 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, John 14:6, 1 John 5:4-5)
Special Thanks to http://www.screencraftsavers.com
for the background.
Pride is one of those sins that I'm sure
all of us have messed up with. One of the seven things documented
in Proverbs 6 that God hates is a "proud look." In fact, God "resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." What should we do?
We should first know that "the LORD, He is God. It is He who hath
made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, and the sheep of
His pasture." He has created every morsel and bit of our bodies,
and we should praise Him for it. Every accomplishment that WE do
is because of the Grace of God. Any talent we have, God has given
us the ability and strength to increase the talent. Any accomplishment
we have, the strength allowed in us was from God. Pride tears us
away from God and centers our view on ourselves, creating a golden idol
of SELF. What we must do is humble ourselves in the sight of the
Lord, and He will "lift you up" and "exalt you in due time". As Moses
said about God, "there is none else beside Him", and as David said, "Wherefore
thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there
any God beside thee." Through a personal relationship with Jesus,
we find more and more that we cannot express with mere words how Wonderful
He is, and how silly it is to be proud of ourselves -- limited humans.
(Proverbs 6:17, 1 Peter
5:5, Psalm 100:3, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6, Deuteronomy 4:35, 2 Samuel 7:22)
"Pride of the Pack"
By Sterling Franklin
Looking Forward, I first must look back,
What they tried to teach me was the Pride
of the Pack,
What they tried to teach me was taking
me off-track,
And yet I let it hinder me in my Walk,
Even without talking the talk,
At times I became slack.
Yet when I did well, I passed through the
fine line,
That divides confidence and sinful pride,
So much that I often cheated and lied,
And now I ask forgiveness from the Rock,
Put it behind Key and Lock,
And He'll use me, pride-free, just fine.
The Present of His Presence
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit." One of the greatest presents
from God is His Presence. "In His Presence is fulness of joy."
Without Jesus, the best we can do is second rate, but with Him helping
us, He will strengthen us if we allow Him to. When we serve the Lord,
He will "renew our strength." We will in life "walk and not grow
weary" and "run and will not faint." "Let the Joy of the Lord be
your Strength" and seek out more of the fulness of God. "Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall
be filled." "He must increase, and I must decrease." May the
Lord shine fully through us, and let us be the "Light of the world" and
"salt of the earth" that He has commanded us to be. Don't settle
for feeling dirty in life, but ask the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit,
to overflowing. As it says in Luke 11, "If a son shall ask bread
of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask
a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask
an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Once in the heavy
presence of God, you will have no doubt that He is real, and you will want
more and more to live for Him. If you want to live for Him and haven't
accepted Jesus as the payment for your sins and your Savior, click
here.
(Ephesians 5:18, Psalm 16:11,
Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 40:29-31, Nehemiah 8:10, Matthew 5:6, John 3:30,
Matthew 5:13-16, Luke 11:11-13)
"Butter"
By Sterling Franklin
I take a taste, the sample makes me want
more,
Fills me with gladness, and I'm burning
for more,
So refreshing, I want more of it,
I NEED more of it.
I want someone to pour the butter all over
me, from head to toe,
It burns and it brings me to my knees,
Crying out for more,
And I can't get rid of the film on me.
It lives within me and is upon me,
I can't bear but to be overwhelmed,
So revitalizing and rejuvenating,
I want to completely be filled with it.
My flesh is eroding, and the butter is
consuming me,
And I have more joy than I ever have had,
Looking back on dullness,
Seeing the glow of the butter for now
and the future.
But I realize...it's not butter.
It's more tasty than butter,
It's more satisfying than butter,
Or rather, He is.
And all I can say and think is
'Thank You, so much, Father,
for pouring the Holy Spirit upon me!
May I glorify Your Mighty Name!'
