamity,

But all the days that follow full of cheer;

To count the year a blessing you’d agree.

No matter how you suffer in this life,

If you’re a child of God it’s worth the grief.

It seems to last forever, but this strife

Compared to life eternal ’tis but brief.

And those unsaved that call this living hell,

If they think this is bad they’ve just to wait.

Anticipating joy, the saved know well

The promise God has made the next estate.

This life is full of pain, there is no doubt;

The bliss that lies ahead will make you shout.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy 

to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18 KJV