John 10:4
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

 Following the Shepherd

As a little lamb is guided, so must you be,
Just as it follows the one ahead, you must learn to follow me.
The little lamb does not question where it is led,
He trusts the one that walks on ahead.
He does not tarry, grumble or complain;
On the path he remains.
This little lamb walks ahead in faith,
He does not worry or hesitate.
He does not try to show the shepherd a better way ahead.
He continues on without fear or dread.
Like this, my chosen ought to be.
You must trust as you follow after me.
I am the Good Shepherd of your soul.
Allow me to have full control.
I will carry you through the hard place,
Confidently you can rest in my embrace.
God’s sheep rejoice as they hear His loving call to come,
And follow in the footsteps of Jesus God’s Son.

I Thank Him with All My Heart

I’ve food on the table and a heart that sings.
I’ve feet that travel after Jesus my King.
My mind and my desire is to His will do.
I praise Him for the way the Spirit moves.
I thank Him with all my heart for all He has done.
He restored me to the place ordained; with Him as one.
The good words I speak, with God’s Word agrees;
Words of faith, with power, that moves mountains for me.
Peace has taken residence deep inside my soul,
For, my God and my Savior takes full control.
The future is not fully comprehended it is true;
But, I know I’m highly favored and He will see me through.
Since I believe the Word I will proclaim it loud and clear.
Gone is the mountain of doubt… it completely disappears.
I am rich beyond measure the greatest treasure I’ve found.
I have more than enough; I climb now to higher ground.
Jesus allow my life to count; cause another increase I pray,
All the glory and honor I bring back to You today.

Psalms 30:4
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Far Reaching Thoughts

My thoughts soar like an eagle; there is no limit to their domain.
My body has limits but my thoughts have no chains.
Where they travel, I control
I can choose for them to fly high or for them to crawl low.
My heart has decided to follow after Christ.
I’ve given Him control of my life.
I will direct my desires to holy things,
My thoughts are offered as an offering.
Faith, hope, and peace, with words of comfort, and words of praise,
Are the kinds of thoughts I choose to raise.
The Word of God and its teachings I will gladly speak.
My God’s perspective in life I choose to seek.
On the wings of eagles I soar to the heavenly place;
Up the Holy Mountain of prayer; under the banner of God’s grace.
Oh heart, direct your thoughts upward, remembering the great work of the cross.
Remember in your prayer-time God’s great concern for the lost.
Compose words of thanks and praise in songs to sing,
To glorify and to testify of Jesus Christ your King.
Far reaching, soul seeking, thoughts, fly from place to place,
Administering strength to my heart and to others within God’s embrace.

Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Love’s Perfect Face

Love instructs, and guides,
It pours out what is inside.
Love can be passionate and strong,
Or it can comfort with sweet songs.
Love will encourage and exalt,
Love will honestly reveal a fault.
Love paves the way and the Way reveals.
Love always attempts to soothe and will heal.
Love floods over, and through,
In outpourings of great affection for you.
In love there is no lack,
All is found in love, in fact,
There is only one place,
Where Love shows His perfect face.
The God who loved enough to send His Son,
To get the needed job done,
The One that came to earth to save the lost,
That poured out love’s blood at the cross;
Who has tasted the putrid taste of sin and shame,
So you could taste love in Jesus name,
The Comforter sent to lead and guide to reveal truth within,
Who lifts the name of Jesus who died, raised, and soon comes again.

1 John 4-11
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Jerimiah 17:10
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

          I am learning the ways of the Lord, by observing the actions of my Lord and by heeding the teaching in the Word of God.  I am unlearning the ways of the world as I practice doing as Jesus did by renouncing my selfish, self-seeking ways of placing myself first at the expense of others.

You Reap What You Sow

When you long to be touched, you need to reach out.
When you want to believe you need to cast out doubt.
If you desire to be loved you need to care.
If you wish to receive, you need to share.
When you want to reap, you need to sow;
This is a truth you need to know.
If you desire to get, you need to give;
By this law you need to live.
Do unto others as you want to be done unto you;
This is the same principle too.
Apply the truth you hear, and you will see,
That it will stand up for thee.
Try the Word of God, it will withstand the test;
For no other wisdom will with such honor rest.
Do the works your Savior has done,
Follow the example of Jesus, God’s Son.
Love will arise with such power and might;
It will become as a perfect sacrifice.
Lay yourself down for others and you also will become,
A seed sown; for the mighty harvest in the Kingdom that comes.

2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

You Were  Always There

When I think of all I’ve been through;
I look back and You were there too.
When I felt alone, and ashamed,
You were there calling my name.
Even when I did not know You, You were there with me.
Urging me to seek and hear the Word to set me free.
In all the places I searched the truth to find,
There You were all the time.
You were always willing to accept me, it was I that turned away.
You were always faithful, it was I that strayed.
Even when I found You I tried to do things the way I planned,
When I failed, You kept me safe till I could understand.
When my path was rocky and too rough to travel alone,
When I called to You, You led me home.
When I traveled the wide road full of sin and stain,
You brought me to the cross and wiped away all blame.
Whenever my heart is heavy and I become weak,
You lift me from my problems and set me on my feet.
When I cry out in fear and my heart is racked with pain,
You give me peace within, and heal the heartaches that remain.
You have always been with me, from the beginning till the end
You honor me my Lord, by calling me Your friend

Romans 5:8-11
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

John 15:13-15
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

  Psalms 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

           I have no doubt God’s love drew me to Him.  He picked me up and turned me around, and set my feet on solid ground.  Every path of my life in some way worked to the realization He is the true way of life.  I found the truth and He set me free to be a part of His Body, His Church, and His beautiful Bride.