Seven Steps: How to Be in Closer Relationship with the Lord
God works with
your cooperation. Don't expect to know God well if you spend all
your time on comic books and television and have no time in the day for
Him in prayer or in reading the Bible. First step is coming to start
in a relationship with Jesus. How do you do that? By accepting
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, believing in what He has done for
you on the Cross (dying for the payment of your sins and rising again,
giving an eternal answer to the problem of death and sin). All you
have to do is ask Him to forgive your sins, Believe in your heart that
God rose Him from the dead, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Second step is
starting to pray and read your Bible. The Bible is a window into
God's heart and will. He wants none to perish, "but for all to come
to repentance." He wants the good news (good news = 'Gospel') of
Jesus Christ to be spread to all cultures and nations. He wants to
show you His Goodness and Mercy, His Power, His Infinite Ability to Provide
in even the most seemingly impossible situations. "For the LORD is
good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
Reading the Bible first of all strengthens your Faith, as does prayer.
"Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God." When you read the Bible,
God will very frequently confirm what you've read in some form or another.
When you keep your eyes open for confirmations, you see how wonderful God
sets up every day of your life. He will reward you for any time spent
with Him.
Third step is
following through on your Bible reading. Jesus compared those who
heard the Scriptures and didn't live them to a person who built his house
on sand. Waves (trials) came and winds blew, and the house fell.
Those who practiced the Bible, living out what they were commanded to do
from the Scriptures, were as those who built their house on solid rock.
No matter what came, the house stood. "But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Reading the Bible
gives you strength against sin. Jesus quoted Scriptures when the
devil tempted him forty days in the wilderness, and the devil fled.
King David is quoted, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee." There is power in living life the way God
intended and there are many blessings attached in obeying such guidelines
from our Creator.
Fourth step is
finding fellowship with other Christians, whether online or in a church.
We are to not "forsake the gathering together of saints," and God allows
fellowship for a reason: to build others up in the Lord. Sometimes
encouragement is needed in your life, and the Lord can speak through others
in their kindness to you. Even going online and visiting with Christians
during the week is great.
Fifth, find a
lot of time to Praise and Worship the Lord. Praising the Lord gives
God glory and allows God to pour out more blessings and great joy on you.
He created us for His Glory, and He loves it when we see His Goodness and
thank Him for it. Prayer is also a form of worship, when we thank
Him for doing things in our lives and trust Him for our future. "And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose."
Sixth, keep this
center-stage in your mind: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation
of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."
Keep your way pure before the Lord. Man may look on the outward appearance,
but God looks on the heart. He knows every thought you think, and
every step and decision you make. God is 'omniscient,' which means
'all-knowing.' You can even pray that the Lord purifies your heart.
As David prayed in Psalm 51, "create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew
a right spirit within me." God will give you the desire of your heart.
"Ye have not, because ye ask not." "Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
upon your lusts." Use prayer wisely!
Seventh, always
ALWAYS seek the Lord for more. If you think that you have seen the
best that God has for you, you are mistaken! God is an infinite God,
and we can know Him better and better. The more we know Him, the
more we see how wonderful He is, and the more blessings we will see in
our daily lives. The more we seek Him, the greater He sets us on
fire for Him. We get more excited about Jesus when we are in a closer
point of fellowship with Him. Always remember these promises: "Draw
near to God, and he will draw near to you," "But if from thence thou shalt
seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy
heart and with all thy soul," "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto
me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of
hosts," and "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for
me with all your heart." May your relationship with the Lord be fruitful
and blessed.
"Come Closer"
By Sterling Franklin
Come closer, dear Lord, come closer, I
pray,
The darkness of night has been long cast
away.
Light from the brightest of lamps can't
compare
To the Strength of Your Hand and the Words
that You Say.
The demons, they shudder, and Your servants
delight,
At the fact of Your Being and Your True,
Endless Might,
At the fact that You are Holy and Eternally
Fair,
You have Broken our blindness and Restored
us to sight.
Lord, You satisfy my deepest inner wants,
You cure my sickness and forgive all my
sins, and have given me Your Law,
You touch my soul and heart with a touch
so deep and powerful,
You amaze me more and more, and more and
more I am in awe.
The more I feel Your Awesome Working Hand
upon my head,
The more fortified and strengthened I
know You're making me for Your Way,
Your Word seeks to change me for Your
Glory,
And I will for that to take place more
and more each passing day.
Never be lazy and settle for Less,
When it comes to Serving the Lord,
He provides and blesses, protects and
guides,
For Greater is His Reward.
Infinite, Wonderful, Miraculous, Just,
His Kingdom shall not see an end,
Why invest all your time in the things
of the earth,
When Jesus is the most Loyal Friend?
