The Margaret Street Church of Christ
Page
Three
HEAVENLY
MATHEMATICS
The best math example yet:
1 cross
+ 3 nails
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= 4 giveness
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The
task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
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Christians
aren't perfect, but they are forgiven.
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Get your spiritual exercise.
Walk with the Lord daily!
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Worry is the darkroom in which "negatives" are developed.
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When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out God is
all you need.
Flower-strewn pathways all our life through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
- Unknown.
THE U IN JESUS
Before
U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son.
And
each time U pray, you'll see it's true
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.
You're
a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.
And
His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.
Isn't
it thrilling and splendidly grand?
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan.
The
stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
And this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When
JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.
"Go
into the world and tell them it's trUe
That I love them all - Just like I love U."
So
many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?
It
all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know, but it all starts with U.
Author
unknown
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"God is in the hypocrite's mouth, but the world is in his heart."
DOA
Dead
on arrival, these letters mean.
Will that be our fate at the judgment scene?
Death for the flesh is appointed all men.
Will we be raised unto glory then?
Which
will it be for you and for me,
When on the white throne, Jesus we see?
It seems we should know by the life we live,
The kind of sentence that Jesus will give.
Dead
on arrival before the white throne?
No works done, no good seed sown?
No love for God nor even His Son,
No love for others; no victory won?
No
prayers did we say, no songs did we sing,
No glory and honor to Christ did we bring?
No souls did we save, nothing to give,
No help for the hungry, struggling to live?
Dead
on arrival the whole church may be,
If we have not kept the word carefully.
If we have not sought the word of the Lord,
And looked unto heaven for our reward.
Have
we shown others the wisdom of God,
Enthroned in heaven where angels trod?
Or told them of life on that beautiful shore,
Where saints sing praises to God evermore?
Dead
on arrival is a terrible thought.
Alive we can be if we live as he taught.
Dead unto sin, but alive in the Spirit,
To enter the heavenly home we inherit.
Henry Priest - 6/9/2002
Blessing
and Honor
Blessing
and honor and glory and power,
To the Lamb who sits on the throne.
He has redeemed us with His blood,
And He is our savior alone.
No
other man nor spirit could do,
All the things which he's done for man.
He left His home and came to the earth,
Fulfilling salvation's great plan.
"It
is finished" He said to His God,
Then His blood flowed out of His veins,
They placed His body in a borrowed tomb,
But soon He would rise again.
All
power, He said, has been given to me,
in heaven and on earth below.
Go ye, therefore, and teach every nation,
That all of creation may know.
He
told His disciples He was going away,
But said He would come again.
He was going away to prepare them a place,
And a gold crown of vict'ry to win.
Not
only the twelve whom He had called,
But all whom His gospel obey,
Will be with Him and praise His great name,
And sing of His glory some day.
Henry Priest - 1/5/2003
There
was a man of Galilee,
Whose power before was unknown.
He healed the sick, the blind and lame;
For He was never alone.
Some
called this man a prophet of God;
Others said He was the risen John,
But a very few acknowledged Him,
To be Christ, God's only Son.
He
walked the streets of Jerusalem,
And in synagogues he taught.
The common people gladly heard,
And for His counsel sought.
He
came to establish a kingdom strong,
To sit and reign upon its throne.
But not a kingdom of this world,
Which someday will be gone.
He
gave us the keys to this kingdom,
That Jews and Gentiles may have,
The gospel of great salvation,
The wonderful story of love.
On
the cruel cross He suffered and died,
For people like you and me,
With His own blood He redeems us,
This great man of Galilee.
When
in the clouds we see Him come,
We'll humbly bow at His feet.
For He is our judge and our Savior,
He has made our lives complete.
Henry Priest - March 3, 2002
If We Could Only See
So
many times we might have wished,
We could go back in time,
And see some things as they were then,
And see the Lord Sublime.
If
we could only hear Him preach,
His message to all men,
And tell them what they had to do,
To be relieved of sin.
If
we could be there on the mount,
And hear His law proclaimed,
And witness as He healed the sick,
The blind and all the maimed.
If
we could see Him on the cross,
And hear Him say "I thirst",
And hear the angry people say,
That Jesus is accursed.
I'd
like to be on Pentecost,
The day the church began,
And see the thousands who obeyed,
And bravely took their stand.
I'd
like to hear the songs they sang,
Their fellowship so warm,
And how steadfast they really were,
Though others wished them harm.
I'd
like to stand upon a hill,
And view the judgment day,
Hear happy people shout with joy,
Who chose the narrow way.
Henry
Priest - May 12, 2002
(Psalm 24)
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
With all those who in it dwell.
And though we mistreat it in many ways,
By His power He upholds it well.
This
beautiful earth created by God,
With rivers and mountains so high,
With fields full of grain and other such things,
To provide us with food lest we die.
God
made this world through His spoken Word,
And the cattle on a thousand hills,
And last of all He created mankind,
And commanded to do His will.
The
trees and the grass were created by Him,
To provide us the air that we breathe.
For oxygen free, the breath of life,
And heaven for those who believe.
He
founded the earth with oceans and seas,
And filled them with all kinds of life.
He gave us the sun, the moon and the stars,
To provide us with comforting light.
Who
may ascend to the hill of the Lord,
Or stand in His most Holy Place?
Only the humble who come unto Him,
Being taught by His loving Grace.
By
faith they now walk on God's blessed earth,
And wait for the great judgment day,
When Jesus receives all the faithful to Him,
And with Him they always will stay.
Henry Priest - Dec. 23, 2001
Blessed be the name of God,
Whose power and might is shown.
