The Lord reigns over fear

Fear overwhelms us

Takes control

Drags us along the crooked and perverse

passages

over rocks

pebbles

we stumble upon

missing,

and falling

deep

withdrawing

into cocoons

the unknown

scares us

We want to know

what will be tomorrow

today

yet we do not

God knows

All

In knowing

for ourselves

all He knows

wouldn't greater fear

protrude its

ugly head?

Is it not safer

Are we not more secure

alas, even more confident

if / when

fear envelopes us

we look upward

to Him

Him

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord of all

of life

of death

of fear

of courage

of strength

of love

Look upward!

and pray

share your concerns, your worry, your fears

with The One

who does understand

Seek the meaning of His Word for you

Believe in His promises

of hope and a better tomorrow

Believe in Him

In His Love for you.

He has conquered fear

and death

He is The Overcomer

Fear does not belong

here

For if / since

we are one

with Him

through Faith

we have His peace

His peace

His love

Peace.

Whatever comes

God knows all

and we are surrounded

by His presence,

His love

and that is enough.

We face an unknown

our fear escalates

But the fear within us

will dissipate, yield and fade

Freedom reigns

through faith

in the strong and living Savior

The Lord Jesus Christ.

(c) May 7, 2011

God's will or yours?

"And lo, I am with you always.'' - Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

God's will ... different?

Can it be

Is it true

What we believe to be God's will one day

may not be another day.

How can we

follow the path

we believe God has laid out for us

if it may change at a moment's notice

Have you stopped to consider ...

We can follow the Lord, yes,

but we each can make changes,

detours along the way

that may prove to be

vastly different from God's plan.

Have we asked God

about the detour we ponder taking

or have we made our own decision

Is it right or or is it wrong --

to seek God's will

perhaps find it

but ignore it

to discredit it

to say no, God's doesn't know.

I know.

God's will ... different?

Perhaps it is our will

that is different

out of step

not in tune with His

If we are really His believers,

His followers,

living under His truth,

in obedience to Him,

our will would be His will.

We would look anew

every day

at what He

has to say

to us.

We would continually

ask of Him ...

Lord, is this the way?

Lord, what will you have for me today?

Lord, show me how to get out of this pity party.

Lord, where do you want me to go today?

Lord, who do you want me to be a blessing to today?

Lord, is this the job you want me to continue?

Lord, what is your desire for me this day?

"Lo, I am with your always"

Jesus tells us

Where are we

Are we with Him?

Have we forgotten

what He has taught us

Do we follow and listen

only to the sounds

of our steps

within our heart and mind,

within our personal observations

and experiences

Or,

can we truthfully say

we seek God's will

and rejoice when we do find

(c) May 14, 2011

The call

The call

extended

The answer

given

Obediently

I go

from a life

past lived

to one anew

Learning,

growing,

fellowship

sweet

Faith blossoms

with Him

as my Lord

and me

as His child

(c) May 24, 2011 

Room for Jesus

There was no room

No place

Not for His mother Mary

Nor His stepdad Joseph

Not for Himself

The Christ Child

Infant Holy

There was no room

No place

Foxes had holes

Birds had nests

But for the Son of Man

There was no place

to dwell and rest

He had the whole world

and has it still

For He, God Almighty

formed it from nothing

Our Creator is He

But there is no room

No place

The Call extended

to you and you and you

to become like Christ

There is no room

No place

No home on earth

to call his own

We, His followers

To Go Forth

to be His witnesses

to everyone

and everywhere --

within our community

our city or state

or another more distant

with cultures beyond our own

To Seek

the poor,

the sorrowful,

the weak,

the hungry,

the thirsty,

the lame,

the blind,

the disillusioned and misguided

to show all

the way

to Him, Our Eternal Savior.

There is no room

There is no place

Except within our hearts

It is our choice

to invite Him, The Holy Spirit,

into our hearts

a place to abide

to dwell and rest

a place to call home

a place of life

There was no room

There was no place

But there can be ...

When you accept God's call

When you give your heart to Him

Won't you give Him room

a place

to be Lord of your life?

(c) June 13, 2011

Who in the world ...?

The world changed

when

Adam and Eve

no longer

followed God

when

Adam and Eve

listened

to the voice of a serpent

when

Adam and Eve

reasoned

God did not know All

when

Adam and Eve

sinned.

As the world changed

the people

followed

their own desires and interests

the people

listened

to their peers

the people

reasoned

they could find a way out of the chaos

the people's

choice

was to sin.