Salvation He brings through the Cross that
He bore,
And the Victory over the grave,
Why would I settle for much less than
Jesus,
For it's things of Him that I crave.
He fills us with Love and He comforts us
daily,
A lot of people don't see,
The best way to Joy and the best way to
Peace,
Is obeying our Lord endlessly.
Lord Jesus, my Savior, how Faithful You
are,
Your Love touches near and extends to
the far.
You turned my life around and have filled
me with Your Spirit,
Lord, open others' ears so Your message,
they might hear it.
Jesus, You have created all things right
from the Start,
Lord, let me serve You with all of my
heart.
How infinite You are and how grateful
I am,
To be washed in the beautiful blood of
the Lamb.
I love You and desire You more and more
each day,
Thank You my Potter for not discarding
the clay.
Lord, mold me and make me into what You
want me to be,
With myself alone I am nothing, but with
You I have Victory.
Amen.
Father, we lift Your name on High,
We give you everything,
We love to life our hands to thee,
And with our voices sing.
You are Lord of Heaven and of Earth,
May Your Kingdom come to Pass,
On earth as is in Heaven,
Let us show Your Love and Class.
Fill us with Your Holy Ghost,
And Touch our hearts anew,
Let our glory be not of men,
But let us give the glory to You.
You are powerful and infinite,
You have total might and rule over every
being,
You made us the world's light and show
us the Way,
And with Your light, enable our seeing.
Have you heard about this Man named Jesus,
About His selfless sacrifice for you and
me,
About Him taking away our filthy state,
By being cursed and hanged on a tree?
All you must do is ask and believe,
Put your sins and life at the foot of
the Cross,
He'll give you joy, peace, purpose, and
life eternally,
It's your gain through God's pain, and
for the devil - a loss.
How Great is Your Day,
How Great is Your Peace,
When You return to this earth,
And all quarrels shall cease,
And how Great is Your Power,
And how Great is Your Might,
That can change the most vile,
Transforming darkness into Light.
How Holy are You,
And How Worthy You are,
To receive all our praises,
Dear Bright Morning Star,
And how Awesome Your Presence,
And how Infinite Your Grace,
With Love as deep as the ocean,
Yet as delicate as lace.
And how great it truly is
To serve a Loving, Caring King,
And to You I will give my heart,
My time, and my everything.
Though the tumult of this confusing earth
Blows through society as a violent storm,
Your Presence and Your Majesty,
Hugs 'round me and keeps me warm.
The Glory of You overshadows gloom,
As the world depressingly lives.
You change my heart to conform to Yours,
Oh, the Love that Your Power gives.
Though the world is blind and does not
know You,
You can open the blind eyes to sight,
Filling deeply the forsaken, giving strength
to the weakened,
You truly are the World's Shining Light.
So make me a strong witness, a lover of
Thine,
And fill those who I talk to with more
of the True,
My Master, Reveal Yourself more Bountifully,
And make me more Hungry for You.
Lord, let me Praise you all night and all
day,
Let me walk completely in Your Way.
I will make time for Your Word and for
prayer,
Let me stand strong in Your Light against
every foe and betrayer.
You are worth everything to me, Lord,
Equip me with knowledge from the Spirit's
Sword.
You are the treasure that I have found
and cherish,
Father, You sent down Your Son that I
might not perish.
You are Holy, Holy, Holy, Worthy of everything
of me,
You deserve Praises all day long and throughout
eternity.
You created beauty and in beauty You delight,
You are awesome and Wonderful, You rule
in Your Might.
I worship Your Matchless Grace,
Let Your Presence surround me and fill
me in this place.
You are Beautiful, Lord, and I love you
as much as I am able,
Lord, increase my capacity so I can love
You more and have fellowship with You at Your Table.
You are SO GOOD to me, Lord, You have
provided so much,
Let me serve You forever and not hold
You simply as a crutch.
Let me walk in Your Ways, and Lord, show
me more of Your Infinity,
You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -
the Divine and blessed Trinity.
Thank You, Lord, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Lord, let me serve You,
How Faithful Thou art,
Let me praise you forever
With all of my heart.
