ALL the SAME

The blind, the lame were shunned by God,
Forbidden to enter the Temple.

Imperfect ones, to God they were,
Blemished and sometimes simple.

The deaf, the palsied, and even the sick – 
The woman who'd just had a baby – 
Some could enter once they had been cleansed
With sacrifices or washing daily.

Chorus:
I have washed (yes, we washed)!
I am clean (pure and clean)!
I'm imperfect but now I am holy!
I'm a living sacrifice, given to God
Through the blood of Christ my King!

Whether handicaps or birth defects – 
All to God are the same.
Praise the Lord! Obey His Word.
In Jesus' precious Name.
(Amen)

I wrote this June 9 - 10, 2014. As a person who needs both "seeing aids" and hearing aids, during Old Testament times, I would not be accepted by God. Thank God for His Son's sacrifice and that God is now no respecter of persons!

THE OUTSIDER

Everywhere there's always a person

who is almost always alone.

It's especially sad when it's at church,

though usually not TOO bad when at home.

Could be a man, but more likely, a lady.

She may even have been there for years,

but because of cliques, she's an outsider,

and that causes her heartbreaking tears.

Maybe she's shy, or a widow,

or maybe single all of her life,

but to be excluded is hurtful,

and you know that God condemns strife.

Invite her to a party or luncheon,

but don't leave her alone on the wall.

What if Jesus came there by Himself?

Would He feel welcome at all?

Don't YOU want to be treated kindly,

rather than ignored, and almost cruel?

Remember to follow the Bible,

and what we call the "Golden Rule".

You may find you have things in common

when you reach to her with compassionate love.

God bless you as you work to serve others.

Remember ALL blessings come from above.

One day, you may be where she is -

feeling unloved, in the cold.

So PLEASE, if you're in the "in" crowd,

include this lonely soul.

- by Netagene, February 3, 2014, written especially for and at the request of a good friend, a widowed Christian who feels like an outsider where she worships. I, too, am an outsider. Like her, I have no blood kin nearby, but a lady 20 years my senior started inviting me to lunch with some other single ladies, after Sunday morning worship. Sometimes it’s only 2 or 3 of us, sometimes a few more. The only nearby places are “fast food”, but we’re together more for the friendship. I have also been “adopted” by a lady almost 20 years my junior who lives near me, who has a ladies’ Bible class and pot luck lunch on Tuesday mornings. I am so blessed! -

ONE CANDLE

Light one candle. Let it shine.

You never know what you may find.

To help some lost one, mired in sin.

Just one candle will let Christ in!

-------------------------------

In the darkness, I trip and fall.

I see no one but hear a call.

A voice rings out, soft but clear:

"Right this way! There's nothing to fear!"

Feeling along a rough-hewn way,

Not sure of the end, whether night or day.

If only one candle to see what's there –

I don't want to fall into some animal's lair.

Is anyone there with one little light?

I feel so lost in this hellish blight!

That soft clear call is now a roar.
Please! Someone save me from Satan's door!

Ah! One candle shining in!

The Hand of God has sent a friend.

Just one candle's enough to see.

Thank you, God, for saving me! 

I’m saved when I obey Your Word. 
Thank you, God, that I’ve now heard. 
I’m blessed one person cared for me – 
And with one candle, set me free.

I’ll pass to others what God’s word tells 
To save one soul from Satan’s Hell. 
I’m only one candle, but now I see – 
Because only one candle led you to me.

I’ll “pay it forward” and be one light 
To lead another out of night. 
I pray my candle will show someone 
The way to Jesus ’ere their life is done. 

- by Netagene. I wrote most of this in less that 30 minutes on January 22, 2014. In Steve Murrell's sermon on Sunday, January 19, he said something about "one candle". I thought he was referring to a song, and of course I wanted a copy. He told me later that it wasn't a song, but something in a TV commercial. Well, it's a song now! -

I say

I say I'm a Christian and have been for years

but I really can't tell you when,

or if I prayed through or whatever it was

that you had to do way back then.

I say I love God and the things that He wrote,

The Bible, I'm told, is His book.

Right now I'm not sure where it is in my house.

Guess I’ll find it when I find time to look.

I say that I'm good and don't think that I sin,

that ''little white lies'' are OK.

That's how I feel, and it's fine with me,

if Jesus came back today.

I say it's not cursing to use God's name

as a by-word, when I mean ''wow" or "cool"!

It's common today, and I see no problem.

Besides, I'm not breaking some rule.

I say that Sunday's my time with my family.

No, I don't go to church any more.

Most preachers are boring and there's hypocrites there,

so you won't see me wasting time at their door.

I say to my friends, "Please save your breath

about church, 'cause I really don't care.

So what that your worship's important to you.

I wish you didn’t think you must share!”

I say there's no Heaven and certainly no Hell,

that thIs life is all that there is.

So I cruise along, doing whatever I want,

Living in sweet ignorant bliss.

I say "but what if" what my friends say is true –

Yeah, sometimes I have a few doubts.

But I'll take my chances. I'm OK with my life.

I'll play 'til my lights go out.

But if what they say – that there's more than this life –

there's Hell and there's Satan and sin ...

They talk, too, of mercy, so when I finally pass through –

Maybe God will still tell me "come in"!

- by Netagene, January 16 & January 17, 2014. No, I don't say that! I wrote it as something that some others might say. -

GOD's PLAN

I’m a person. What are you?