The world changes still

good and bad

ugly and sweet

poor and rich

life and death

Who owns the world

Who causes its problems

Who will destroy it

Who?!

Who are you

You, who live in the world

Are you of the world

Do you too follow

the voice

of error

Or have you

heard

the still small voice

of God

amid your pain

and sorrow

Have you turned away

from the world

and what it represents

Have you turned to

the One Way

the Only Way

to

redemption

salvation

completeness

Have you turned to

God

through His Son,

Jesus Christ?

(c) June 29, 2011

It is God's gift

It is God's gift of grace

that found us

and through the shed blood of

His Son,

gave us new life.

It is God's gift of grace

that brings us,

His followers,

into fellowship sweet,

a source of

incomparable joy and strength.

It is God's gift of grace

in the midst of sorrow

wherever we are

to gather

gaining nourishment

for the weariness

that seeks to overcome us.

It is God's gift of grace

that destroys

the tall gangling weed

or short stubby one

and replaces it with

roses and lilies.

It is God's gift of grace

His very love

that encircles us

renews us

enhances us

in the home

in a letter

in a phone call

in a prayer

in a Bible Study

in the workplace

in the food court

in fun and games

in community worship.

It is God's gift of grace

that reminds us

without Him

there is nothing,

we are nothing,

But

with Him

All things are possible.

It is God's gift of grace

that binds us --

our compassion,

our kindness,

our humility,

our gentleness,

our patience,

our forbearance,

our forgiveness,

our love for the Lord --

together as One.

 (c) July 1, 2011

What is Love? ... God

Speech

becomes

meaningless,

obnoxious,

without thought,

noisy like a clanging bell.

Predictions

foretold

of a future time

Fortune tellers

they are -

past

and present -

for personal gain.

Feed

clothe

fund

the poor

the less advantaged.

Do it all

But,

without God,

without Love,

you and I gain nothing

we are of

no value.

Love Is God

It is

more than what may unfold between man and woman

more than friendship

more, much more.

Love Is

God's gift of His Son, The Christ, to mankind

Love Is

patient

... kind

Love

seeks after the truth

.... rejoices in the truth

Love

builds up another,

... encourages

Love Is

... Unselfish

... Unending

... Unfailing

... Undeserved

... and without thought of return.

Love Believes

Love Hopes

Love Endures

What is love?

God.

(c) July 19, 2011

a new day will rise

a new day rises

the earth is freshened

with rains from above

the darkness of the preceding day

retains its hold

but God sees all.

To and fro

He goes as we go

and as our gaze

settles on Him

and Him alone

-- not darting or questioning or

taking too quick action --

another day will rise

tomorrow perhaps

or the next.

the darkness

will not keep us

secluded and fearful.

Our God

who sees

all

and knows

all

our comings and goings

will show us

what He knew

in the beginning.

We see oh so dimly now

as in a mirror

fogged over.

Another new day will rise

the darkness will fade

We will be in the Light

and it will be good.

(c) July 22, 2011 

Jesus Is The Way

It is not the Christian religion we follow,

but Jesus Christ Himself.

It is not the way to God

but the way of God

that is our salvation.

It is called Grace

It is called Love

and it brings Hope.

(c) July 28, 2011

We are not separated from His love

The family gathers
surrounding the loved one,
whose life is withering
away, becoming more absent
with each passing breath.

Of all that is
that was
and that is yet to come
we are not separated
from the love
of  the Lord,
our  God of Hope
and Promise.

We are not separated
from His eternal
and everlasting love.
We are kept, surrounded by
Him, who in the midst
of our pain and agitation,
gives us true freedom, and
release, our light still shining with the glow

of  The Holy One within. 

© May 6, 2012

The pain will be no more ....

The end
The final word
is not for us to say
or know
Only God knows
and gives the answer
when the path
we take in life
is finished.

Young or old
it is God alone
who fills us, completes us.
We trudge onward
pursuing in faith
that place only He can bring us

Reaching that golden shore
where everything that mattered
does not matter
where seeing and being
with our redeemer
and loved ones gone on before
is within reach

The burdens of our life
however big or small
lifted
when we accepted
Jesus' offer
to shoulder our load of distress
to take on our guilt
The pain and suffering remained
remains still

But that too will diminish
and be no more
That moment He calls us home.