I need You more each day,
You are awesome indeed,
You water my spirit
After planting Your seed.
I have found I am nothing,
But You are Everything,
Lord, I want to exalt You,
To lift my hands to You and sing.
You take care of my sickness,
And You heal my disease,
Oh, the Love that I get
When I fall to my knees.
You comfort me to smiles,
And you wipe away my tears,
And have set me on Your Path
For all of my Years.
How Glorious You Are,
And I will truly serve You,
For the harvest is large,
But the workers are few.
Lord, You hear all my prayers,
But just grant me this plea,
I want to give you everything I have
And give You all the Glory.
I will worship You, Lord,
My Infinite King,
For You have Power over darkness
And over death's bitter sting.
No longer blind,
No longer worried,
We have our Path in full sight.
No longer cursed,
No longer threatened,
For the Lord our God is our Light.
No longer wandering,
No longer lost,
The Lord has plans for our Days.
No longer in want,
No longer in need,
He Provides for us in all ways.
Fill me with Joy
Fill me with Peace
Let me serve You,
Lord, bring the increase.
Wash me each day,
Change me anew,
Lord, make me obedient,
A True Child of You.
Brighten this fire,
Strengthen this blaze,
Lord, let Your Power
Shine through and amaze.
Make me Your Work,
Touch me today,
Lord, thank You greatly,
In Your Son's Name, I pray.
Lord, You are infinite, most significant,
faithful and wise
Perfect in ruling, reigning justly in
the skies.
You are Holy, Holy, Holy, and I praise
Your Mighty Name,
Ignite in me a desire, an unquenchable
flame.
Lord, You are King and are Powerful, I
want You more each passing day,
Jesus, give me a love that never passes
away,
Touch me, my King, my Savior, my Friend,
Lord, let Your Kingdom yeast be worked
into the dough to the end.
God Almighty, You are victorious, and
mighty in deed
Help me to plant in others Your Holy Spirit's
seed.
Use me, oh Lord, and fill me I pray
Let me serve You forever and never wander
astray.
You are the Light of Life and the Bright
Morning Star,
Lord, You have Touched me so deeply, how
Gracious You are.
I love You, my Lord, You have filled me
with love,
You have blessed me with riches that have
been sent from above.
You are the Father of Lights and Your
Works are so Great
Let Your Holy Spirit flow down and Your
Touch not abate.
Lord, You are God, and You are King, and
I want to Praise You
You have changed me and made me into a
servant more true.
Lord, I am nothing, and I can't do anything
without Your Miraculous Might,
You are Everything and Everything You
are, Thou rulest in Light.
I feel Your Awesome Presence around me
this hour,
Lord, You are full of Compassion, of Goodness,
and Power.
But I love You, my Lord, and You love
me much more,
Let my flesh be sincere and broken, Lord,
You will open opportunity's door.
I am faulty and weak, You are awesome
and supreme,
With me and me, I lose all, but You and
i make a great team.
Hallelu Jah, my Jesus, You are worthy
of all of my time,
Let me follow You daily and get rid of
sin's slime.
Oh, Touch me, my Lord, and fill me with
Your Holy Spirit,
'Til I overflow with Your Joy and, to
others I tell, that they may hear it.
When the going gets tough,
The world gets a-going,
Depression arises,
And strife gets a-flowing.
With Hatred and Envy,
The world fills its heart,
Confusion and Suffering,
Right from the start.
When the going gets tough,
The Righteous start going,
To prayer on their knees,
The Lord with Strength bestowing.
Joy and Deliverance
Shine through all their deeds,
The Holy Spirit comforts,
And plants Godly Seeds.
Though we knew our destination,
We forgot about our course,
We went running with the saddle,
Yet we left behind our horse,
And instead of us progressing,
We were standing still instead,
We had forgotten that our Faith
Without the works was simply dead.
Yet the Lord, Who loves us dearly,
And wants ALL to come to Him,
Gives Wisdom to the foolish,
And He brightens up the dim.
His Kingdom will not perish,
It is there for you and me,
If you ask the Lord to be your Savior
And to forgive your sins Sincerely.
If I said 'hello,' Would you look away?
If I had a problem, Would you refuse to
pray?
If I were in debt, Would you laugh it
out?