Sweet Ribbons of Life

Sweet ribbons of life, weaves through the years;
Joining together the events of laughter and tears.
High times and low times with expert hand,
Forms the lovely creation as the Father plans.
His love and care is evident when looking back.
Answered prayers keep you on track.
Sweet council when heeded cause the beauty to appear
Where there seemed confusion; it disappears.
As you observe the pretty creation man makes;
His ribbon candy is fragile and easily breaks.
But God’s creation is sweeter, and more durable by far
He loves and will use you wherever you are.
Sweet ribbons of life weave through the land;
Joining each other in each loving strand.
Each life a color unique with no designs the same.
Joined together as one under One name.
A beautiful temple that forever stands true;
With the sweetness of Jesus formed in and through you.

Ephesians 4:15-16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Prayer
Lord, make me new
Allow my life to glorify You.

Matthew 9:37-38
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

        The love of God is always seeking the lost.  If God’s love is ruling in our hearts surely it should be of high priority to us also. But we get so busy with our own projects we are unaware or ignore the sad condition of the lost souls all around us.  A prayer for God’s help will show us ample opportunities to share the Good News.

A Call for Workers

More than any other time
I call for workers, to do as designed
The love of God covers the earth with great power,
There rises a great harvest in the last hours.
The village is sleeping, the valleys are in slumber.
The peoples are dull of mind; they do not hear the thunder.
Watchmen are sounding the warning call;
But some of my children are not hearing at all.
Many eat plenty, but the wrong foods too much;
They are dumb, and fat, and very hard to touch.
If you hear and understand this word of rhyme,
Go and gather the harvest that is mine.
Reap a great crop of souls; rescued from the lost,
And wake your brother; encourage him to consider the cost;
Remind him of what I’ve asked all to do;
To go into all the world and share the Good News.

Prayer
Lead me to each seeking soul,
Allow me to lead them to the cross,
Keep me in the Spirit flow;
A great harvest; drawn away from the lost.

Revelations 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

            I did not know I was dead.  I was young, and felt I had a long future ahead.  I did not know I was bound in sin.  I did not know the future destination of my unsaved soul; I did not know I was in great need of a Savior.  But my life made a forever change because Jesus is alive and He is Risen.  I am no longer a walking dead man.  I am born anew in Christ.

Because He is Alive and Risen

Rise up dead man new life awaits.
Do not tarry do not hesitate.
Because of the work done on the cross,
The dead man need not remain lost.
Rise up to your feet stand,
Then, bow as low as you can.
Because Jesus is alive and Risen and paid your sins price,
You that are truly dead will have His life.
Because He is Alive and Risen the heart sad can sing.
The poorest to the richest is able to offer their new life to the King
Celebrate the wondrous victory of life over death.
Celebrate sin’s grasp is loosed and Jesus conquered it.
Celebrate the future shines like diamonds on streets of gold,
With joys unspeakable to yet unfold.
Evil stole away God’s creation, but Father always had a plan;
So great is His love for fallen man.
If you know Jesus as Savior and friend,
Then let the celebrations begin.
But if you are not yet born anew,
Rise up dead man, your God is calling out to you.

 Prayer
I am forever grateful that I was saved from a forever without Your love.  I am Yours Lord I offer my life to live for You.  I know as I do You live Your life in me.  So wonderful is the work of the cross and the glorious day of Your Ressurection.

Romans 5:10-11
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

            We observe the death and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with reverent thanksgiving.  It was truly a great work done for us, it encompasses so much more than we may ever grasp.  How I love my risen Savior! In His life and in His death His life is God’s gift to us.

The Garden, the Beatings and the Cross

In the garden the anguish was so great, Jesus sweat blood.
As the full submission of what lied ahead was understood.
His heart racked in pain and dread,
At what He knew lied ahead.
His friends slept unaware,
Of some of His most heart-wrenching prayers.
One of the chosen came, with others with swords drawn, ready to fight.
Judas led them in the darkness to the Light.
His kiss upon the cheek of the Master betrayed,
His intentions for Him to be seized and taken away.
Beatings, and accusations tore the mind, and the flesh sore.
But He set His will to continue on, to do what He came to earth for.
Nailed, naked before God and man upon the cross of shame,
Between two sinners representing man’s decision; what to do with Jesus name?
One cursed the gift and the other the gift grasped.
At the cross the Son of God accomplished all the Father asked.
He willingly faced what He knew would come.
Great is the accomplished work of Jesus, Risen King, God’s anointed one.

Prayer
Father I remember Jesus on this Holy day.  I choose to honor Him and His most precious gift offered in my behalf.  He rose from the dead to give us new life, help me to live for Him.