(c) May 6, 2012

To be as Him

Not to be "like Jesus"
But to be as Him

His being
becomes our being

His will 

becomes our will 

Christ forms us, 

molds us,

shapes us

Not we ourselves 

His life 

becomes our life

His death 

becomes our death 

His resurrection 

becomes our salvation 

His walk 

becomes our walk

He in us 

The Alpha and The Omega 

He and He alone

He is our answer 

He is our because, 

our reason

He seeks us out

He is the question

He is The Almighty

He is our Father

He is the Holy Spirit

residing within our hearts

He is The One who came 

to bring us to Him

to renew us 

to restore us

He in Us 

We in Him

One.

(c) May 5, 2012

Is Christ magnified in me?

Is Christ magnified in me

wherever I go
whatever I do
Is it to God my Father I live
or
am I
me myself only
magnified 


What do I gain
What is gained
Is Christ magnified in me
whether I live
needed still to do the Lord’s service
or whether I die

Has the life I’ve led
been fruitful
have I done the Lord’s bidding
Is my work
here in the physical world
finished

Is it wrong
to desire staying
are my motives wrong

The decision
not mine to make

Hard-pressed
I am
to stay
to leave

He will determine

if only
I could come to terms
and be joyful
whatever the outcome
whatever the determination made
by Him
whose life, death and resurrection
saved me
from an eternal hell

Is my conduct
worthy
Do I pray
the trials of others lessen
or is it
only
my personal trials
my personal sphere of friends or family

Woe is me
I do not know
The answers I seek
I do not hear
I cannot find

The Apostle Paul
says it is
“far better”
to be with Christ

But…
is it time
must I give in,
give up
and let it be

Is it better ...
Maybe so ...
to be free
than tied down
to so many
limitations

Help me know Lord
Help me know
Help me be at peace
Help me to be joyful

In Your name O Lord I pray.

(c) May 4, 2012

His new creation

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."   John 1:1-3

God created the world we live in
He created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
He created after the flood of which Noah built the ark

God was displeased with His creation
in so many ways
He gave promise
and
He cursed the ground
and all that which came forth from it
But even in His displeasure,
He still loved us
We were and are
His creation

God created Himself  and became human
as the baby Jesus
and when Jesus was raised
from the dead
a new creation was born

Jesus - God himself
He loved us so much
He came to live among us
and show us the way

Still,
there were some,
there are many
who rebuff him,
who refuse to show homage,
no honor does He receive from these
who continually come against Him
and seek a life of their own choosing

The choices we made
and continue to make
do not force God
to turn His back on us
Always seeking us out,
calling to us,
weeping over decisions made
that only hurl us down
a path of further regret

God's creation.
Us.
Jesus.
The world.
All.
New.
A new life created by God.

When Jesus' lifeless body
is raised from the dead,
God brings
a new future, a new promise,
a new creation ....
born in the midst of
the old creation.

The new creation,
born with the resurrection
of Jesus Christ,
of which we are a part
as His followers.

The new creation,
born in the Son of God
who died to set our souls free.

The new creation,
born of God,
being God
who lives within our hearts
as the Holy Spirit.

The new creation,
the Lord Almighty,
King of Kings,
has come
and is forevermore.

(c) April 23, 2012

God moves the stones

We bury our sins at the cross of Jesus
at His feet
our burdens removed
are no more
Our guilt forgiven

and Jesus is raised
Not like a blooming flower
lain dormant through the winter months
He is dead

But God, in His sovereignty
His Oneness
Awakened Him
from the grave he lay
Awakened Him to
regain eternal divine glory,
union with His Father.

The dead shall rise
The dead in Christ
will rise first at His second coming
and those remaining will join Him
in the air … on the cloud

But without the
promised resurrection
of The Holy Son of God
there would be nothing.

We cannot join what is not

We cannot be with Him
nor He with us
Our guilt would run wild
Our sins would know no bound
We would be lost and
we wouldn’t know it.

What would we have to compare?
Where is our glorious hope? …
dashed, snipped in the bud.

The “woe is me” scenario
would be accurate

But Jesus’ death was not
the end of His life, nor our life
Jesus lay in the tomb
3 days
and then! it was resurrection morning

The stone
meant to keep outsiders out
was rolled away
The stone
to hold Jesus in,
to keep you out
Removed

God was there first
Remember … He is always there,
where we are
and where we are not
When we least expect Him
Where we hope He is.