If I told you something, Would you merely
doubt?
When I say hello, you look away.
When I have my problems, you forget to
pray.
When I need a helping hand, you give me
the boot.
If you had a gun, would you really shoot?
But you know what?
I'm STILL gonna love you, No matter the
cost.
I'll help you find the way when you are
lost.
And all-in-all, I'll tell you what's true,
I'm gonna keep loving you, and Jesus will,
too!
If I stumbled, would You catch me?
If I tumbled, would You reset me?
If I failed You miserably, would You give
me another shot?
If I became lukewarm, would You make me
hot?
If I violated You, would You forgive me
indeed?
If I lost my direction, would You retake
the lead?
If I turned from Your path, would you
restore me within?
If I wanted You more, would you Fill me
herein?
Yes, son, I would forgive you even til
the sun lost its light,
And when you're with Me, I will remove
all your fright,
I will give you the joy and the strength
that you need,
To conquer this world, and with Me, you'll
succeed,
And I will restore you, sustain you, and
heal you,
And believing into Me, I have your mansion
and inheritance, too.
I will give you abundant life, and you
will bask in My Glory,
And all I want the world to do is ask.
Back again to the place where I love,
Back in Your promises You have sent from
above,
Back in Divine Guidance and Fatherly Care,
Back in His Gaze, in His Warm, Loving
stare.
Back again, swiftly I turn from the wrong,
Back to the singing of His Awesome Praise
Song,
Back in protection, no need for alarm,
Back in the Shelter of the Everlasting
Arms.
Time for class, I am ready for the test,
Got my pencil, gonna do my very best.
Studied a bit, but I will ace this exam,
I'll be a true genius, which is just what
I am.
Question number one - What color is the
sky above?
The Sky? That has flying things
like sparrows and doves,
It may be blue to some, but I want to
be sly,
To me, relatively, GREEN is the color
of the sky.
Question number two - What is two plus
two?
I know that the typical answer of four
is true,
But true to you may not be true to me,
So relatively, two plus two is SEVEN,
that's how I see.
Question number three - What is a tree?
I could say that it's a brown plant with
branches and leaves,
But who cares about normal, I want to
be strange,
Relatively, a tree is a western song like
"Home on the Range."
Question number four - Who was the first
American President?
I was dead at the time, and at the time,
I wasn't a resident.
I know it was Washington, but I think
for myself,
Relatively, dear teacher, #1 was Lawrence
Welk.
Last question - number five - What is your
name?
Oh, come on now, teacher, is this some
kind of game?
It's a gimme, but I don't care, I want
to be a dork,
For this question, relatively, my name
is now Fork.
Three days after the test, she hands it
to me,
It had a ton of red marks, Graded fully
and completely,
I was stunned at her comments, her cutting
remarks,
They totally shocked me, from out of the
dark!
"I know you knew the answers, you were
saying them out loud,
You changed them, however, to be different
from the crowd.
Relativism doesn't work, and functions
as a pitiful song.
Your answers were not RELATIVELY, but
ABSOLUTELY Wrong!"
Grade? F!
Follow the leader and you
shall see
The horrible dips of society,
Where nobody thinks using
their own mind
And the only bad word is
individuality.
No matter their conscience,
they travel as parrots,
Following someone who one
person merits,
Never seeing the world through
their own eyes,
But looking through a hero
who one inherits.
It's funny, you see, if one
person tries
To think one way, but the
leader denies,
How fast the person will
change his opinion,
As if his own powerful mental
strength dies.
But, nay, I say, and yes,
that rhymes,
Will I follow that leader
and be silenced like mimes,
I'll have my own ideas and
follow my conscience,
God will help me, not heroes,
in difficult times.
Seems just like yesterday
That you had to go away
You were devout, you were
true,
a great friend through and
through,
and I know you're in Heaven,
cuz you were a Christian,
too
...But you really meant a
lot,
yet the battle that you fought
was just plain atrocious,
that disease was ferocious,
and it cut you in two,
but never a complaint out
of you...
I know that you're okay,
but I think of yesterday,
when we talked, when we played,
life not the least bit was
frayed
the great times we had,
it just makes me feel bad...
that you're not coming back,
I feel alone in my tracks
Such a great kid and friend,
Funny and honest to the end,
Never edgy, never gruff,
It's just missing you that's
rough...
