THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

 

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

When Jesus comes with His angels,

And takes a seat on His glorious throne,

Where all nations are gathered around,

We certainly won’t be alone.

For we all face the final Judgment --

And we all hope to wear a white robe,

Garments that were made as white as snow.

For those selected from all over the globe.

Sheep on the right, goats on the left.

Each will get what they earned,

The sheep took good care of Jesus,

By the goats our Savior was spurned.

Are you on the left or the right?

Are you a sheep or a goat?

Will you one day wear a black cape,

Or a bright-white, bridal coat?

Becky Wall

Revelation 19:14: When Christ returns as King, His heavenly armies follow Him: "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses."

Revelation 19:7–8: At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Bride is permitted to wear fine linen: "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

Revelation 7:9: "...a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands..."

Revelation 7:13–14: When asked who they are, an elder explains: "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

LEFT IN THE DARK

 

LEFT IN THE DARK

Acts 12

King Herod arrested some Christians,

That no longer worshiped as a Jew.

James, John’s brother, was killed with a sword,

Then Peter was arrested too.

It was during a Jewish festival,

The Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Tho’ The bread itself contained no yeast,

Vile yeast spread ‘til many were dead:

John the Baptist was beheaded,

And John’s brother with a sword.

Peter was scheduled next to be killed,

After Passover, set by the Lord.

The Passover protected God’s people,

By lamb’s blood put on the doorframe.

Then Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb,

They should now all worship His name.

Yet Peter found himself in jail,

Four guards in four groups kept him there.

Two were chained on each side of him;

They guarded him sleeping bare.

It was Passover repetition --

No sandals and no cloak at his waist.

The same items that had long been required,

Were again to be grabbed in haste.

An angel with a mission and a message

Appeared to Peter that night.

The heavy chains fell from his wrists,

Before his miraculous flight.

He made it past all the guards,

Then a locked iron gate did appear.

The gate opened up on its own,

And freedom was finally near.

Peter thought he was living a vision.

The experience was so surreal.

It wasn’t until he passed through the gate,

That his mind began to heal.

Once they got past the iron gate,

And traveled about a block,

The angel left Peter’s side,

And reality brought a shock.

He went to the home of a woman named Mary,

The mother of a man named John Mark.

He banged on the door and also called out,

But he was left in the dark.

When Rhoda, a servant girl, heard his voice,

She was shocked at his voice so stark,

She absent-mindedly ran to tell others,

And left him outside in the dark.

They had been in the house all day to pray,

And argued how this could be.

They knew that God answers prayers,

Yet didn't open the door to see.

Peter just kept on knocking,

And surely was looking around.

For he was an escaped prisoner,

Who a few minutes ago was bound.

When the door was finally opened,

And he rushed in the house, he was pale.

He motioned for them to be quiet,

While he told them what happened in jail.

The guards at the jail were questioned,

And further interrogated,

But since they had no answers,

To a sudden death they were fated.

— Becky Wall

JESUS TAKES A WALK ON THE WATER

                                       

             

JESUS TAKES A WALK ON THE WATER

Mark 6:45-52

Jesus had fed the thousands,

His miracles could not be denied,

He used just a few loaves and fish,

And the fish were not even fried.

His disciples were sent to Bethsaida,

And when the crowd had gone away,

Christ needed to talk to His Father alone,

So, He went to a mountainside to pray.

Later that night He noticed,

The disciples still rowing on the lake.

They were fighting the wind and the oars,

While thinking the trip was a mistake.

Christ waited ‘til just before dawn,

To walk the lake to the other side.

When He was about to pass them by,

The disciples were terrified.

They thought they were seeing a ghost,

In fear, they began to cry out.

Jesus said, “It is I, have courage.”

He wasn’t a ghost, no doubt.

They were shocked when He climbed in the boat,

And the wind and waves died down.

That proved He was truly the Son of God,

So they continued their trip to town.

They continued to struggle with parables,

And neither miracle could be seen as a trick.

They had witnessed so much already,

But their belief in the Son didn’t stick.

The disciples had so much to learn.

God’s presence they could not conceive.

The Holy Spirit was not present in them,

Their hearts were too hard to believe.

Becky Wall

 

FROM CRUMBS TO A SEAT AT THE TABLE

 

FROM CRUMBS TO A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Jesus is God but still human,

I’ll go to a quiet village, he thought.