God moved the stone away
God raised Jesus from the dead
God sent the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts
God moves the stones that hinder our growth,
working to defeat us
God loves you
God creates you
God brought His Son, His only Son,
The Son of God,
Son of Man
The Lord Jesus
to life
to death
to life again and forever
God is all powerful
our dilemmas are not beyond Him

We pray

Do our prayers bring us closer
to God … are we grounded in the
Stone of Hope and T riumph
offered by The One whose
death, burial and resurrection
was for us
or have we only found
stepping stones from one
troubling point to another?

© April 21, 2012

God Is With You

God goes before you
behind you too
He is right beside you
on every side
Do you feel His presence
He is carrying you

He protects you
calms your fears
envelops you
within His mighty grasp
brings comfort
and relief
from all that comes against
 ... the staggering pain -
like spasms
that come and go

The dismal
dampness
and darkness
of the day
brings inner turmoil
agony
and distress

yet You O God are with me
If only I (would)
settle my eyes
on the heavens
and not inward thinking
of "woe is me"
If only I (would)
view each day
as The Day
The Lord has created
and be glad in it
regardless of
outward appearances.

The rains come
The joints ache
The bones burn
The pain unbearable
so it seems

Perhaps God is testing us
watching
how well or how poorly
we do when life
goes awry

Life is not perfect
Jesus never said
we would be free
of pain and sorrow

The stress of the world
is everywhere
internally and externally,
taking its toll
on our mind, our body, our soul.

How? ... to survive, overcome, live

Remember
to whom we belong
It is not to ourselves
But to Jesus
He gave His life for ours
We give our heart to Him
Remember His Love

Remember
His Truths

Rejoice in the Lord always for He is with us Eternally when we have Repented of our sins past present future and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Meditate on the Scriptures - the word of God - for they are our instructions for living, an Example of how God wants us to live and not to live. Majestic Beauty of God's wondrous creation surrounds us - the mountains, sunrise and sunset, rainbow after a storm and much more. Blessings flow from above when we are one with Him. We must run the race set before us with Endurance. God enables us to continue on, to Endure, to Resist the Devil. We are Renewed daily when we seek God's will, look to Him. Cast All our Burdens upon Him and He will give us Rest.


Remember
day in day out
sunny warm days
and cool dark damp days
He is here
before you
behind you
beside you

He has your best interest covered,
in sickness and in health

With Him
our fears can be alleviated
With Him
hope abounds with every breath
With Him
every day is a new day
and it can be our best day
With Him
we have peace.

(c) April 19/20, 2012

There is no IF

IF Christ had not
did not
rise up
from death to life
from nothingness to somethingness
from eternal damnation and separation
to hallelujahs and eternal hope
IF He had not
did not
rise up...

then
the lives of we
we who profess faith
in Him
the Lord Almighty
would be meaningless
in shambles
chaos would rule
Satan would have won
Satan would have defeated
the Son of God ...

IF ...
But there is no if
Only FACT
Christ did rise up
He overcame death
He conquered sin
He defeated Satan
He lives

A forever life ...
A cleansing wind

and we
united with Him
in death
are born again
into a new life
in Him, with Him.

A cleansing wind
God's gentle caress
removes
the burden of our past
the bonds of sin that strangle us
the sprays of Satan's fiery tongue
and the sharpness of his pointy darts

We have been set free
to a new life
to be filled
with joyful wonder
to be surrounded
by God's beauty

A cleansing wind
to set our sights higher,
high in the heavens
to seek the best
to choose His plan
instead of mine
to endure
when it is tough
to see another future
Hope.

A cleansing wind has come

Has it swept into your life?
Have you be cleansed?
Are you free?
Is your life changed?
Does it show?
Can those outside see the difference?

Jesus died for your sins and mine
Jesus rose from the dead
Jesus lives

His Spirit lives within my heart
He can live in your heart too.

Reach out
Seek the cleansing wind
Seek Jesus

(c) April 18, 2012

God is pleased

His mistakes,
her anger,
doubts
do not need
to be mine

I do not need
to bring troubles
from their past
into my present

If I do, then I do
but it it not
God's plan or desire
that I cling
to another's burdens,
baggage in life.

If God wills me
to reach back
and strike a new chord
with a past relationship
of another's,
one I never knew,
then I will obey.

But a new relationship?
that remains
questionable.
Reasonably unlikely
if death has since come

You're too late.
You're too late.
You hear.
But are you? am I?

God sent me
on a mission
The mission was not
one from decades ago
but only a few
weeks
and I
responded

God does not make
mistakes.
His timing
is perfect.

