2-5-16 Built on Sand

²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7: 26-27 KJV

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How many of us like a foolish man

Who listens to the Word and nods his head,

But keeps instead his own distorted plan

And builds his house without foundation bed.

Just knowing Christ’s commands is not enough;

He needs to be within our hands and feet.

A fancy car without four tires rides rough;

A house built on the sand the floods defeat.

If Jesus is your Lord, then serve Him well;

A servant is no good laid up in bed.

When trouble comes all you can do is yell.

The storms of life will tear your house to shreds.

A tree with meager roots is doomed to fall;

The first time winds descend the tree will sprawl.

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REMEMBER: A strong foundation is built by exercising the will of Christ.

10-20-15 Unclean Spirits

²³ And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

²⁴ Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

²⁵ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

²⁶ And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

²⁷ And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Mark 1:23-27 KJV

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An unclean spirit likes to sow discord

And seeks to own the weakest mind around.

Such fights and arguments are their reward;

Where trouble’s stirred this spirit can be found.

Unless the Holy Spirit fills your heart

Ask Christ to guard your soul or you’ll be next.

They spot a child of God and then will start

To try to tear you down and leave you vexed.

The Savior lives within so call His name!

The Holy Ghost will lead you through this scene.

He might have you rebuke it out in shame

Or lead the man possessed to Christ to clean.

You’re led to where you’re needed most of all.

Let Christ stay in control and heed His call.

10-13-15 A Meditation of Him

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Psalm 104:34 KJV

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I clear my mind from troubled, thorny thoughts,

And feel the Holy Spirit full within;

While all the world around me plans and plots,

The peace of God descends and we begin.

I meditate upon my sovereign Lord,

My Master, my Redeemer and my Friend;

His love and words strike deep and I’m restored.

His glory lights my way; there is no end.

The blood my Master shed, His sacrifice,

I cannot comprehend its depth or scope.

He suffered so for me, God’s asking price.

My faith in Him is real; I’m filled with hope.

Consider all the ways of Christ the King,

And He will lift you up; your heart will sing!

1-21-15 Our Refuge and Strength

When trouble comes, and we all know it’s here,

There is no better help than Jesus Christ.

Just call His name, there’s nothing more to fear,

Though Satan seeks to have your angst enticed.

Draw strength from Jesus, He is all you need;

His guidance gets you through the greatest trial.

With calm assurance Christ has you succeed;

The evil of this world cannot beguile.

Discord and discontent are now the norm,

But when you keep the Savior out in front

You’ll find refuge against the daily storm;

He fortifies your soul against affront.

In Jesus you are safe; on Him depend.

In darkest night there is no better friend.

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God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 KJV

1-15-15 Be of Good Cheer

Whatever trouble has you far from shore,

Whenever you’re adrift in need of aid,

Wherever life has left you with no oar,

The Savior’s standing there; “be not afraid”.

There is no place that Jesus cannot go,

There is no problem that is too severe,

There is no question asked that He won’t know,

Don’t worry half as much; “be of good cheer”.

Just when you think that you are all alone,

Just when you sink your head and start to cry,

Just when your heart’s as heavy as a stone,

You’ll hear the voice of Jesus: “It is I”.

And as you dream of meeting Him one day,

He’s with you even now, not far away.

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And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them,

walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,

they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit;

and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying,

Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Matthew 14:25-27 KJV

1-2-15 Take Refuge

If life has thrown you down to trample on,

If everything you do just makes things worse,

If you are at your end and hope is gone,

Take refuge in the Lord, He’s not adverse.

If peace and plenty seem so far away,

If others beat you up and tear you down,

If trouble follows you both night and day,

Take refuge in the Lord, He holds your crown.

If all your worries follow you around,

If you are lost and don’t know what to do,

If all you wish is simply to be found,

Take refuge in the Lord, He’ll see you through.

If you are so oppressed and you need aid,

Take refuge in the Lord, don’t be afraid.

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The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,

a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 9:9 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

10-20-14 The Lord’s Prayer 05a: Deliver Us

O Father, save us from temptation’s snare,

The kind that lead us far away from You.

If You must test us, help us stay aware

Your trials help to keep us wise and true.

The Devil may attempt to feed us doubt;

He may tempt to distrust the Holy Ghost.

O God, though trouble circles us about,

Deliver us from evil’s hoary boast.

Emancipate our minds from wicked thoughts

And save our souls from Satan’s hateful ways;

Your Son and our Redeemer Jesus taught

That we should call on You, God, when we pray.

So lead us not into temptation’s hold.

Deliver us from evil, make us bold.

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And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil

Matthew 6:13 KJV

7-12-14 My Friend

Though troubled times may come to try your soul,

Or enemies with hatred apprehend;

If grief comes down and seems to take control,

You know that I will always be your friend.

The winds of change sometimes are harsh and cold,

With bitter nights when loneliness descend;

When strife and pain surround to scream and scold,

Just think of me and I’ll be there, my friend.

Adversity comes quick and then moves slow

And never seems to leave or show an end;

It’s times like these you know just where to go,

I’m here for you my brother and my friend.

The love we share endures through trial or trends;

There’s nothing like the bond between two friends.

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A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

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