He went to the Gentile city of Tyre,

Where He hoped He wouldn’t be sought.

His presence could not stay a secret;

A Greek woman fell at His feet.

Her little girl was demon possessed,

At Christ’s table the mom had no seat.

She had heard many truths about Jesus,

And believed every wonder she heard.

She knew He could heal her daughter;

Her faith was shown with each word.

Tho’ Jesus spoke in symbols;

She understood just what He said.

"Let my people eat all they want;

For, I AM their bread."

Christ continued, "It isn’t right,

To take God’s children’s bread,

And toss it to ones not family,"

Tho' a bounty for them lie ahead.

The mother said with certainty.

"Even the puppies under the table,

Can eat the children’s crumbs."

Tho' Gentiles at the time were unable.

Then Jesus turned and said to her,

You may go for such a reply.

The demon has left your daughter.

Such faith I cannot deny.

Jesus honored her when He said:

There’s no longer a demon to fear.

She found her daughter lying in bed;

And the acceptance of Gentiles was near.

They no longer had to live off the crumbs;

Christ had welcomed them into the fold.

They could now dine at the Hebrews’ table,

As prophecy long ago foretold.

Becky Wall

WHAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE

 

WHAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE

The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed,

The smallest seed on earth.

But it becomes the garden’s largest plant.

Once that tiny seed gives birth.

The disciples listened to the parables,

And were often confused or bored,

But Jesus told them the meanings,

So the stories would not be ignored.

The hidden meanings were hard to grasp.

Without the Holy Spirit.

Tho’ the Spirit worked through them at times,

Their insight had its limit.

But then came the Day of Pentecost,

Ten days after the ascension.

There was the sound of a rushing wind;

Tongues of flames got the people’s attention.

The Spirit flamed on everyone present;

No doubt Jesus was God’s Son.

Peter spelled out the facts to the people,

Who realized what horrors had been done.

What can we do to be saved, they asked;

The whole crowd was deeply riven.

Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus;

And your sins will be forgiven.

You will receive a heavenly gift,

In the third person of God.

He will abide inside of you,

As along life’s rough road you trod.

The Holy Spirit is that gift;

He will help you know bad from good.

And will help you understand God’s Word,

As you never thought you could.

The disciples got sudden understanding,

The parables began to renew.

After baptizing 3,000 people in Christ,

They understood how the mustard seed grew.

Becky Wall

RICH AND WITHOUT A CARE

RICH AND WITHOUT A CARE

A certain rich farmer produced a good crop,

But lack of storage made him frown.

I know what I’ll do, he exclaimed with glee.

I’ll tear all my full barns down.

To an average farmer this makes no sense,

But this rich man was full of greed.

I’ll build bigger barns, he said to himself;

I won’t then give up any seed.

New barns were built and the old torn down,

So, he could eat, drink and be merry.

He was ready to sit back and take life easy,

His troubles in life he would bury.

But God was angry with him for his greed,

And his lack of concern for the poor.

He said to the farmer, “You wicked fool!

You'll soon get what you prepared for."

That night he died and found no joy,

In worldly riches he left behind,

As will be for ones not rich toward God,

With no generous thoughts in mind.

Don’t become like the farmer and others,

Who hoard treasures and all they own.

In their minds, the Lord doesn’t matter,

They think of themselves alone.

Becky Wall

ZACCHAEUS: UP A TREE IN LIFE

 

ZACCHAEUS: UP A TREE IN LIFE

Zacchaeus had a heart for the Lord;

He felt lonely and spiritually lost.

He hungered to know more about Jesus,

Not caring about the cost.

The short, wealthy, hated tax collector,

Many witnessed as he climbed a tree

He tossed status and dignity to the wind;

It was Jesus he wanted to see.

Jesus saw him up in the tree

And insisted he come right down

For He was going to his house that day.

The news surely spread around town.

Zacchaeus longed to please Jesus.

By giving half his goods to the poor,

He would repay anyone he had cheated.

He would even pay four times more.

The people began to mutter;

He’s going to be the guest of a sinner.

They were disgusted and let it be known,

As the two traveled home to dinner.

Salvation has come to this house, Jesus said.

I came just to seek this man out.

Like you, he’s a son of Abraham,

With those words, He left no doubt.

Zacchaeus was ecstatic;

His tears he could hardly contain.

For he had dinner with the Son of God,

Why him, he couldn’t explain.