Perhaps
it was too late
from their perspective

But my obedience
to God's call
was not
too late.
I was right on time.

And because
of my obedience
God is pleased
with me
and that
should be
reason enough
for joy.

(c) April 14, 2012

Thank you Jesus for Easter morn

Thank you Jesus for Easter morn
For without the risen Son
the life we claim
the hope we cling
is meaningless

You came
You moved about
with purpose
living the life
Your Father God called you to

You stood
before your accusers
silent until near the end
And then You proclaimed,
"It is finished."

But it is not
You were
born to die
to live
and live again
forever and always

The tomb
in which Your body lay
could not restrain You
It was not Your final resting place

You arose
Up from the grave
Your resurrected body

You are not dead
You are alive.
You have risen from the dead

And after 40 days
You ascended into heaven
where You reign
until You return again.

Thank You Lord Jesus
for Easter morn
Thank You for finding me
and loving me
and healing me
and saving me
Thank You for the new life
You have given me
Thank You for Your Promises,
Your Blessings,
Your Truth
Thank You for Your Word

Thank You Lord Jesus
for my new life
a life reborn
Thank You for Easter morn

You are risen
You are risen indeed!

(c) April 9, 2012

Staying the course

Stay the course
Bearing up
Perseverance
Patience
through and in
every experience
encountered
Stay through thick and thin

Not give in
to ways of the world
what is fine
on the outside
considered reasonable
is not necessarily such
when you claim to be
a child of God.

He wants a relationship
with you
and that alone
not one shared

He wants obedience
to His commandments
but not without love
He wants the love
He has for us
to be reciprocated by us
for Him
but He will not beg

He is not of this world
He created the world
in which we live
He allows our choices
to determine our end
He knows us
He knows what choices
we will make
yet He doesn't interfere

Stay the course
Stay true
to what you remember
as you pray and ponder and meditate
on His Word.

Experiences
and with it
pain and suffering
come
new every moment
round and round
come and go

Keeping God in the midst
of our experiences
and not on the fringes
we come to realize
as we persevere,
earnestly pursuing patience,
defeat does not come
and in its place
hope.

Hope in the Lord Jesus
who lived and died
and lives again
and still lives

and in this hope
we have
peace.

"For He Himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14 NKJV)

In Him we have all we need
He is our everything

The world does not offer
the peace we desire

It can only be found
one place ...

at the cross
of JESUS

At His feet
I lay my burdens

and am comforted.
at peace ....

(c) April 7, 2012

Peace ...

Jesus carried
The cross
bearing every sin
known to man
belonging to man
because
of His great love
for every one,
each one,
believer and non-believer.

We
the Christian
a follower of Christ
are called
to carry
to bear up under
our cross,
every struggle,
pain
and
hardship
that comes upon us
because
of
our love
for Him
who loved us first.

The peace we seek
is not found
in a life
without chaos
turmoil
agony
misunderstandings.

Peace is found in Jesus
Peace comes to us
in the midst of
living life
and can last a lifetime
an eternity.

Peace
like a river gently flowing
no rocks upon which to stumble

Peace
no anxious waiting
but calm acceptance
Rest
in His strength
who carries us
where we are to go.

(c) April 5, 2012

The Blackness

The Blackness
dark
blank
deep.

Do we crawl under
Do we dig deeper

The walk we travel
is it
will it
are we okay
are our wishes and desires
different
have we given up,
given in
do we still feel safe
is the Lord protecting me
have we now become more real
more human
more guilty
are we closer to knowing,
to understanding
the meaning of
participation with God
in His suffering?
is this, this personal suffering,
yet abiding in Him

some days the blackness goes away
and we
see the light
And our desires
are to be with Him, our Father
but our hour has not come
He is not yet ready for us
Our rooms are not quite prepared
We must still wait

In our perception of good days
we hang on
me and they
they and me
each to each other
to memories we cling
to another's future
and wish we could
see them then
but we have them now
and it must be enough

The Future - the days ahead
not ours to know
not mine, yours or theirs

We walk on
slowly
quickly
with purpose
we have people to see,
places to go.

Remember,
God goes before you,
behind you too
He surrounds you,
He is right there beside you
Do you feel His presence
He is carrying you.
His love knows no bounds.

(c) March 30, 2012

Sinners we are, but forgiven

Sinners
we are
you and you
described
as "others"
unbelievers
and me too
once
upon a time

But, alas,
The Lord God Above
found me
and
in His finding,
showed me
His forgiveness
I accepted
His death
His burial
His resurrection
I accepted
His offering
of a new
and better
life.