And you knew so so much
Bible Quizzin, animals, and
such,
and I feel a bit better,
Writing memories and letters,
Rememb'ring your smile,
The telephone number I'd
dial...
Bowling or Nintendo 64,
I wish I could play some
more,
with you laughing beside,
it's a rollercoaster ride,
Not having you on the earth,
not celebrating your day
of birth...
And nobody could hate you,
You took the path that went
straight through,
even though it was narrow,
You kept your eye on the
Sparrow,
and you're getting your reward,
from our merciful Lord...
And I'm certainly glad to
say,
that I knew you on your way,
and I always can ponder,
that I'll see you up yonder
You'll be remembered a great
deal,
thanks for your help and
appeal...
The memories that we shared,
I saw how much you cared,
How genuine you were,
How helpful and mature,
You stood by your friends
with strength,
You talked with them cheerfully
at length...
Even though we'll all miss
you as our friend,
We'll remember you fighting
to the very end,
You're in a place of perfection
without biased elections,
without trouble or grief
or strife,
But when we remember Nick
Stikeleather,
we can reflect on his wonderfully-lived
life.
Two more days 'til Conference
Meet,
what shoes do I run in,
to crush the competition,
and end up with one more
win?
Maybe if I ask my coach
and ask him nicely, too...
Then he would recommend to
me
the best and perfect shoe!
"Now listen here," the coach
told me,
"I'll tell you what to wear!
Just get some spikes at Just
for Feet.
Their prices are SO FAIR!"
So I traveled to that dreaded
place,
that rip-off of a store,
and found that if I bought
ONE shoe,
I'd be broke forevermore!
Depressed and sad, I went
back home,
and fell asleep real fast,
and had some dreams of me
running
from races in the past
My first dream was of running
well,
yes, running really nice...
Until I fell and realized
my shoes were made of rice!
Another dream was of basketball,
I was dunkin' and a-jammin'
when suddenly I slipped and
saw
my shoes were made of salmon!
I suddenly awakened and
ran up to tell my mom,
"I need some shoes tomorrow
so that I can run DA BOMB!"
"No," said she, "I cannot
go,
yet you can always try,
to run well in the shoes
you have
and not some new ones buy."
So the day of the race, I
wondered
and I wondered what to do.
I hadn't a good pair, or
even yet
had no good shoe.
A great idea hit me, YES!
It hit me very hard!
I just hope those shoes will
last me
up 'til the final yard.
So I ran in the meet, in the
big relay,
and I never did look back,
for when I ran in my new
shoes,
I made the rest look slack!
Through the line, I came in
first,
in a minute forty-one,
and was greeted by some interviewers
when the race was finally
done.
They asked, "What is your
secret?
Are those magic spikes, dear
chief?"
I opened my mouth with a
bloody grin --
"Thoss arn't spikes!
Thoss arr my teef!"
You've gotten Salvation, and you've been
on fire,
But the fire is "too hard to maintain."
You've seen amazing things from the Hand
of God,
But your desire from Him doesn't remain.
It's as if the Lord can't excite you enough,
Or as if He doesn't reward,
As if you can't stand with Him strengthening,
As if the trials, you couldn't afford.
When you don't have any opposition,
When the devil doesn't have to strike
back,
You must wonder truly if you're on the
Way,
Or if you've slidden off track.
You sit in church and don't strive for
more,
When the glory has gone and died,
You feel as if you've shriveled up,
When you've become satisfied.
Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord,
It's not up to you to strike back.
Be kind to your enemies and pray for them,
And perhaps they won't re-attack.
You may think that beating them up,
Or cursing them out will help out,
But trusting the Lord in keeping the Peace
Will work best, beyond a shadow of doubt.
LORD, I ask for a heart that is stayed
on Thee,
One that won't falter or give in to the
enemy,
A heart so full of You that You get the
Victory,
Even through the thick and thin of everyday
affairs.
LORD, grant me the desire for more of You,
A desire to be loyal, faithful, and forever
true,
A willingness to follow and do as You
would do,
Even with the distracting troubles and
worldly cares.
For now...that's all, folks!