Becky Wall

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

 

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

And the not-so-good Priest and Levite

Jesus told a parable to a lawyer,

Who asked who is a person’s neighbor.

The expert was trying to trap Jesus,

He was picky in whom he found favor.

In the story a man took a trip down a road,

From Jerusalem to Jericho ahead.

Robbers appeared and tore off his clothes,

Beat him up and left him half dead.

A priest saw the man hanging to life,

And crossed to the other side.

Later a Levite did the same;

Neither cared if the beaten man died.

A Samaritan man then came to that place,

The injured man lay dying by then.

The lowly Samaritan dressed his wounds,

And paid for a room at the inn.

Jesus finished the parable and asked,

Which was a neighbor in the story.

The expert muttered, “The one who showed mercy,”

The correct answer in this allegory.

Christ told the expert to go and do likewise;

In other words, do the same deed.

The moral to the story is the religious men sinned;

They did nothing for one in need.

Becky Wall

Matthew 23:15
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are."

James 2:15-16
"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" Think of this person as a neighbor.

CONCEIT - FULL OF YOURSELF

CONCEIT - FULL OF YOURSELF

Matthew 23:12
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Galatians 6:3-4
3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions.

Ephesians 4:17
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

Jude 1:16

These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

Psalm 10:7
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

Psalm 12:2
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

Psalm 36:2

In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.

Job 32:1
So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. (But, in fact, Job was righteous.)

Proverbs 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Proverbs 26:16
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.

II Cor. 10:8 - "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."

THE MYSTERY OF WHO IS KILLING THE CHURCH

THE MYSTERY OF WHO IS KILLING THE CHURCH

Don't let the first few lines throw you. The killer is telling the story.

People are killing Christ's church. Their so-called righteous teachings and actions have caused it to decay. Never fear, the case has been solved, thanks to me, Will Hinder. Just help me restrain the preacher. The man has such nerve. His out-of-touch sermons against abortion, homosexuality, and gambling are never politically or socially correct, and he doesn't even care. He must be silenced. He speaks for the Mastermind, Who I have yet to accept. His words are a double-edged sword, and they strike at the heart. Yes, the preacher has the church's demise on his mind. Nothing short of our sacrifice will shut him up. Is it any wonder the church is dying?!

His accomplice is Earnest Elder. He's always after my wallet. He spouts off scriptures on tithing knowing I can't afford to give until I get my new boat paid off. I guess I'll slap my money down on the offering plate. Give! Give! Give! Who else would be willing to make such a sacrifice?

Then there is Ima Babylover. I am so tired of her pathetic pro-life leaflets and gory brochures. People should be protected from seeing graphic pictures of bloody and dismembered babies. And her letters to the editor make me so irate and ashamed. Doesn't she know God gives us the right of "choice." You'd think she was fighting a war but, in fact, it is she who is killing us.

And what about Tru Lee Kare. He's so judgmental. He thinks the gay lifestyle could hurt the church or his family or even gays themselves. They deserve the right to adopt kids. Where in heaven did that old-fashioned definition of family come from, anyway? Children should be taught to accept homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. If the church won't teach it, then the schools should. Gays can't help themselves; they were born with their weaknesses, just like abusers, alcoholics, and pedophiles. A lot of gays are dying with AIDS, but is True Lee concerned? Does True Lee have compassion? Noooooo! He just keeps talking about repentance, mercy, and some big, long word called "sanctification." He's destroying us!

Bea Callin must be stopped, also. She tries to get people to do church work when they don't have time, or that they don't want to do. Just let me get ready to walk out the door to go to a sports event, and she phones. By the time I explain to her the reasons why I can't help with VBS or visit the sick or whatever, I'm running late. She turns me off. How can she get any help that way; it's overkill!

This concludes my investigation; I know who is killing Christ's church. It's those pushy, intolerant, self-righteous, politically and socially incorrect bigots and homophobes sitting in their pews Sunday after Sunday praying for our country, arrogantly thinking they have the answer. Well, I, for one, am doing my part to save the church. Not only will I withhold my tithes, but I plan to shut these people down. I'll make sure everyone knows to avoid them. What's that you say--Destroyer? Save your praise. I know they will seek to ruin me, but somebody's got to do it. Will Hinder

Epilogue: Will himself seeks to hinder or even destroy the church while promoting his own worldly views. He thinks everyone should think like him; never mind what the Bible says.

Becky Wall