2-23-16 On Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 KJV

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You go to bed assured that you will wake;

A pregnant woman knows her child will come;

You drool just thinking of that chocolate cake;

Guitarists play the song before they strum.

Now, faith is not believing it will be,

It’s knowing that it is before it is.

I do not have to touch, don’t have to see

To know that Jesus lives; my heart is His.

It was by faith Christ calmed the tempest sea,

By faith He made the blind man see anew.

Within the grace of God you’ll find the key:

You live by faith in everything you do.

In faith you have the truth to set you free.

The tiny seed contains the mighty tree.

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REMEMBER: Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. (D. Elton Trueblood)

2-20-16 Last Chance

⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Revelation 14:6-7 KJV

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Behold! Those great and fearful days will come,

The tribulation of those left behind,

Without the Holy Ghost to then become

Convicted of the Truth as so defined.

The Gospel will be spread to everyone

In every tongue that dwells upon the earth,

Salvation by the blood of Christ the Son,

As God so loved the world to bring rebirth.

The choice must then be made to choose the Lord,

To worship Him that made the universe,

Or so remain among the heathen horde

And so be judged with death and even worse.

Fear God! The angel cried across the land,

Choose now behind which banner you shall stand!

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REMEMBER: Come to the cross now without delay!

2-9-16 Hear Hear

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Mark 4:24 KJV

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Attend to all the teachings of the Lord,

For they’re designed to bring you home to God.

Be diligent that what you learn is stored,

Then share them with all men near and abroad.

The more that you distribute of the Word,

A greater portion of the Word’s revealed.

Attune your heart to living what you’ve heard;

You’ll find the harvest brings a greater yield.

The Holy Spirit leads you to the truth,

Then tells you what it means if you just hear.

You do not have to be a brilliant sleuth;

Just listen with your heart and all is clear.

The more you give the more you shall be given.

This economic lesson’s Jesus-driven.

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REMEMBER: The more you love unconditionally, substantially more love will return to you.

1-22-16 Consider All God’s Done For You

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24 KJV

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Consider all that God has done for you!

With His eternal grace you’re given breath;

The joy of love that comes to you anew.

He gave His Son so you through Him’s no death.

So serve the Lord in truth with all your heart!

Submit your will to Him new every day;

Be humble in your duties from the start.

Remember He is all you need today.

With great affection only fear the Lord!

Now love Him as a child will love her Dad;

Simplistic awe and worship in accord,

In reverential yearning pure and glad.

Consider all God’s done with gratitude.

Give everything you do this attitude.

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REMEMBER: He is all you need today.

1-18-16 Known by His Fruit

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:33 KJV

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To know a man just watch his words and deeds,

For he can’t hide the nature of his heart.

An evil sort’s revealed by his misdeeds;

A poisoned well its harm will sure impart.

A fruit will show what kind of tree it’s from;

You cannot harvest olives from the ground.

Guitarists bare their talent when they thrum,

And you can tell a good one from his sound.

True Christians will exhibit Christ within;

The body of their works His presence shows.

They cannot be successful in their sin;

The essence of His truth and love still flows.

The blind can tell a fruit by taste and feel.

See Jesus with His works in you reveal.

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REMEMBER: Jesus lives within you. Get out of the way so He can live through you.

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.

1-15-16 The Tick Behind the Talk

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Proverbs 23:7 KJV

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A man will make a statement through his tongue,

But what he thinks may be another thing.

Beware the motives that his lie has sprung,

Lest somewhere down the road you’ll feel its sting.

When Jesus walked the earth he always knew

The real intent within each person’s heart.

Discretion comes from knowing what is true,

And truth’s the Word of God that won’t depart.

The more you pray the more God’s wisdom will be known,

For half of prayer is listening patiently,

And through the mind of Christ you will be shown

The mainspring of a man; yea, more than he.

When you’re connected to the Word of God,

You will not be distracted by a fraud.

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REMEMBER: We do not merely contend with the lies of men – we fight against the Father of lies, Satan.

1-12-16 Speaking Of

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:6 KJV

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May every word proceeding from your lips

Be spoken as if Christ is next to you.

Beware of foolish talk and vulgar rips

Or doublespeak that might be misconstrued.

Instead let grace be voiced to every man,

With all sincerity and prudent truth,

And let it be as savory as you can

Without an angry edge or as uncouth.

When you let Spirit tell you what to say,

The mind of Christ with love will manifest,

So learn to be in tune the prayerful way,

And both you and the hearer will be blessed.

As salt brings taste be tasteful in your speech.

The Savior’s words are well within your reach.

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REMEMBER: When you are in accord with Jesus, He will speak through you.

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.

Love in Deed and Truth

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18 KJV

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LOVE IN DEED AND TRUTH

There’s nothing wrong in giving love with words,

But that should not be all you ever do,

Like in your hunger getting some cheese curds

When what you really needed was hot stew.

If words were silver, actions would be gold,

And loving deeds like diamonds cut and new.

To truly love is often to be bold:

A selfless act will show your love is true.

When you love Jesus you become like Him,

And He came not to be served but to serve.

So go throughout your day a living hymn

And give to all you meet with loving verve.

An “I love you” is music to the ears;

To show it is a symphony for years.

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REMEMBER: What Jesus did on the cross for you proves that actions speak louder than words.