Christian Growth, GUEST AUTHOR, Poems, Prayer

LORD AT ALL TIMES Psalm 34

GUEST WRITER: PHOEBE CARTER


Lord, at all times –
May praise be on my lips.
I will boast in You:
May all hear and rejoice:
“Glorify the Lord and
Exalt His name”.

I sought the Lord, and
He took away my fears : ) .
“Look at Him and be radiant –
Never covered with shame!”
(The Lord heard the poor man
And took away his troubles).

“The Lord is good!
Come, taste, and see!
Take refuge in Him,
And blessed you’ll be!
Fear the Lord –
And lack nothing!

You, who seek Him,
Will lack no good thing –
And will be delivered!
Come! … Listen … Love life!
Do good … Seek peace …
And pursue it!”

HE SEES THE RIGHTEOUS,

AND LISTENS TO THEIR CRY.

HE’S CLOSE TO THE BROKEN HEARTED;

AND SAVES THE CRUSHED SPIRITS.

THE LORD REDEEMS THOSE –

WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM !

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I read this Psalm this morning, noted down the main lines (as I saw them). It has truth and advice, but most of all, it tells us that the Lord has a heart for us, cares for us, forgives us and makes many promises.

Take refuge in Him …….. TODAY !

Perhaps you can pray this prayer today:

Dear Lord
Thank You so much for loving me;
And letting me know that you can take away my fears,
And things from the past,
And I’ll never be covered with shame.
I give these to You, today.
Please forgive me.

Thank you that you will listen to my cry –
And lift me up;
Especially when I am hurting inside.

I pray that I will learn to trust in You,
More each day, and seek refuge in You.

I look forward to knowing and seeing
All Your promises and plans for me.

May I glorify You and boast in Your name;
And may praise be on my lips LORD, AT ALL TIMES.

I want to lack nothing,
Yet feel radiant and know Your joy.

I want to come to You and
Taste and see what is good.

I want to come to You and
Listen… and seek Your peace.

I pray that I will be righteous,
Do good things, and love my life.

I pray that I will always know Your peace
And feel You near me.

I give You my life in it’s entirety.

I glorify You Lord
And exalt Your name

Thank you for the gift of salvation –
Your gift to me, which I accept with love and thanks,
And the knowledge that I am saved from an eternal death,
And will spend the rest of my days with You.

Thank You Lord, so much.
I give You my hand;

AMEN
x

And when things have been tough,
I will look back and see …….
One set of footprints in the sand
where you have carried me.

N.B. If this is the first time you have said this kind of prayer, and you believe it in your heart to have meaning and truth, and you want to be forgiven for things in your past which you are probably not happy about or proud of, find someone to talk to, perhaps a Christian friend or go along to your local church. I pray that you will start a new life, believing in and knowing Jesus, trusting in Him to guide you for the rest of your days.

Perhaps you have said this kind of prayer once, or many times; it is good to affirm what you believe and have faith in.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU +

Phoebe Carter (5th September 2011)

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Christian Growth, GUEST AUTHOR, Poems

Pricks & Pride

GUEST WRITER: JEANNE E. WEBSTER

 

A thorn in the flesh is healthier

Than a clot of pride in the heart.

A thorn will prick your attention;

Pride vainly numbs your smarts.

~

A thorn seeks immediate care

To purge the prick of its pain.

Pride probes for its pacifier,

Suavely sucking its own gain.

~

How quickly we yank the thorn;

It is most troublesome at best.

We leave fleshly plump Pride

Feathering and fluffing its nest.

~

Thorns set off many red flags,

Panic buttons and alarms;

Pride smugly veils its soul

Concealing its ways of harm.

~

Give me a thorn any old day,

Within my flesh or without;

I’ll rid it of its harmful deed

And quickly give it a shout!

~

But Pride: O me, O my, I cry!

Is a need I must have for sure.

Please spare me just a little bit.

How else will I ever endure?



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Corner
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Christian Growth, GUEST AUTHOR, Poems

Close To God

GUEST WRITER: VICTOR JASTI

As a Christian,

I understand that when God cleans my heart,

I get closer and closer to Him.