I’m not an animal from the zoo,

Not “evolved” from ape or slime –

God gave me breath, made me sublime.

Eons ago, when God made man,

He also came up with a plan.

First made a garden, put Adam there,

And Eve, then too, their lives to share.

God also gave a mind to choose:

Obey His Laws, or not – and lose.

Then Satan came, and through deceit,

The Adams lost, much to our grief.

But God the Father sent His Son,

A sacrifice for everyone.

We all know of the virgin birth,

How Christ the Son came to the earth.

The sacrifice – a perfect lamb,

Was God the Son, the Great I am.

Was buried, but o’ercame His foes –

The risen Savior – Christ arose!

I wrote that August 17, 2010, but only recently found it! It didn’t even have a title, so the best I could come up with was what you see. And even now, I may add to it!

SPECIAL DAYS

In all of our lives, there are some special days,

Celebrated at times in familiar ways.

The day you got glasses so that you could see,

Or hearing aids – Listen! Birds singing in trees!

It’s special when you got an “A” on a big test,

Then the college degree when you’ve done your best.

The birth of a child is usually nice, or

The day that a soldier paid the ultimate price.

The anniversary of when you married the love of your life,

Celebrating times through good things and strife.

But to God, there’s no one special day in the year,

Not one day to celebrate, not one to hold dear. (1)

Some always worship – they regularly go twice,

But two times a year is no sacrifice.

Christmas nor Easter will keep us in line,

But one day remembered yearly, 52 times.

The empty tomb – the stone rolled away. (2)

Christ tells us to remember. That’s what we obey. (3)  

Christ rose from the dead the first day of the week,

Every week has a first day, so that’s what we keep. (4)

The same words are used for the collection, too. (5)

Most churches want money, so that’s what they do.

They take the Lord’s Supper yearly twice, 3, or 4;

But taking up money? They do that much more.

Our lives here are vapor. They’re gone in a puff. (6)

After that, good and bad are separated by a gulf. (7)

Saved by God’s grace? Yes, but still we must obey.

So you feel it’s too much to remember Him every first day?

1. Galatians 4:7-11; 2. Matthew. 27-28; Mark 15-16; Luke 23-24; John 18-20; 3. Luke 22:14-20: I Corinthians  11:20-26; 4. Acts 20:7; 5. I Corinthians 16:1-2; 6. James 4:13-14; 7. Luke 16:20 ff.

- by Netagene, December 28, 2009. I found it only recently in an old e-mail! Yes, I have both "seeing aids" (since I was in my teens) and hearing aids (for about 8 years now), and have an associates' degree (in music) from college. I also attend worship almost every time the doors are open. I think that is what God requires. We are to encourage each other, and the best way is to physically be with others! -

Are You an EN-courager or a DIS-courager?

Do you ever get blue? … down in the dumps? … don’t want to be with anyone? I feel that way sometimes, but I have learned not to stay there, realizing that being in such a mood is one way Satan tiptoes up and strangles me. When a person is blue, he sometimes says and does things he shouldn’t, and often doesn’t want to be with others.

One of the most insidious tactics of Satan is discouragement. It is not conspicuous like other things – not cursing that others would have heard, not adultery or stealing, and so on. Discouragement is quiet, sneaky, slips up on you.

God wants us to be with other Christians and "hold up" each other's hands (Exodus 17:11-12), and be a "Barnabas" (Acts 4:36, NIV) to each other. (A commercial “plug”: look up and buy a copy of Vicky Litmer’s sweet book: “You are a Barnabas to Me”. I bought a few copies as gifts!) That’s one reason we can’t be a good, effective Christian by staying home and missing worship services. (Don’t get bent out of joint … I’m not talking about legitimate shut-ins and caregivers and such!) Colossians 3:16 (NIV) says that we are to “ … teach and admonish [encourage – NK] one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (See also Hebrews 10:24 - 25.)

“Encourage” or a form of it is in the King James’ Version of the Bible only 9 times, and that in the Old Testament, but in the New International Version, it is used 15 times in the Old Testament and 30+ times in the New Testament!

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God, but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” – Hebrews 3:12 - 13, NIV.

Of course that are too many to write out here, but you can look up the following verses. Depending on the translation you use, “encourage” may not be the word used:

Romans 1:12;

Romans 12:8;

Romans 15:4, 5;

II Corinthians 13:11;

And several in I Thessalonians 4 & 5

The word “discourage” or a form of it is also used in the Bible. What happened when someone was discouraged? They lost battles. They listened to the wrong people, and God allowed them to be defeated!

One of my favorite verses – and which I recently got a pendant which is on a chain that I wear all the time now – is of a shield. On the back is Joshua 1:9: “ … Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

As the saying goes, one person and God is a majority! Or as Paul said (Romans 8:31): “ … If God be for us, who can be against us?”

When Christians plan to get together, whether for a singing and Bible study at someone’s house, or a simple pot luck meal – and at almost the last minute, the host gets sick and the event has to be canceled … or plans are made for some Christians to go on vacation together, and are anticipating being together – and a week before the cruise or flight time, something happens where it looks like they will have to cancel … Do you think that’s a coincidence? I don’t. And the older I get, the more I see such things happening. That’s when it is time to say: “Get behind me, Satan! You are trying to lead me to Hell! I am not following you! I am going on with my plans to be with Christians! I am following Jesus!”

- by Netagene Kirkpatrick, November 19, 2013 -