2-8-16 Strengthen and Protect

But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NAS

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The Lord is faithful when no others are,

And what He says He’ll do you know He will.

The covenants He forms outlasts the stars;

The promises He makes He shall fulfill.

No matter where you go there Jesus is:

Ten thousand suns within the darkest night.

No need to fear at all, for you are His;

He’ll strengthen you from all of Satan’s might.

The Savior is your armor and your shield,

Protecting you completely with His love.

The evil one can’t help but bow and yield,

For your security’s from up above.

The devil has no power over you,

For Christ is both your rock and shelter, too.

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REMEMBER: You can trust the Trustworthy One.

1-13-16 On Tilling

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Proverbs 28:19 KJV

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If you would have success then go to school,

And plant the seeds of knowledge in your mind.

A fallow intellect becomes a fool,

Where weed and brier thinking is entwined.

If you would be in love then make a friend,

And cultivate affection and regard.

To blindly plow will meet with no good end;

Whatever grows most likely will be marred.

If you would know the Lord then practice prayer,

And water both your heart and soul with tears.

A parched relationship leads to despair;

You’ll just eat bitter fruit throughout the years.

The land that’s rightly tilled will yield good bread.

Don’t place the ass behind the plow instead.

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REMEMBER: Whatsoever a man sows, he shall also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

1-8-16 The Great Physician

¹⁶ And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mark 2:16-17 KJV

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When you are sick you need a doctor’s care,

For he knows how to bring you back to health.

A broken bone can give you quite a scare;

He knows just how to mend it – that’s his wealth.

When Adam disobeyed it all began,

This plague called sin, a terminal disease.

It permeates the soul of every man,

And keeps us from our God despite our pleas.

The Great Physician came to make us whole.

He had to yield His life and shed His blood.

When we submit to Jesus Christ our soul,

Then we are healed beneath the cleansing flood.

The only way to Heaven’s to get well;

The only remedy: in Jesus dwell.

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REMEMBER: Jesus bore ALL your sins on that cruel cross so that you might be made whole through Him.

12-30-15 The Party Scene

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Isaiah 5:12 KJV

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It seems as if the party scene is cool:

The thumping bass is felt down in your bones,

But if you don’t go with them you’re a fool;

Your name won’t be a contact on their phones.

The wings and pizza make up quite a feast;

The beer flows freely, so do all the drugs,

But they don’t know the Lord, they serve the Beast;

You mention Jesus, all you get are shrugs.

Those partyers are lost unless they yield

To Someone greater than their Insta friends.

If they don’t turn to Christ their fates are sealed.

Keep trying to get through; God’s grace transcends.

Don’t get caught up- you’ll surely get dragged down.

If you share Christ with them they may not drown.

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REMEMBER: Don’t get caught up in the party scene. To some of them, you might be the closest thing to Christ they’ll ever know.

9-6-15 You’re Being Watched

And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Genesis 39:3 KJV

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When you go through this day do not forget

The light of Christ is shining through your deeds,

And others see there’s something special yet,

In all you say and do a peace proceeds.

Remember that to most you represent

The closest thing to Jesus they will know.

Those hungry for the Word will soon relent

To find out what it is that makes you go.

When Jesus lives through you it surely shows,

Especially the moments love’s revealed.

The Holy Spirit is affirmed in those

Who feel the fire and begin to yield.

You have a deep responsibility

To serve the Lord and act as His trustee.

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7-6-15 On Obedience

⁵¹ And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.

⁵² Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

⁵³ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Matthew 26:51-53 KJV

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The sacrificial Lamb, obedient,

Stood ready to be given up for you,

Could call for legioned angels to be sent

To save Him from the death that would ensue.

But no, this was not time to wield a sword;

The days of ‘eye for eye’ had passed away.

Christ came to yield His life, our sovereign Lord;

The pure unspotted Lamb would have His day.

The sins of all the world would soon be borne

Upon the shoulders of the Lamb of God,

Then beaten, bloody, His whole body torn

Was bound for victory with love to laud.

The sword was put away as so much dross

And in its stead was glory on the cross.

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sonnet #407

6-26-15 Obedience

³ If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

⁴ Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:3-4 KJV

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There’s one true guarantee of your success:

Salvation comes when you accept God’s Son.

No other way will free you from this mess

Resulting from the sin we all have spun.

Obey the Lord in every way you can;

The scriptures and the Spirit show the way.

Be sure that He will bless you in His plan;

You’ll get just what you need from day to day.

Your tears may fall like rain in seasoned strife,

But they increase the yield of later joy.

By following the Savior in this life

The seeds of love bring fruit you will enjoy.

If you will walk the way of God’s commands,

The crops you plant today will soon be grand.

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sonnet #399

5-3-15 Consider Your Ways

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts;

Consider your ways.

Haggai 1:5 KJV

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Observe your life and look at what you’ve wrought.

Now take another look just to be sure.

Consider all your ills as well you ought,

And then consider looking for a cure.

You plant but don’t have plans to yield a crop;

You eat, but you are still not satisfied;

You drink but don’t enjoy the final drop;

You’re cold but then you dress in just your pride.

You earn but put your cash in bags with holes;

The more you look, the less that you do find.

Now ask yourself who sits at the controls;

The temple burns but you don’t seem to mind.

If what you’re doing doesn’t seem to fly,

Put Jesus in control – don’t pass Him by.

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4-3-15 It’s Now or Never

The battle lines are drawn, the challenge made

That who is not with Christ is now His foe.

All those who hate the Word will taste His blade;

The blood of evil will begin to flow.

The Shepherd that is Good now gathers near

The sheep that hear His voice and heed His call,

But wolves still scour the Earth fomenting fear,

To scatter with their lies the ones who stall.

There is so little time to save the rest:

Your friends and family and strangers, too.

More knees should bend and sinners be confessed;

Today might be the day it all comes true.

The Shepherd calls your name across the field.

Please harken to His voice and gently yield.

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He that is not with me is against me;

and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Matthew 12:30 KJV

7-8-14 All (a Sonnet)

Consider all the things you now possess,

The creature comforts, all you hold most dear,

Including friends so close that you profess

And fam’ly most of all that you revere.

Now choose the thing or person in your heart

That you love more and cherish most of all,

And ask yourself sincere if this you’d part

If God would have you yield and heed His call.

You must be willing to concede today

Your fortune, friends and all your loved ones here,

To do the will of God without delay

And even life itself to thus adhere.

He calls you to surrender to His will,

And all you ask of Him He will fulfill.

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“…My lord, O king, according to thy saying,

I am thine, and all that I have.”

1 King 20:4 KJV

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