Christmas Rush

Rushing and pushing from home to work,

But there is one thing you must not shirk

Stopping to take time out of your busy day

To draw close to God and take time to pray.

Forget all the things that need to be done.

And worship, lifting praise to God’s Son.

Our Christian world has become a race in time.

Sometimes at Christians we need a STOP sign.

Our priorities become jumbled, we need to decide

If we’re too busy for Christ we’ll surely backslide.

The Spirit will call you to take time to pray,

But if you keep ignoring Him each busy day

Soon His voice is quiet and you are in a place

Where you are ashamed to look upon His face.

Don’t let the rush of shopping be all the worth.

Happier you will be focusing on Christ’s Birth.

Christmas Is Coming!

Christmas is coming, you can tell by the stores.

There are the lists of the “wants” and the “mores”.

New ideas from last year, better inventions to offer.

More things to entice you to open up your coffer.

Flyers and catalogues come flying through your door.

All of them crying buy more, and yes, you need more!

You look at the pictures and they are hard to ignore,

That is just what all the retailers are hoping will start,

“You see with your eyes and you want with your heart.”

Decorations are all up, listen, the music is blaring!

You see, this type of Christmas gets so very wearing!

The ringing of the ‘tills is what the sellers all need.

Now that expensive promoting has planted the seed.

Their profits are their concerns not your bank book.

Once you walk in the stores they have you on the hook.

You’ll find you are thinking more about abundance now.

And it flits into your mind like its planted somehow.

Could it be that Satan likes this early Christmas too?

Taking the thoughts away from Christ and onto you.

If he can but steal away a few lax brothers and see

If their wallets are out at each retail store, there will be

Little money left to send to missions or to help the poor.

He’s won again this year and his count is up once more!

It is his Master Plan to take Christ right out of Christmas,

That way everyone can join in and they just call it Xmas!

Holy Spirit

Come now Holy Spirit, refresh my life today.

Bring God’s Holy Word to mind when ‘ere I pray.

Open mine eyes I pray, let Thy Spirit see through me.

Let my speech be seasoned with words from Thee.

That I might be a conduit prepared for Thy love..

An outpouring of Thy love must come from above.

Come Holy Spirit talk to me, more settled I will be.

To seek, to find and to follow Thy word tells me

That more confidence and knowledge I will retain.

To have Your word in me is a glorious refrain.

With your word in me I am able to repeat it again.

This I do in obedience to Jesus’ holy  name.

                             Amen

Psalm 34:5 - 8  “ Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces....Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those that take refuge in Him,”

Psalm 16:11  “ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

Foxes in the Chicken Coop

Be careful what you find within our church walls.

But be more concerned what travels down our halls.

Search and destroy all grumbling and murmurs.

Don’t just “nod” when you hear negative talk.

                    DO SOMETHING

Let nothing negative pass from your mouth to the body of Christ.

Whenever you are able, testify the positive, build up the body with praise.

Satan does not sit outside our church waiting for permission to come in.

He travels incognito on the backs of unbelief and unconfessed sin.

He moves amongst us, watching and picking things and people apart.

He has plans to divide our church and steal our joyful hearts.

He is a master instigator who will tear our faith apart.

                    DO SOMETHING.

Build up the body with words of approbation.

Let no-one think he is greater than another,

Submit to one another with brotherly love.

Pray, asking God to open your eyes to sin.

                  DO SOMETHING  

Ephesians 4: 3-6 ``Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace .. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."

Consider Now

Come now, consider the hammer.

It keeps its head in times of stress,

And it does not fly off the handle.

It keeps pounding diligently away.

It finds the point, then drives it home.

It looks to the other side, and thus

Its decision often clinches the matter

It makes mistakes, but when it does

It often starts its work all over again.

It is the only knocker in the world

That does any mite of good!

Ephesians 2:10  - “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

The Card Lady

I’m not just a “Card Lady” you know.

I sent you a card so that I can grow.

If  you receive a card from me then you know

I am praying for you and I want it to show.

By telling you in words better than mine,

That I care and will pray until you feel fine.

When I pray I feel especially close to the Lord,

About the needs of others we are in accord.

The Spirit moves in such marvelous ways,

He moves mightily for us when we pray.

It is not just a card that comes your way,

I will pray over you figuratively every day.

Your name is written down in our “BOOK”.

It will stay there until a better outlook.

Occurs for you, may our Lord grant it too.

Better days ahead is my prayer for you.

Don’t just throw out the card, read, it again.

Words can be a blessing, prayer reduces pain.

                         Amen

Psalm 91:15  “When they call on me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honour them.”

Isaiah 65:24  “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.”

James 5:16  “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

2 Corinthians 3:5  “It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification come from God.”

These Things I Pray

Lord, please keep far from me all pettiness and greed.

Cause me to be large in giving, gentle in word and deed.

Rid from me all self-serving acts and pious fault-finding

Help me to remove all pretense, let my words be minding

Of my neighbours needs, that I can greet him face to face,

Never hasty in judgment, mindful of Your saving grace.

Holy Spirit teach me how to be calm, serene and gentle.

Never let me become lax, just willing to sit and settle.

For I was saved to serve; keep Your word in my mind.

And, Oh Lord, help me to remember always to be kind!