John 8:31-41

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 
³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.
³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.
⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.
⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”  We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

"The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth"

Man has always been free to choose,

Believing the truth or a lie.

So Satan stepped in,

And thus did begin

"There's more than one truth you can try." 

Jesus walked this earth as a man,

Presenting the truth to men.

As God, He stepped in;

Thus, did He begin,

"My truth sets you free from your sin." 

There's always been one source for truth;

That's what God would have us to see.

To Him we should come,

For truth and freedom.

We'll learn what He made us to be.

Mark 9:14-29

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered.
 ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

 

"Power or Poverty!"

The demon did his devilish worst.

The disciples didn't deter him.

They gave it a try,

But then wondered why

The spirit completely ignored them. 

People today are no different;

We fail when we ought to succeed.

It oft seems that our

Attempts lack the power

That God's word has told us we need. 

We have to get past all the doubting.

True faith always will see us through.

By prayer we "plug in"

To His power - to win.

There's never a thing God can't do.

Romans 14:17,18

New Internatinonal Version
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
  

"Bring Back the JOY"

Joy seems to be an elusive thing,
Judging by our world today.
While so many search,
Quite often in church;
Somehow it still slips away.

Joy from this world is incomplete.
It has a significant lack.
We try to fit in,
We try not to sin;
And still the joy doesn't come back.

Joy can be found by seeking God.
Give Him first place in your heart.
Through His righteousness
You'll find peace and bliss.
Serve Him and your joy won't depart.

Matthew 25: 1-13

New International Version

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

"Ready Or Not"

The wedding was going to happen,
Though none of them knew just when.
They all gathered there
To wait - and prepare.
"We're ready," said five of the ten.

The King has said He is coming.
The Groom will come for His bride.
If we want to go
Then He has to know
We're ready to stand by His side.

You cannot count on your neighbor,
Though he may be a true friend.
It's you who must be
Waiting and ready.
Your lamp must burn bright 'till the end.

Matthew 18:21-35

New International Version

---

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

"Open the Door of Forgiveness"

The master forgave his servant.
The servant demanded his pay.
His lesson not learned,
His master returned;
So there in the jail he would stay.

Forgiveness should be automatic.
Don't hesitate! Just do it!
What we put behind us
No longer can bind us.
We grow each time we go through it.

Holding a grudge is never "our right".
It always turns out to be wrong.
To learn how to live
Just watch God forgive.
He's been doing it all along.

Luke 8:4-15

New International Version

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:

5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

How's Your Heart Soil?

The farmer faithfully planted,

And always He used good seed.

While much fruit he got

Some good seed did not

Find the good soil it would need.

God sends His Word throughout His world.

Constantly sowing "truth seeds"

Though all folks receive

Some do not believe;

They can't hear the "Word" for the "weeds".

The seed that is planted is good.

The ground where it falls may not be.

Our "human soil" must

Continually trust

Our Maker - to grow fruit-bearing trees.