And I,
still a sinner,
because different
became His
A child of the King
A new creation

Sinner still,
but no longer bound
Set free

I became a Christian
a follower
of the Living Lord
My Savior
My Redeemer

No longer
was I
one of the "others"
I was
I am
a believer
in and of
Christ Jesus.
I strive to trust
in His promises
be obedient
to His commands
to rest
in Him.

(c) March 25, 2012

More of God's Love

God's Love

is patient, kind

Not envious

Not jealous

Not proud

Not selfish

Not in a hurry

Not bearing grudges

Not rude

is passionate

Rejoices In the Truth

Not wrongdoing

Not a falsehood

Not a lie

(not even a little white one)

Sees clearly

Not with malice

is faithful

Not dependent on our courage or lack thereof

Not giving in when we fail

is miraculous

is mighty and strong, powerful

Not weary

Not weak

is perfect

Not to be feared

is complete

Not separated from the frenzied hurriedness,

busyness of our lives

Shares with others

Moves you to live righteously,

not as sinners

is gentle and compassionate

Not angry

Not quarrelsome

Not forceful

is supportive

Always concerned about the well-being of His children

Never fails

is like a lamb

Not a roaring lion.

is for us

undeserving,

without any thought of return

is calming

Pursues us

Not to punish,

but to have a relationship

because of love …

God’s Love.

God’s Love

is a reminder -

He is Pure and Holy,

without blemish

Not flawed

Not the deceiver

Not the enemy

God’s Love

is invisible, yet not

Surrounds you

Embraces you

Reveals His Son to you and reveals Himself as your Holy Father

is the Holy Spirit,

living within your heart

when you have accepted His Son

as your Savior.

God’s Love

Builds you up

Not a disappointment

Not conditional

Sets you free

Not enslaved

God’s Love

grows

Not stagnant

Fills you to overflowing

Instructs, guides you

on your life’s journey of twists and turns

Created you

Gives meaning and purpose

Understands your pain and anxiety

and gives comfort

Shows you the foolishness

you give in to

God’s Love

searches high and low

for you, His lost child,

and when He finds you,

there is much rejoicing

and gladness of heart

God’s Love

gives you reason to thank Him

always, continually

Shows us how expressing

our love for His Son, Jesus,

frees us

from the burden of our guilt

Knows you,

your innermost being

your troubled heart

Helps us

to forgive others

to let go of the past

is genuine

Not a list of errors

does He keep

is always with you

Always has your best interest

God's Love

expresses joy

in the face of a believer

when we give

sacrificially

to Him alone

a single solitary act

of returning His love

for us

to Him.

to Him alone.

God's Love

a longing for more and more

of Him.

God's Love

brought us

a mediator,

a savior

Jesus!

God's Love

is sufficient

deserves our praise, our honor

Not our mocking

Invades us

our very being

enfolds us with Him

bring us to Him

one with Him .... alone without Him

is never ending.

Eternal.

(c) October 30 / November 2, 2010

“... God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.”  (1 John 4:16-18)

 “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” ( 1 Corinthians 13:6-8)

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

“Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:35, 37)

His song

Praying
singing
praising
rejoicing

Morning light
noon day fair
in the night
His Song -
The Song of Life
The Song of Joy
The Song of Sweet Remembrance

His Song -
shall be with me

(c) March 15, 2012

You shall love your neighbor as yourself

You shall love your neighbor as yourself
That is
The Lord's command

Your neighbor
All those around you

Your self

Love
does no harm
is the fulfillment
of the law
is all Jesus is
all Jesus does

I am
sorrowful
saddened
dismal

An encounter
with another
does not bring
does not bear
the fruit God desires
of each

Where is our love
and patience
and kindness
and self-control

Where is Jesus
to whom
we both
profess to be one with

Where indeed?!

We see instead
outbursts
of anger
selfishness
dissension
conceit
provocation

One provokes
One responds
but not
I tell you
in God's love

We provoke another
We respond in kind

Did it set us free?
No.

It gives Satan pleasure

but it saddens the Lord
and breaks our fellowship with Him.

We are
to do good
to all,
as the opportunity comes,
and especially,
to our brothers and sisters
in Christ.

We are
to walk in the Spirit,
as we live in the Spirit.

(c)  March 26, 2012

"Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:26) 

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:9-10)