1-23-16 One Thousand Horns

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV

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The body of the Lord should work as one,

For schisms and divisions work against

The gospel and the work that should be done

To bring the lost sheep home who were dispensed.

If we’re to be one body and one mind

We ought to preach and teach the selfsame thing.

It does no good if we are misaligned

Like walking when one foot is in a sling.

There is but one true Savior, Jesus Christ;

His words and actions clearly lead the way.

His awesome love for us was well sufficed;

He told us to repent and then obey.

If there’s one thousand horns in battle blown,

Who knows which way to victory is known?

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REMEMBER: These days it is SO important to understand and follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

1-16-16 Beware the Man

³ If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; ⁴ He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, ⁵ Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 KJV

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Beware the man who quarrels with the Word,

Who picks at tiny things and contradicts,

Who makes a show to have his feelings stirred,

Displaying traits the Spirit sure convicts.

He thinks that if you claim it, it is yours,

Especially the things that money buys;

He’ll tell a dirty joke beyond church doors

And never seems to look you in the eyes.

Stay far away as possible, my friend,

For all your wholesome words fall on deaf ears.

Associate with him to no good end;

He is a scourge among his friends and peers.

If Jesus isn’t in his repertoire,

The only thing to say is au revoir.

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REMEMBER: Pray for the contentious, but avoid them whenever possible.

12-5-15 Shew Me Thy Ways

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

Psalm 25:4 KJV

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SHEW ME THY WAYS

Please show me, Lord, Your countless holy ways,

The many mysteries beyond this mind.

When I have left this world with all its days

I’ll have eternity to be inclined.

Until I’m there with You, teach me Your paths,

I’ve faith You’ll shepherd me the whole way Home.

I’ll need Your guidance through the aftermath;

While I’m still in this body I may roam.

Beloved Savior, keep me ‘neath Your wing;

I know Your loving Spirit lies within.

You are my Teacher, Counselor and King:

Please show me, teach me, lead me out and in.

But most of all, have mercy on me, Lord!

I want so many things, this smorgasbord!

10-23-15 Your Days Are Numbered

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 KJV

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The only day you know you have is here,

So set about as if it is your last.

Tomorrow is not promised to appear;

The best day of your life is fading fast.

You know this to be true but still you yawn;

How many days have you survived thus far?

A wise man counts each day as his last dawn

And counts the Lord his only constant star.

The place and time to live is here and now.

Do everything with love while you still can.

The sun tomorrow God may not allow,

So treat today the end of your lifespan.

Get up this instant! Get upon your feet!

Give all that you can give to all you meet!

10-16-15 Hypocrite!

²¹ Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

²² Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

²³ Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

Romans 2:21-23 KJV

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Those Christians who don’t practice what they preach

Are like a blind man with a lamp in hand.

If they walk by just stay out of their reach

Else you be dragged with them into quicksand.

They’ve seen a lot but never really looked, ¹

And love pretending they know what they don’t.

They serve the truth but it tastes undercooked;

Stay far away but be forewarned: they won’t.

We can be hypocrites though ignorant

Until the Holy Spirit checks our walk,

But woe to them who know but live a front;

They do no good and harm the future flock. ²

Call out your brother if he lives a lie.

In doing so make sure you too comply.

1Isaiah 42:20

2 Romans 2:24

10-10-15 Bittersweet

⁸ But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

¹¹ Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

James 3:8-11 KJV

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It’s easier for man to tame a rock

Than teach his tongue to stop its reckless ways.

A stone can learn to sit and stay and balk,

But not the tongue; it runs for days and days.

How many times have words jumped from your mouth

That you regret the instant it is done?

A friendly conversation’s headed south

With just an unplanned phrase or bawdy pun.

If you can hesitate to choose your words,

The tongue might find some worse to say instead.

Best cut it out and feed it to the birds

Or keep a clean, blank slate within your head.

The mind of Christ is possible to gain:

It takes complete surrender to attain.

9-28-15 Foolish and Weak

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25 KJV

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The wisdom of the ages gapes and drools

Compared to just a single word from God,

And all the things they teach in all the schools

Is nothing more than drivel dim and flawed.

If you should seek to know the mind of Christ,

Don’t listen to the babble of a sage.

The men who wrote the scriptures were sufficed

To listen to the Lord in every age.

Both men and empires boast about their might;

They strut across the stage of time to die,

And even when their strength is at its height

A bug can bring them down just passing by.

The man of God is neither fool nor weak

When he stands fast and turns the other cheek.

9-16-15 On Parables

I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old

Psalm 78:2 KJV

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When Jesus spoke in parables He tried

To teach the ways of God in simple terms.

The truth laid bare was too much to abide;

They would not understand much less affirm.

If people of the dark not knowing light

Were told about the sun’s life giving rays,

They’d scratch their heads at words like ‘day’ and ‘bright’

But comprehend a story’s paraphrase.

The deeper truths can’t rest within the mind;

It cannot grasp in whole the Trinity.

The Holy Ghost reveals such things in kind;

It speaks straight to the heart to help us see.

Go out and share the gospel to the world.

A flag is understood when it’s unfurled.

9-4-15 Render

¹⁴ And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

¹⁵ Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

¹⁶ And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.

¹⁷ And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him.

Mark 12:14-17 KJV

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We have an obligation to the world

To give unto the rulers what is theirs.

Whatever flag above us is unfurled,

Obey that government; give them their shares.

We can’t forsake this world while we are here,

And still employ the money of the land.

Rebel and soon officials will appear

Reminding us the debt we owe at hand.

So render unto Caesar what is his,

And render unto God what’s His as well.

If you think taxes are too high as is,

Then use the laws to change it where you dwell.

No matter what the levy is, just pay,

And give your heart to Christ without delay.

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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