A "good" person - is it you?

What is a “good” person?

Is it
you
who goes to a place of worship weekly or daily?

Is it
you
who gives hundreds or thousands of dollars
to your place of worship for whatever is needed?

Is it
you
who takes of your surplus and gives to those in need?

Is it
you
who speaks kind words to your neighbor?

Is it
you
who invites others to your home to share a meal?

Is it … you?

Not one, no, not one
is good,
except  The One Most High,
God

And all that is done
is only really
and emphatically
true IF
it is
through Him
who enables us
to do good

Without Jesus
our works are vain
We are vain
Our reward
lies only with ourselves
and what we can accomplish
in the here and now

Not for eternity
Not with Him

The Lord looks down
from heaven
to see within
the hearts
of men and women and children too
Do we understand
Do we seek God
or have we turned away
from Him
who is The Giver of Life
Our Refuge
Our Strength
Our Salvation

Keep the Commandments
Keep them all
Be obedient.

If we belong to Jesus –

If we have accepted Jesus Christ
as our personal Lord and Savior ,
The One who came to save us all
from our sins, from eternal damnation, a forever hell,
through death on the cross,
burial
and after three days,
resurrection  –  IF,
then obedience to His command
will come
and that will be “good.”

(c) June 28, 2012

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31

Without Jesus unity in the church doesn't exist

His voice

His Word

His life

His death

His resurrection

for us

for all

He built His church

on the faith confessed

by Peter
who proclaimed
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
revealed to him
by God
who is in heaven

No other power can come against it.

Satan will not prevail
Jesus – His voice, His Word –

Is the overcomer

His voice alone
all will hear
His Word alone
all will read and study
and comprehend
It is to
Him – The Lord Jesus
We will obey His commandments
We will listen to His instructions

We will find tenderness and comfort
within His loving embrace

Jesus

We do
that which we think
the way

But is it

Is it His way

Are we fine tuning our hearing and seeing

Do we realize

Are we able to discern what is His way
vs. our way

Are we united

or
divided …

What would Jesus do?!

Listen to His voice
not your own personal agenda of ideas

Study His Word

Pray for guidance, empowerment

Obey His commandments
lovingly given to show you a better route to safely travel

The Lord will protect you
He is The Good Shepherd
The Lord laid down His life

for yours
He is your salvation
He is your eternal security

He is your life


Don't lose sight
Don't fall away 


Without Him,
you are disjointed, separated, divided


With Him,
you have completeness, oneness, unity.

(c) June 20, 2012

The Christ, the Son of the living God

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16 NKJV

Peter’s confession

Yours and mine as well

If we truly are believers

And stand on the promises

Of Him who came

And lived and died among us

Brought us to new life

Renewed life

Eternal life

The confessing church

The rock

Jesus is the foundation

Our foundation

Without Him

 as our King and master,

 our lives have little meaning

 we are only the present

 a forever future escapes us

Hope is no more

The Christ

The Son

of

The Living God

Do you believe

Do you follow

Do you obey

Do you love

This One

Only This One

Ruler of the heavens

Creator of mankind

 and all the planets

All that was

All that is

All that will be

The One
Jesus

Immanuel

The Christ

The Son of

The Living God

Jesus

revealed to us

A confessing church

A praying church

Not an opinionated church

A singing church

A doing church

A proclaiming church

A living church

A loving church

Not a “striving to be better than another” church

An obedience to God church

A true church

Jesus is The Christ

He is The Son

Of the most high

Son of the Living God

Do you believe

 and confess 

 and act

 on the foundation

 set down

 by Him

(c) June 18, 2012

Walking and living

"if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ... if we live by the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit." (Galatians, 5:18, 25 NKJV)

Walking

and living

being

and doing

What we do

What we say

Is that who we are

Our actions

a result of our beliefs

Do our beliefs

always reveal

goodness

and love within

without

Are we always true

Do sometimes

we allow grumpiness

to get in the way

to supercede

better intentions?

Is it sometimes better to

say nothing

Everyone different

None the same

Even within the same body of believers

or smaller family unit

Some alert and cordial

every waking moment

Some not so alert

nor so cordial

Some soak in their surroundings

before pursuing the day

and greater moments

of relating to another.

Should we apologize

for our differences?

Does another frown

on us

because we are different

Not like them

Not like they perceive

we should be.

Is it a sin

because I am not

like you.

Are you the right one

Are you so perfect

that you have no room

for the differences

reflected in another?

Did Jesus forgive you

and judge you so righteous

that you needn't forgive

another?

Did Jesus forgive you

and say,

'go, condemn another'?

Did Jesus say,

'your way is best'?

Who are you?

What did Jesus say?

What does He say

Is He constant

Does He change

(c) November 20, 2010 

Outside looking in

Outside 
looking in
What do you see?
Who are you who sees whatever it is?

Do I speak in riddles?

Does God

Is the Bible

a jumbled conglomeration

of words

mismatched

discolored

out of sync?

I read

I study

I listen

I read again

I remember

I write

I ponder

I read again

Enough you say, you think

But no, it's not enough

Never enough

The Bible

God's Holy Word

offers insights

anew

every time

Don't stop now

The best

is yet to come

The best

began with creation

The best

continued with Abraham and Moses and David

and Solomon and Ruth and Paul and Peter

The very best

is Jesus

God's son

Born of a virgin

Living among us

Died for our sins

The very best is Jesus

who rose from the grave

and sits at the right hand of God

who sent the Holy Spirit

to live within each of us

personally

upon our acceptance

of Him,

our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord, Jesus.