He created heaven and earth,
And all things that are known.
Blessed
be God who gave us food,
To sustain our earthly needs,
And gave us sunshine and the rain,
And gave us precious seeds.
Blessed
be God who gave us life,
No other power could give,
He gave us earth and gave us love,
That by these we should live.
Blessed
be God who gave His Son,
To die for all our sins,
That we, through Him, might see his face,
With joy that never ends.
Blessed
be God who gave His word,
To guide our steps aright,
That we might find the narrow path,
That leads to heaven's light.
Henry Priest - 6/2/2002
Come with me into the garden,
Where Jesus knelt and prayed,
As the last hours of His life,
Were slowly slipping away.
Kneel
and see the cross that day,
Where the Lamb of God did die,
Crucified by wicked hands,
And belief in Satan's lie.
Now
come with me to the tomb,
Where the stone is rolled away.
He's gone, Praise God, It's empty;
God's plan they could not delay.
Hear
the Whisper of the Wind,
As His presence passes by.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Ruler of all earth and sky.
Now
He ascends back up to heaven,
From the shore of the crystal sea.
But soon He's coming back again;
Coming back for you and me.
Author unknown
Pray Always
Satan
is a very real enemy, but can
only win when God is not present.
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Jesus,
who made the storm go away for His disciples is the same Jesus who can
make the storms of our lives go away.
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Some
people see only a hopeless end,
Christians see an endless hope.
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The
road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called failure,
A loop called confusion,
Speed bumps called friends,
Red lights called enemies,
Caution lights called family.
Flat tires called disappointments.
But:
If
you have a spare called determination,
An engine called perseverance,
Insurance called faith,
A driver called Jesus,
You will make it to a place
Called success.
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A MORNING PRAYER
With hat in hand and head bowed low,
I pray to God each day.
God hear my prayer in Heaven above,
And please turn not away.
I thank you LORD for all you've done;
For blessings you've bestowed;
for home and clothing and food I need;
For love you clearly showed.
And
bless the sick, dear LORD above
Heal and comfort by your will.
And bless the churches everywhere,
Your word steadfastly holding still.
I thank you LORD for Christ who came,
And gave His life for me.
Who loved and suffered for us all,
That we might heaven see.
Dear Lord I thank you for your church;
Your kingdom here on earth.
May it reflect to all who see,
It's majesty and worth.
And now, dear LORD, I pray to you;
Forgive me of my sins.
Prepare my soul for judgment day,
When life on earth shall end.
Henry Priest - 5-11-2003
A Wide, Wide World
There's
a wide, wide world before us,
There are millions of souls that are lost;
The young and the old will suffer alike,
Do they stop to count the cost?
There's
a wide, wide world before us,
And sin's getting stronger each day.
What once was considered a no-no,
Is now the accepted way.
Night
clubs are filled with myriad souls,
Who are drinking and dancing each night.
Seeking the pleasure they find in their sin,
Never caring what's wrong or right.
But
God up in heaven looks down upon men,
And sees all the things which they do.
He knows they despise and deny His word,
And live as though it's not true.
There's
a wide, wide world before us,
Where the gospel is not known to men,
Where doors have been shut to the good news,
Of Christ and remission of sin.
But
some day the millions will gather,
Before Him at the glorious throne,
And hear Jesus say with sadness,
"Depart for your name is not known".
Henry Priest - 1/19/2003
There is coming a great separation
When we all in the judgment must stand
Hasten now make the right preparation
By obeying the Father's command.
Let your works by this knowledge be guided
This event can no man disallow
We will all be among those divided
And the time to get ready is now.
When
the judgments for aye have been given
'Twill decree an eternal farewell
Some will enter the splendor of Heaven
And the rest will be cast into hell.
Oh
refuse not the Lord's invitation
Come and plunge into Calvary's flood
And receive Heaven's promised salvation
With your sins washed away by His blood.
-- Harry Presley -- Via The Gospel Light
If
you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap blessings.
But:
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
So be careful what you plant now, it will
determine what you will reap tomorrow.
The seeds you now scatter will make life
better or worse for yourself and for
the those who will come after. Yes,
someday you will enjoy the fruits, or you
will pay for the choices you plant today.
~ Author Unknown ~
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PRAYER
I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know - - God answers prayer.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought.
I leave my prayers with Him alone
Whose Will is wiser than my own.
- - Author unknown
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YOUR CROSS
Whatever
your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain
Perhaps
you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all
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Sometimes
the poorest man leaves
his children the richest inheritance. -
Ruth E. Renkel
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"Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the nonexistent."
What Is God's Word?
Your
Word is a lamp to my feet night and day,
A light to the path I must trod.
A message that tells me the way I should go,
If I'm to be pleasing to God.
Your
word is the word of the prophets of old,
Who warned of the dangers to come,
Of harsh tribulations, of wars and of peace,
Of pain and of death and the tomb.
Your
word gave the promise to Abraham's seed,
That they would be chosen Your own.
And if they were faithful to every precept,
That Canaan would be their new home.
Your
word was the promise of Jesus to come,
That peace and good will would soon reign.
That He would forgive all the sins of mankind,
And heaven would he ours to gain.
Your
word by the prophets a kingdom foretold,
A kingdom that never would fall,
That Jesus would rule on His heavenly throne,
And bless those who heeded His call.
Your
word can be trusted, and all that You say,
Will surely be done as You live,
And when this life's over and time is no more,
We'll receive all You promised to give.
And
when on that day the great judgment is set,
And Christ will sit there on His throne,
He'll say to the faithful, who kept all His will,
Come now and inherit your home.
Henry Priest - 7/28/2002