But when sins, selfish attitudes and worldly cares,

Keeps me from getting closer to the Lord,

I lay aside the World’s weight,

For when I lay them aside,

I experience the inspiring joy,

Of a Christian

Who is close to the Lord.

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Christian Growth, GUEST AUTHOR, Poems

Your Words

GUEST WRITER: VICTOR JASTI

Your Words have upheld…Job 4:4

Encouraging words spoken firmly,

Motivates, strengthens the stumbling,

For it is in you to say, express loudly,

Words which make the weak, strong.

Say an encouraging word to your pastor,

For his sermons and for the prayers,

For being in the church, a pillar of strength,

For conducting weddings and baptisms ceaselessly.

To the postman and the corner policeman,

All around you, for these are those who matter,

Who serve; look after you, your well being and security,

For you to be in comfort, without worry and distress.

Speak those words, comforting and encouraging,

Which motivates them to do their outmost,

You don’t lose, but they gain satisfaction,

That they are appreciated and well thought off.

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GUEST AUTHOR, Poems, Uncategorized

The Great Flood

GUEST WRITER: VICTOR JASTI  

 And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His Heart. Genesis 6:6

Noah talked and walked with God,

Day in and day out, through out the year.

He and his family, the only ones around,

Amongst so many sinners and idolaters.

Moral depravity and growing sin,

Made man, the most despicable animal,

That God repented, about His creation,

Sadly deciding, to destroy mankind totally.

But Noah and his family, the only ones around,

Who found grace with God the Almighty,

Was saved from the inevitable judgment,

Along with the birds, animals, in two’s and seven’s.

Build an Ark, commanded God,

Of gopher wood, four decks high, rooms aplenty,

Noah started immediately and obediently,

Without a thought, of where to sail.

Up went the Ark, divine plan in action,

Inspired by God, strengthened by faith,

Prayer and song, drowning the wicked laughter,

Ridiculing Noah, his Ark, and his God.

Noah did not worry about how to go about,

From foundation to finish, God enlightened him,

The wood, the plan, measurement to the purpose,

God planed the little details for the great task ahead.

Animals and birds, God collected to the last,

Leaving nothing for Noah to get worried about.

Filling four decks high with forty five thousand animals,

A great and an impossible task, a lone man cannot do.

Often we do just the opposite of Noah,

Worry in details over things which we have no control,

Neglecting specific areas, like responsibilities and relationships,

That is under over control and loosing sight of the goal.

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GUEST AUTHOR, Poems

Love At First Sight

GUEST AUTHOR: VICTOR JASTI

It was still fresh in their memory; that lovely December evening,

A perfect day for a wedding, chilly breeze, setting Sun, in all it’s glory,

The bride and the groom, resplendent in their wedding dress,

The church decorated with crimson paper and fresh flowers,

Crowded with relatives, friends and well wishers,  

The procession so touching, flowers girls to the page boy,

But it was the best man and the bridesmaid, who made such a lovely couple,

And it is their story, which we were to tell, to learn a lesson of what love is.

Meeting for the first time in the church portico, it was love at first sight,

Never were they alone throughout the evening, hands held, dancing together,

Made such a lovely couple, everyone misty eyed, just looked at their tender love,

What with the music, the gaiety, the laughter, it was an evening to remember,

The magic of love spinning a web, time stood still, as they discovered each other,

Married, did they, within a year, to live happily ever after, just like a fairy tale ending,

Made such a nice Christian family, loving, caring, praying, promising themselves,

To care, love, in sickness and health, confident that nothing can wedge them apart.

All good things end, when love disappears; where, how, why, things did go wrong,

Neither he nor she could ever tell as he lay besides her, snoring like a bear,

Hibernating, unaware of her long winter, climbing into a tomb, called office,

Wrapping his mind in a shroud of paper figures, buried himself, with his customers,

They lost each other so deeply, in between the oldest child’s first tooth,

To the youngest daughter’s graduation, the two minds never touched,

Making a heavy barricade, neither, a battery ram of words,

Nor an artillery of touch, can ever stop, as a wall arose, dividing the two.