Outside

looking in

Who is outside

What is outside

Who is looking in

and who sees?

 (c) November 26, 2010 

Learn from Me

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

To carry our burdens

with gentleness

humbleness in heart

To learn from Jesus

who carries the burden

of all our sins

upon Himself.

He is gentle

He is humble

He is kind

We will find rest

comfort

peace

When upon Him

we cast our fears

concerns

doubts

anxieties

For all He is

we are to be likewise

(c) November 29, 2010 

God created ... He is ... It is enough

I see
what is written

I hear

what is spoken

I listen

to God's spirit

within me

I study

His word

I seek

His purpose for my life

I find rest

from the days' struggles

Through Him

in music

soothing to my soul

in worship

in prayer

in fellowship

I rejoice and thank Him and praise Him

in that it is my soul

as much as yours

He came to save

Through His Son

Through Jesus,

The Christ, The Messiah.

But still,

I do not understand

why You,

IF you really believe in God

and of God

Why would you not believe

Jesus and God are one?

God created.

Period.

God gives life

And He takes it away.

Period.

The miracle of birth

is because of God.

God created.

The stars, the planets,

the mountains and valleys,

all that is and was

and is to come --

God created.

He is more,

above and beyond more.

God created.

This is His world,

His creation.

How dare we put God

underneath us?

How dare we claim

to know more ...

oh we know so much ...

what we believe we think is true.

How dare we?!

Before us

There was no us.

God created.

Before the earth was formed,

There was no earth.

God created.

God is

Today

Tomorrow

Yesterday

God spoke

To prophets

and apostles

Men and women

And speaks still

To you and me.

He is

He was

He always has been

He continues

He came.

God can do

and be all,

at anytime.

God created.

He planted His seed

In Mary, the young girl

engaged to wed Joseph

And Mary gave birth

It was prophesied

Isaiah foretold

what the Lord would do

who the child would be

"for unto us a child is born,

unto us a Son is given;

And the government

will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful,

Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)

God created.

He is.

Jesus is.

It is enough.

(c) January 10, 2011 

He is my shepherd

The Lord
He is my shepherd
... He can be yours too
He knows me
He knows you

And I know Him
more and more
closer and closer
The relationship deepens
He is always near

But we
are not

When we go
our own way
Follow another path
a road we think
will bring us more
- of what we're unsure -
But when we seek
other avenues
The relationship falters.

He still knows you
He is still near

But you have moved away
and the relationship with
The One
that matters most
is no longer.

He is my shepherd
He knows me
He is always near

And I know Him
more and more
closer and closer
and the relationship
deepens.

© December 27, 2010

Jesus is the gift ... the best gift of all

What is the gift?
The gift we seek
The one to give another
The one another brings

What is the gift?
Is it love shared
a sacrifice made
Together
or alone

What is the gift?
on this
Christmas Day?

Who gave the gift?
Who gives it still?

It is NOT Mr. Claus
It is NOT
that one in a red suit
and white beard
who shakes when he laughs
who comes but once a year
and makes you think
he knows what you want
and will bring it too.

No.
It is NOT Mr. Claus.

It was and is LOVE.
It was and is a sacrifice.

Jesus is the gift.
The one we seek
The one we share
Love come down
from heaven above

(c) December 23, 2010 

Look down, Look up - to Jesus

Look down where He lay 

born amongst animals 

no room at the inn 

to His mother, 

Mary, a virgin 

uniquely chosen by God 

 Listen to the songs 

of Jesus' birth 

Away in a Manger 

Look down where He lay 

Hear the quiet, 

the stillness 

See the sky 

a star-filled sky 

with one just ever so bright 

To show us where He lay 

 Look up in the sky 

to the heavens 

where the Lord Jesus reigns 

He sits at the right hand 

of His Father 

 Son of God 

Son of Man 

 O Holy One 

O Holy Night 

 Look down where He lay 

Look up where He reigns 

 Set your mind on things above, 

on Jesus 

and you will find the way 

to true joy. 

 (c) December 12, 2010

When we see Jesus, we will see God

Ah,
to see Jesus
when we see Him
we will see God
in His awesome presence

we hear Him
through His Spirit
His holiness
residing within us
to show us
to instill in us
the true way
the only way
to achieve all He
desires of us
body
mind
and soul

we study Him
through His Word
mighty and sharp
loving kindness
and compassion
yet
yet provoked to anger
and judgmental
when our sins
of hatred
and personal desires
take root
and we thrive on disobedience

... thrive only for a short while
because in the lap of personal luxury
all will,
eventually,
wilt and die.
Only in obedience
to the Lord
Our God and King
Our Master
will we truly thrive
and be

Ah,
to see Jesus
when we see Him
we will be in the
presence of
Purity
Completeness
Love

Eagerly waiting
I am
for His return
so I may reunite
with Him
who brought me to life
once
and once more.

(c) May 25, 2012

The Day

The Day

Each moment

No

not each

but

many

combined

becomes

a day ...

of

light.

The Day

God created

from nothingness

and

is given

to us

who

God created

from dust.

The Day

a gift

Each day

The dawning

Sunrise to Sunset

returns

to us

Bringing

opportunity

to

be and

become

fruitful.

"God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:5 NKJV)

"And it was so ... And God saw that it was good ... And He rested ... And He blessed" (Genesis 1-2:3)

The Day.

(c) January 30, 2011