Cemented by mortar of indifference, selfish to the core, which earlier was not there.

Uncommunicative, they unconsciously became all qualities to make the devil happy,

Sadly it dawned on the couple, when love dies; it is not in a moment of anger,

It is not when they have difference of opinion, it is not when they don’t see eye to eye,

Love dies when you have that don’t care attitude, when you stop communicating,

When you think of yourself, when there is not a word of appreciation,

No word of thanks and when you don’t pray together,

Love dies when you become total strangers, unaware, but still living under one roof.

Love grows when you have that I care attitude, a pat on the back for a job well done,

A hand on the shoulder for that I am with you, a touch of tenderness for that I love you,

A smile on the face when you reach home, a hug to say that all is well with you and me,

A concerned look if the other is tired and sick, small things add to build a happy home,

And when you pray together, family prayer, you stay together a happy Christian family,

Bring God to live in your house, in your thoughts, in your plans, to have His way,

Because He brought you together for the first time, to live and love together,

Make your home a happy Eden, never allowing any thing to slither in.

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GUEST AUTHOR, Marriage, Poems

Secret Of A Successful Marriage

GUEST AUTHOR: VICTOR JASTI

It was their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Contented, the couple sat together,

Listening intently to all the speeches made,

Followed by praises which amused them both,

Puzzled, guests, could not but ask, the question,

What is the secret of your marriage?

For in this age of marital discord and suspicion,

Couples don’t see eye to eye, let alone talk,

Hate the very sight, and the thought of each other,

But you seem to be in love, for whenever you see her, it is with a smile.

The husband answered, hesitatingly, I grew up all alone,

In an orphanage with none to call my own,

To get over the pain and the loneliness,

I worked hard to be on my own,

Esther was the only girl I dated,

Marriage, a simple one with close ones,

Esther’s father took  me aside,

Handed me a small gift, apologetic,

Expressing, that he cannot afford more,

Wishing us a happy married life.

Nervously I fumbled at the lone gift I received,

Opening the paper and the ribbon,

In the box was a large gold watch,

With a message etched out across the back,

Every day, at home and at church,

I wore the watch with the golden chain,

Proud to wear in fair weather or foul,

The entire fifty years I not only read the time,

But the secret message,

Which said, say something nice to Esther, daily.

 

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Christian Growth, Poems

The Tapestry

GUEST WRITER: Victor Jasti

God said let their be light,

Dividing light from darkness, called He night.

World, He created, in an orderly fashion,

Like a master craftsman, weaving a tapestry.

Every seed, plant followed by flowers and fruit,

Animals and birds, fish and all that breathes,

Created He, just the way He wanted,

Like a master craftsman, weaving a tapestry.

Pinnacle of creation, man and woman,

Created He in His own image, valuable in His sight,

For no other part of creation can claim that privilege,

Like a master craftsman, weaving a tapestry.

Life is like a richly woven tapestry,

God the master weaver, deep in work,

Thread, different colors and hues, varied textures,

Interwoven to provide a dramatic design.

God the master weaver, created tapestry,

For us to fit in, in intricate ways,

For without us, the tapestry is not complete,

He in His glory sees which we cannot.

For the tapestry to be complete fully,

We should allow Him to do His work,

Instead of complaining of the thread,

About its color, texture and the design.

For we spoil the good work of our Lord,

By complaining of our friends and family,

In our work place and in the church,

For it is He, who weaves, the tapestry.

Allowing Him to complete the tapestry,

We give us, ourselves, a role to play,

For us to fit in, in His grand plan,

Of making the world a better place to live in.

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Poems

It’s Love In The Air

Guest Author: Victor Jasti

Its love in the air, Which makes the seasons, Bloom to its fullness.

You look at the spring, Its beautiful and young.

You look at the winter, Its so cozy and cool.

You look at the summer, Its so glowing bright and sunny.

You look at the autumn, To know the difference.

 The weather makes for sure.

 Only when in love, Do you enjoy the seasons, Full to the brim amd overflowing.

 Look around and you know why, Feelings of love for nature God created.

 Both go hand in hand, Without one there is no other.

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